Page 69 - Bulletin 23- 2020

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LADAN ROAD KALK BAY: A SOCIAL AND ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY

Steve Herbert

Introduction

There was something of a building boom in Kalk Bay in the early 1920s as evidenced by Harris
Road and other areas. The same thing happened in Ladan Road. In 1915 there was no road at all

and only one house - as can be seen from the 1915 map drawn by EW Attridge. (Fig.3.1). The
area was a sandy waste at the end of the Sand Blocks. In a short 15 years the street appeared and

all the houses were built. We will explore these developments and some of the people of old
Kalk Bay who lived in this area.

Louis Ladan – a major developer

Louis Ladan built at least six of the eight houses in what was then known as Essex Road. (Figs.

3.2 & 3.3). Much more detail about this family can be found in KBHA Bulletin 13.

It was in Harris Road that he had had a blazing public row with Mrs. Jack Harris that led to ill-

feelings for years after. There are some in the community even now who will say that he went

into some sort of business deal with Mrs. Harris that went very wrong for him, resulting in his
insolvency in 1932. Whatever might have happened at this time it was certainly patched up in

later years as Mrs. Harris’ grandson, Norman Barron, clearly recalls in the 1950s:

What I do remember was that he often pottered around at Kenilworth Villa doing all
kinds of odds and ends around in the grounds and to the outside of the house.

He had a shed at the top level of the back of Kenilworth Villa adjacent to the road in
front of the flats belonging to the fishermen. I seem to remember that he kept tools and
things there.

The back part of Kenilworth Villa was terraced - at the first level on the right hand side
(facing the sea) was a bungalow where my uncle Basil Harris lived. Going further back