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reducing the number of staff required to run the installation. These generators have been, in

turn, replaced by three new 27 kW units and the radio beacon has also been fully

automated.

Roman Rock Lighthouse

The history of Cape Point and Roman Rock are linked by the same interest groups and
shipping routes, Cape Point being at the south-west entrance to False Bay and Roman Rock

being farther north up the east coast of the Peninsula at the entrance to Simon's Bay.

When Sir Jahleel Brenton made representations about Cape Point he had included a

lighthouse in Simon's Bay in his proposal.

In January 1823 Joseph Nourse, who was the Royal Navy Commodore of Simon’s Town at

the time, wrote to the Secretary of the Admiralty in London and stressed the need of a
lighthouse to assist His Majesty’s ships arriving at the anchorage at night. His suggestion

was for a lighthouse on a large flat rock known as Noah’s Ark opposite Seaforth Beach. In
February that year Major M. C. Holloway, who was Commanding Officer of the Royal

Engineers, prepared a design and estimate of £450 for this proposal which Commodore

Nourse submitted to Lord Charles Somerset. Lord Charles replied that without permission
from His Majesty’s Treasury he was unable to do anything. The London Committee of

Underwriters supported the Noah’s Ark proposal and forwarded the scheme to the Colonial
Office. They, in turn, passed it on to the Lord’s Commissioners of the Admiralty who

rejected the idea altogether.

Nothing further was done until 1838 when Rear-Admiral Lord George Elliott, Naval

Commander-in-Chief at Simon’s Town, wrote to the Administration saying:

“I have to call your Excellency’s attention to the very great want of a harbour

light in Simon’s Bay… the necessity of such a light is so important and it is so

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