Page 54 - Bulletin 17 2013

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By this time many hotels and boarding houses had sprung up in Kalk Bay: King’s, Castle

Hill 1910; Strathmore 1912; The Majestic 1916 (enlarged in 1926); Chartfield 1916;
Leslie’s 1918 (later the Olympia plus bioscope); New Kings 1929; and numerous others.

Both pavilions were exposed to storm-waves. This was particularly true of the Men’s

Pavilion as the sea could run up beneath it and then backwash off the sloping railway
embankment, or combine with the next incoming wave to create a vertical surge that

lifted and flooded the structure. The Ladies’ Pavilion was relatively more protected by

the sea-walls and pools that stood in front of it. In 1935 Council raised and re-curved the
existing sea-walls to provide additional protection, and a new sea-wall was extended

across the beach and gulley in front of the Men’s Pavilion. The spaces between these

walls and the pavilions were then filled with sand covering the rocky basement and
creating artificial beaches that needed annual replenishment. (Figs. 1.57 & 1.58.) The

pools were popular venues among schools and swimming clubs. (Figs. 1.59 & 1.60.)

In February 1938 further beach walling costing £800 was approved, and by this time it
had also become apparent that the pavilions were outdated. On 30 May 1938 Council

approved the construction of a new pavilion costing £7,000 on the site of the Ladies’

Pavilion on the north side of the pedestrian subway – this had replaced the over-rail
bridge in 1927 when the line was doubled and electrified. On 28 February 1939 the

tender of Louw and Halvorsen of £8,280 was accepted, £536 of which was to be refunded
by the SAR & H, being their share of the cost of reconstructing in concrete a portion of

the railway platform. Part of the plan provided for a new hemispherical Kiddies’ Pool in
the artificial beach area behind the sea-wall to the right of the subway. This replaced the

former Kiddies’ Pool which was filled in to create forecourt space in front of the new

pavilion. On 15 December 1939 the new bathing pavilion was opened by the Mayor of
Cape Town, Mr Brinton. (Figs. 1.61 – 1.64.)