Page 59 - Bulletin 18 2014

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G T Nicholson’s plan

With the formation of Union in 1910 harbours became a national responsibility and so Kalk
Bay’s problem moved up to that level and with correspondingly greater prospects of being

financed from the national tax base. In May 1912 the Minister of Railways and Harbours, Mr.
J W Sauer, asked Mr. G T Nicholson M.I.C.E., Resident Engineer at Table Bay Harbour, and

Advisory Engineer to the Union of South Africa, to submit further plans for the harbour. (Mr.

Sauer had always taken a keen interest in this part of the coast, and was very supportive of
the harbour idea.)

Mr. C le S Furlong, Assistant Engineer in the Resident Engineer’s Office, Table Bay
Harbour, was instructed to undertake surveys on the line laid down for the breakwater and

fish landing quay. Use was made of the soundings done by Westhofen and Methven and

Nicholson’s plan resembled Methven’s. It comprised three elements attached to the Point:
breakwater, fish landing quay, and slipway. The breakwater was 783 ft. long and ran parallel

to the coastline; the 260 ft. long fish landing quay was set at right-angles to its south end and

terminated a reclaimed area of 3/4 acre, with a 140 ft. long slipway along its short side. The
breakwater provided a sheltered a basin of 8 acres – virtually the size of Westhofen’s – open

to the northeast and without any reclamation along the beachfront. The estimated cost was
£55,766 and the work would be carried out departmentally by the SAR & H.

The plan received Government approval before the close of the Parliamentary Session of

1912 and this gave impetus to detailed work on plans and sections, etc. in the Engineer’s
Office, Table Bay. (Fig. 2.11.)

On the eve of harbour construction the fleet comprised the 39 boats in the table below, and
the little bay looked as in Figs. 2.12 & 2.13. Portrait photos of some of the politicians and

harbour engineers involved in the various proposals from 1902 – 1912 are shown in Figs.

2.14 – 2.17.