As wool became a valuable export in the 1890's, the town of East London grew remarkably. The East London city hall's foundation stone was laid in 1897, the same year in which Queen Victoria celebrated her Diamond Jubilee. The town folk decided to name the clock tower Victoria tower in honour of the queen. Construction of the East London city hall was completed in 1899, but the opening celebrations were overshadowed by the outbreak of the Anglo-Boer War, which occured in the same month.

The large elaborate late Victorian structure which dominates the cityscape of East London, with its massive white columns, clock tower, and arched windows, was declared a national monument, and in 1914, when the town was proclaimed a city, the town hall was upgraded to its status of a city hall. On the landing in the vestibule are tablets made of white marble. On the panels are the names of white men who died during the frontier wars. A prominent statue of Steve Biko also stands outside the East London City Hall. Access to the city hall is free, but as the building is still in use, it would be preferable to get permission from the caretaker.