Page 80 - Bulletin 23- 2020

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The plot (erf 89943) 8 Ladan Road was bought in 1897 by Hendrik Andries Geldenhuys Bergh.
On the face of it this is just another name in the Deeds Register. A file in the archives gives us

much of interest in old Kalk Bay. The Berghs had been in Kalk Bay since the 1850s and were

anold fishing family. Hendrik sold this plot in March of 1902 and died aged only 36 the next
month.

He had owned two boats, the Emalino and the Edith Annie. Among other papers is a long list of

fish caught and prices paid by the Kleinschmidt’s fishing company. Vast quantities of fish are
listed with prices paid – for example, 19 kabeljouw fetched a shilling each and a bunch of fish

4½d. Also among the papers is a long list of liquor bought from Morom & Co – I can only
assume Hendrik ran a bar on the side. Half a dozen beers sold for 1/9d at the time.

Hendrik Bergh sold his plot to William Betteridge – a speculator from Roodepoort. His home-

drawn plans were not acceptable to Council and Louis Ladan bought the land in 1923 at which
time it had a municipal valuation of £180. Despite all efforts, the plans could not be found and it

is probable that Ladan built these units which are quite different to anything else he built in this

street.

The property then followed the same ownership as Naaldwyk – bought by Emdin in 1939 and by

Sarah Bardac in 1951.

A circa 1960 aerial picture shows that the roof of the complex at number 8 (top right of the
street) had deteriorated badly. (Figs. 3.12 & 3.13). These buildings were multi-tenanted for many

years. There were four dwelling units: Bedford, Ubley, Dromana, and Libertas: a small

community on its own below the mountain. All were rental properties and among the tenants in
1932 was Captain FH Kenneth-Watts, and his brother listed as ‘fishing rod manufacturer’.

The poor state of the buildings is confirmed by a story about Peggy North who moved in to one

of them 10 years after this picture was taken.

She married Immel Botha and they had two sons. In 1970 they came to live in Kalk Bay
in a house behind the Flats of the fishing community. It was ramshackle and neglected
and she loved to tell the story of her first meeting with a neighbour from those Flats. The
day they moved in Immel was out and Peggy, surveying the depressing state of the rooms,
burst into tears. After a while there was a knock at the door. A concerned neighbour from