Cape Town Mapping Project

Rhodes Memorial

The Rhodes Memorial was designed by British Architect Sir Herbert Baker and Sir Francis Macey to commemorate the contributions of Cecil John Rhodes, who lived and worked in South Africa for over 30 years. The memorial was financed by the Cape Town public and was built in 1912. The site of Rhodes Memorial is said to be Cecil Rhodes favourite place to sit and think. From the memorial you can see across the Cape Flats to the Hottentots Holland Mountains and to the south you can see False Bay. The Neo-classical memorial was designed in Cecil Rhodes favourite architectural style. The memorial has 49 steps, each representing a year of Rhodes life. There are eight lion statues lining the steps, modeled on the lions around the Nelson Column in Trafalgar Square. At the foot of the monument is the ‘statue of energy’, which represents Rhodes’ drive and passion.