Page 56 - Bulletin 22 2019

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By 1920 rising public demand for beach facilities caused the Council to consider enlarging

the existing pavilion by widening the seaside verandah by 15 ft bringing it to 25 ft along its
entire length, and adding 50 cubicles to each of the men’s and ladies’ wings. The outdoor

theatre was to be roofed and floored to seat 1200 people. But financial constraints precluded
all of this. In 1922 an alternative solution was adopted by Council: citizens would be allowed

to erect private bathing boxes on leased sites. Nine conditions were laid down including that
their design should be the same as the existing boxes; owners would be responsible for

maintenance and upkeep while Council would be responsible for painting the exterior;

Council could repossess them at any time at cost minus depreciation; should Council cancel
the lease the owner would be responsible for removing the box and clearing the site.

Mr Howells’ 1910 design provided the template for all future boxes. His original plans were
adopted and endorsed on 31/3/1923 by the City Engineer’s Branch. Mr HEA Ford, formerly

Superintendant of Works under Mr Howells in the old KB-MM and now in the City
Engineer’s Branch, signed the plans. (Figs. 2.23 & 2.24.)

Facilities remained inadequate and in 1923 Council instructed the City Engineer to again

report on a comprehensive scheme for the foreshore, which he did in January 1924. Grant’s

grand pavilion, 105 m long, formed the centerpiece of the Scheme. It was to be positioned
about 60 m east of the old pavilion and was set back some 15 m inland of it to be further from

the HWM. On its east side an elevated promenade 201 m long, 9 m wide, and 5 m above sea
level would terminate just beyond the vlei mouth, and provide protection to a 6.5 ha formal

garden and parking area on its landward side. On its west side a 280 m long double row of
bathing boxes would run to the ‘Corner’ sheltering the 1.1 ha parking area lying between it

and Beach Road. Bathing boxes, pavilion and promenade ran in a straight line for 770 m

along the HWM bringing the extensive backshore area under control and giving it new
purposes, chiefly parking and recreation.

Meanwhile, notable storms in 1923 and 1924 totally destroyed and badly damaged many
boxes and forced the Council to relocate them farther back from the high water mark.

Applications for new boxes continued to grow: in 1923 22 new private boxes were erected
raising the total from 58 to 80, and by 1927 there were 94 in two rows of 47 which ran east

and west of the pavilion.