Page 79 - Bulletin 20 2016

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scheme reached fruition he would do everything in his power to induce the government to
grant any Crown land adjoining Smith’s Farm to the proposed park and, in time, proved true
to his word (102) .

Following Minister Kemp’s negative response as far as the national government providing
any assistance toward this initiative, Mayor Foster decided to call another public meeting to
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consider the options still open for acquiring Smith’s Farm. Held on October 13 , 1938, and
attended by, “more than 300 people”, it was decided at this meeting to unanimously accept a
resolution proposed by Mayor Gay of Simon’s Town that the committee negotiate a purchase
price “not to exceed £16,000”, for Smith’s Farm. Negotiations were then to be conducted
through the local authorities of Cape Town, the Municipality of Simon’s Town and the
Divisional Council of the Cape asking each to share in the financial responsibility (103) . A
letter to this effect was then sent by the Town Clerk of Cape Town, Mr. M. B. Williams (now
Honorary Secretary of the Cape Point Nature Reserve Committee) and to the Divisional
Council Secretary, Mr. G. O. Owen asking him to submit this matter to the Divisional
Council for consideration (104) .

Just as this initiative seemed to be gaining momentum the first in a number of setbacks arose.
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At a meeting of the City Council General Purposes Committee on November 21 , a motion
that the City Council share in the cost of this proposal was turned down. It was reported in
the Cape Argus the following day that this decision would be the recommendation put before
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the full Council for acceptance at the regular monthly meeting to be held on November 29 .
The Cape Times was scathing:
“It seems almost treasonable to this stately Peninsula of ours to think that its extreme
end, now the only unspoilt part of our heritage, should fall into the hands of men who
will cause it to pimple into a bungaloid acne.”

Knowing that presenting a united front on the part of the local authorities of the Cape
Peninsula would strengthen their case towards winning the approval of the overarching
Provincial Administration and, in turn, enactment of the necessary legislation at Provincial

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