Page 155 - Bulletin 17 2013

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The site, on the corner of Lever Street and Belmont Road, was sold to the baker George John

Kallis in 1902 by Robert Andrew Fish for £700. Kallis sold it to Ruby Maria Clampett (wife of
Wyndham James Clampett) in 1917. It was probably the Clampetts who added a storey to the

building they called ‘Terenure’. They were believed to be Irish as Terenure is a small town near
Dublin. When Mrs. Clampett wrote to Council in 1921 about a building dispute at the back of

her property she mentioned that she had 15 rooms. Over the years this building was occupied as
a boarding house and as rented flats before being bought by John Adams for £1,450 in 1936.

Belmont Road

On the Main Road is the van Blerk building (now Belmont Court), then Mayville Cottages, and

the van Blerk cottages at the top – all owned by the van Blerk family. On the other side of the
road is the Billiard Saloon – the corrugated iron building at the centre of Fig. 3.35. ‘Castle Hill‘

had not yet been built. Below the Billiard Saloon is what became Adam’s Garage; ‘Terenure’ is
below it.

There was little in the way of commercial entertainment in these early years. Families visited

each other and there were religious festivals and events. In early January1916 a Mr S. Jacobson

applied to Council for permission to hold a dance at the Marine Billiard Saloon – with paid
tickets. Permission was granted subject to the windows being kept open – and the height of the

wall of the outside urinal being increased by 2ft. The dance must have been a success because at
the end of January a Mrs H. van Ellison applied for a dance permit and Jacobson again applied

for one in February. This building is still there, later part of Adams’ Garage. (Fig. 3.36.)

John Samson Adams, a blacksmith and farrier originally from Paarl opened a blacksmith’s shop

at the top of Colyn Road after he bought land there in 1914. The shop was still there in 1928. The
Adams’ were very well known blacksmiths and his cousin Christian May Adams was established

in Windsor Road where he owned extensive properties. John foresaw the demise of animal-

powered transport and the rise in the use of cars and motorized fishing boats. He bought the
billiard saloon and set up his blacksmith’s shop at the back with garage in front. In 1927 his son,

Edward Adams, applied for existing buildings in poor condition to be demolished. He drew the