The first harbour works at Port Natal: the role of John Milne from 1849–1857

Natal became a British colony in 1845 at a time when the British government was unwilling to place any additional burdens on the British taxpayer. Colonies were generally not regarded as assets or areas where commercial expansion could take place. 1 The imperial government hoped, therefore, that Natal would quickly develop economically, so that it would become independent of the Cape Colony and the imperial treasury. 2 This was to be accomplished in several ways, in each of which the harbour at Port Natal would play a crucial role.