| With the tramway up and
running and the roads and plots laid out, Camps Bay under Cape
Marine Suburbs seemed set to become the centre of a property boom.
After the Jameson raid and the
South African War, refugees from the Traansvaal flocked to Cape
Town. Buildings were erected and land was bought, but the war ended
and the refugees returned to the Traansvaal. Property sales were in
the dolrums and those who remained there prefered to live close to
their work. Camps Bay became once more a resort with holiday
bungalows for summer residents.
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The
Wernich farmhouse later became the holiday home of
British Governors, including Lord Charles
Somerset. |
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in history |
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By the late 1920s
Camps Bay was in the doldrums, few houses had been sold and the
syndicate involved in planning the suburb had gone insolvent.
Isidore Cohen had the vision to see that Camps Bay could become more
than just a summer place with tents and bungalows. He realized that
the city, hemmed in by mountains and sea, had to develop outwards,
particularly along the Atlantic Seaboard. Camps Bay was then a sandy
waste, covered by bush and blasted by the South-East and North-West
winds. But, it nestled beneath the soaring grandeur of the Twelve
Apostles and was one of the loveliest spots in the Cape Peninsula. Everything
was done to make the township desirable, roads were put in place by
the company and it was made very easy to acquire a house in the
suburb, where everything would be done for you; including building,
water and electricity. You would also not have to layout the money
or pay a deposit, instead a monthly sum which would be considerably
less than rent would be paid and in 10 - 15 years the house would be
yours. Soon it
was only the foolish who regarded Camps Bay as a windswept waste and
with conditions such as these to tempt prospective home owners,
Cohens confidence in the suburb was fully justified and Camps Bay
became the In Place. Roads zigzagged up the mountainsides, houses
sprang up. People were living there, and not only for six weeks in
summer. With the availability of motor transport and good roads,
Cape Town was near and accessible, both for shopping and work. And
after work there was the beautiful coastline fringed by Mr. Farquars
palm trees where the family could go and relax. A haven to live in !
The Battle
Begins When
the home owners learnt that the council had granted approval for a
seven storey block of flats, on the site of the Marine Hotel, the
Camps Bay residents were up in arms. With
the possibility of Camps bay becoming like a Sea Point or Durban,
the Ratepayers organised a meeting and the ratepayers turned
out en masse. As a result of the meeting no homes or beachfront
property may be developed over three storeys in Camps Bay. Exhilirated
by their victory a committee was set up and ensures that future
developments will not spoil the natural beauty of the suburbs unique
seafront.
To add to the
history or share your own old stories,
send your comments to history@campsbay.com
If
you have any queries or any information / pictures to contribute to
this site please email: webedit@campsbay.com |
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