Page 119 - Bulletin 21

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‘Kalk Bay in extent about two miles, contains but few houses and most of them are

tenanted only during the summer months, it being a watering place and frequented as
such. …. At an inconvenient distance from Cape Town or even Wynberg, the

resources of Kalk Bay are so proscribed as to afford no charm to vagrants and other
disturbers of Order. Hence the proverbial security which the place has hitherto

enjoyed.‘

He goes on to say that the recently established and thriving fisheries have caused an influx of
people, far exceeding numbers there up till then and this had materially changed the tone of

the place. This ‘forms good ground for alarm … lest the peace now be in danger of being

disturbed.’

He notes there are five fishing establishments (two of them whale fisheries) employing

between 100 and 200 people. Pinney was obviously not personally concerned and seeing the

growth of Kalk Bay, bought a property here himself the following year.

Thus by 1847 there would have been as many as 500 people living from fishing and to some

extent whaling. It is not known where they all lived although Poortermans’ 1842 engraving
shows buildings that would have housed some of them. (Fig. 4.4.)

There were very few structures on Die Land so people must have been scattered wherever

they could build shelter. This included people living ‘around the corner’ towards Clovelly
(per Vincent Cloete). History tells us they were of many backgrounds and creeds. We have

seen that Muslims were here immediately after emancipation in 1838, and no doubt other

freed slaves followed. The Muslims (or Malays as they were often called) brought centuries
of fishing skill and knowledge to the Cape.

The Filipinos of Kalk Bay

A major influence on the community was the arrival of the Filipinos. They brought their own
well-developed knowledge of the sea and of fishing. Their Catholic religion, education and

their culture had a major impact on the future of Kalk Bay. Much has been written over the

years about when and how these people got to Kalk Bay. They were shipwrecked at Cape
Point, they jumped ship in Simon’s Town, and they arrived on the Confederate raider