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Belmont Road was a street of the old Kalk Bay village area known as Die Dam. The row of three

cottages at the top were built in 1845 and occupied by fishing families for generations. All of the
buildings on the far side of the road were owned by the van Blerks. Eventually they came to the

notice of the health authorities owing to outbreaks of enteric fever and possibly typhoid. The large
wood and iron building was known as the Billiard Hall and also used by the community for dances.

Nearby stood the Washouse and Terenure. Further down towards the Main Road stood Melvilles
Hotel one of Kalk Bay’s earliest hotels. (Figs. 3.59 & 3.60). The 2023 picture taken from a slightly

different angle shows the roof lines of the 1845 cottages, the old billiard hall and the late Jean

Ralph’s house Pearlfield.

Colyn Road

The name Colyn was well known in Kalk Bay in the late 1800s. They were descendants of the

famous Johannes Colijn who established himself as a master wine maker and exporter for the VOC

in 1721 when he took over Klein Constantia. Some of his descendants are believed to have settled
in Kalk Bay very early on and Barbara Colyn was born here in 1870. The Colyns were also related

by marriage to the major property-owning van Blerk family.

A 1915 letter of complaint about the state of the road shows where HHD Colyn (probably Hester
Hendrika Colyn) owned properties. (Fig. 3.61). It is an interesting snapshot of property owners in

Colyn Road at the time and a rare time capsule of village life as it was more than 100 years ago.
HHD Colyn owned the building on the Main Road which she ran as a lodging house. She also

owned a bungalow and piece of land further up. EK Green had a stable – no doubt for their bottle
store deliveries.