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In 1913 the Municipality had entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the executors

of the estate of Johannes van Blerk which granted to the Municipality a strip that eventually
became the road.

About two years later, on 25 March 1915, an advertisement appeared in the Cape Times saying

that the road would be closed permanently. Furious letters were directed at the Municipality from
all the property owners in the area and many others. The likes of Molteno, van Riet, Kalis,

Delbridge, Adams, and Kleinschmidt, and many others, objected in no uncertain terms.

In July of 1915 there is a file note saying in effect that the matter had been discussed with Mrs
Anderson who now said it wasn’t she who wanted to close the road but the Council. This must be

nonsense, of course, but with a sigh of relief the officials closed their file. This may have caused
Council to offer to name the street Anderson Road – but there is nothing in the file to this effect.

Annie Maria Murdock (b. Baker) died 27 years later in Leighton Road St James.

Duignam Road

This is the only other street, apart from Ladan Road, where there is anything in writing about the
origin of its name. The 1900 map gives a clue to the naming of Duignam Road. There were no

houses at the top of Windsor Road and no houses along Gatesville Road. The properties of Arthur
Gates show no houses yet. (Fig. 3.26).

But there are three plots registered to Fr. J Duignam here in 1899. No road name is marked and it

was known as Upper and later Old High Level Road for many years – Gatesville being High Level
Road.

It was 1929 (25 April) – nearly 30 years after the sale of these lots that Martin Nugent of ‘Lisieux’

in St James wrote to the Town Clerk “taking the liberty to suggest that it be named Duignam Road.

This I think would be acceptable to all as the name comes from one who was a respected resident
for over fifty years…” Around 1930 Council cobbled the road and built the fine stone wall along

its more than 300 m length – the longest cobbled road in Kalk Bay. And it was named accordingly.

Fr. Duignam was a living legend and is mentioned in many publications. He was a great man of

the cloth and of his community. He had retired from Kalk Bay and he died two years after the

naming of ‘his’ street. (Fig. 3.27).