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retreat / beach house at Buffels Bay, and a tea room at Cape Point. Generally everyone was
welcome, apart from poachers. Smith even allowed certain individuals to erect three small
beach shacks on his land, ‘Newman’s Cottage’ below Paulsberg on the False Bay coast;
‘Taylor’s Cottage’, which was erected by the Taylor family below Ribboksdam on the
Atlantic coastline along the road to Groendam and, lastly, Pegram’s Cottage just to the south
of Taylor’s Cottage at what is still known as Pegram’s Point (91) .

Before moving on it is important to note that it was during this time that it can be said the
future of Cape Point as a nature reserve and public recreation area was in many ways secured.
Contrary to previous owners, the unflagging welcome extended by the Smith family to
hundreds, if not thousands, of visitors during their time as owners left many a local resident
with the fondest memories of days spent at ‘Smith’s Farm’, Cape Point. Collectively they, in
turn, formed an army of supporters who years later did not see Cape Point as a barren
wasteland but rather as a nature area of immense value that should be passed on to all
generations in as unaltered a state as possible. One individual, in particular, was a schoolboy
who, with a number of his school chums in the years before the First World War, would often
catch the train to Simon’s Town and walk through to the Buffelsfontein homestead - where
they were allowed to store their fishing gear. Many a weekend they spent exploring and
fishing along these shores before making their way back to catch the late train to Cape Town
on Sunday. This young man was Brian Mansergh who in time, and with others, would play a
most important role as advocate for the eventual founding of the Cape of Good Hope Nature
Reserve.

In 1918 George Smith (Senior) passed away - a victim of the world-wide flu pandemic of that
time (believed to have been transmitted to South Africa via returning servicemen.) Mrs.
Smith (née Thomas) lived on until 1928 during which time Norman and his wife continued to
run the farms and manage the visitor facilities. With the passing of Mrs. Smith the surviving
four brothers and sister inherited the farm in equal shares and began to consider selling the
property, with Norman Smith as their spokesperson (92) .

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