A brief history of Camps Bay
Camps Bay is the cosmopolitan darling of Cape Town, known for its impressive panoramic coastal views and fashionably chic atmosphere. It would surprise you to find that Jan van Riebeeck had a far less flattering impression of the area. Jan van Riebeeck’s first response when surveying the area was rather unfavourable, with him firmly stating that the land would not sustain farmers and its tumultuous bay littered with rocky outcrops. It posed a serious danger for passing ships. At the time, he wasn’t far from wrong as the area was a windswept wilderness where lion, leopard, baboons and buck wandered freely.
The land was originally inhabited by local San and Khoi tribes who capitalised on their unique knowledge of the land, adopting hunter-gathering techniques and using the tides to trap shallow swimming fish. Unfortunately, their reign of the area soon ended upon the arrival of the Settlers, who brought with them a lethal combination of measles and smallpox. This endemic laid waste to a large portion of their population, with afflicted tribesman restricted to the nearby area of Oudekraal.
The first property erected in Camps Bay was owned by Johan Loedewyk Wernich who named his farmhouse Ravenstyn. The farmhouse was later inherited by his son Johan Jan, who as an eligible young man had the unique pleasure of having three wives. Anna Koekemoer, a former widow, was the most notable of his wives. When Johan passed away, Anna quickly found a new spouse in Frederik Von Kampz. Von Kampz monopolised on their burgeoning lovematch and became the new owner by default of Ravenstyn. The land later became known as Die Baai van Von Kampz, which subsequently evolved into its current name, Camps Bay. Gradual development in the area occurred over the next century with the establishment of the Roundhouse in 1807 - a firm favourite of Lord Charles Somerset who used it as a hunting lodge. 1848 saw the construction of Lady Smith’s Pass - a precursor to Kloof Road as well as Victoria Drive in the latter part of the century, which was a coastal road linking Sea Point and Camps Bay.
Residents of the Mother City remained unconvinced that Camps Bay was an ideal area to plant their roots and call home. Camps Bay’s unofficial mayor of the time, James Riddell Farquhar, realised a lifelong dream of bringing a bit of Brighton to the southernmost tip of Africa and arranged the planting of palm trees along the beachfront which can still be seen today. Unbeknownst to Farquhar, he inadvertently spurred the “summer holiday resort” ambience that locals began to associate with Camps Bay. He was also responsible for driving the construction of the tidal pool as well as the Rotunda which was used for dancing, roller skating, silent movies and church services.
This spur of development attracted throngs of holiday-makers who made Camps Bay their preferred holiday destination and it soon became the place to be seen. It was only during the latter part of the 1930’s that Camps Bay started gaining traction as a preferred residential area, when Mr Isodore Cohen bought up virtually all of the land available in Camps Bay. He was responsible for spearheading a complete civil infrastructure which included roads, electricity lines and water connections. He offered plots and houses to the general public for a reasonable monthly sum with no deposit required and after 10 to 15 years residents would acquire ownership. The offer was hard to resist and attracted an onslaught of new residents, setting Camps Bay firmly on its trajectory to achieving the suburban cachet that was to define its future.
During the late 1970’s and early 1980’s the demand for Camps Bay property skyrocketed, which coincidentally was around the same time when Cape Town welcomed an exodus of Germans hailing from Namibia. Real estate in Camps Bay became a hot commodity being a favoured destination of Germans who snapped up properties faster than the market could accommodate. Today, Camps Bay is a cosmopolitan mix of local and international residents and has retained its seductive allure.
