The original European settlement in this area was at a
place known as the Old Drift (now within the confines of the Mosi-oa-tunya
Zoological Park). The decision was made to move the settlement to what was
known as Constitution Hill at the turn of the 20th Century due to the
vast amount of malaria along the riverbank.
On February 5th, 1905 the settlement was
officially named Livingstone after David Livingstone: the man who brought the
mighty Mosi-oa-Tunya to the world and gave the falls their more internationally
recognized name - Victoria Falls, after his reigning monarch.
Livingstone also enjoyed a brief time as the capital of
what was then Northern Rhodesia before the capital was moved to its current
location, Lusaka.
Livingstone continued to grow and flourish and is now
enjoying rejuvenation as the major tourism capital in the Southern African
region.
During the Duke’s visit Lawrence Wallace was the
administrator of North-Western Rhodesia. In 1905 the Barosteland king was again
in Livingstone for the first Zambezi Regatta where his royal team lost to the
Sesheke royal crew.
The second royal visit was in 1925 when the Royal Highness
the Prince of Wales visited the city; Prince Charles visited the city in 1981.
Unlike other towns in Zambia, Livingstone has a lot of
buildings that are protected under the monuments Act number 23 of 1989 most of
which were built between 1906 and 1921. Sir Evelyn Hone commissioned the
present structure housing the council offices on 19th April 1960, the
last governor of Northern Rhodesia.