Page 111 - Bulletin 22 2019

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Apparently, few did so. Demolitions followed and all were removed and only old foundations

remain as evidence of their presence – except for the single box that survives at Boulders.

Conclusion

Investment in seaside amenities on the Peninsula’s False Bay coast – promenades, pavilions,
th
tidal pools and bathing boxes – was concentrated in the first four decades of the 20 century.
Many of the bathing boxes survived into the 1980s by which time the combination of altered

bathing tastes, more diverse beach-related activities, rising mobility and greater access to
other parts of the coast, and general wear and tear brought their survival and relevance into

question.

Currently, of the approximately 465 boxes that existed at the peak in the 1960s only 63 (15%)

remain, and of these 44 (70%) are at Muizenberg and the remainder at St. James (14), Fish
Hoek (4) and Boulders (1). These are the only ones remaining on the Peninsula coastline. (In

1930 there were a number on the Atlantic coastline at Rocklands - Sea Point, 12 at Three
Anchor Bay (described as cubicles), and a few at Woodstock.)

Muizenberg and St James are the only places on the South African coast where they exist
today. An internet search shows that they are the only SA ones appearing on international

websites on the subject. The boxes at St. James, in particular, are probably the more
photographed because they can be viewed easily from Main Road and because their beach –

pool foreground and distant mountain background make them a photogenic landmark on this
major tourism route.

Will they survive? They and the land on which they stand belong to the Council – there are
no leased sites and privately-owned boxes anymore. There seems to be little prospect of a

return to a business model in which private owners lease sites from the Council and take

responsibility for maintaining their boxes. One indicator of the altered beach bathing
preferences of the local community resident along this coast is the number of swimming

pools on private properties: one hundred years ago private pools were the exception but
today, between Quarry Road, Kalk Bay and Muizenberg (bounded by Old Boyes Drive –

Henley – Beach – Atlantic roads), there are some 100 pools on private properties. (City Map
Viewer, 2018.)