Page 31 - KBHA BULLETIN 6

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THE STORY OF KALK BAY POINT

The Occupation of the Point

Barrie Gasson

Introduction

Kalk Bay Point is geographically part of the footslopes of Trappies Kop mountain and it
continues beneath the waves emerging as the offshore reef located some distance behind the

breakwater. It is an ancient sea terrace standing about 6m above mean sea level, and very

exposed to the forces of wave and wind. But on its north side is the relatively sheltered sandy
cove that is Kalk Bay's raison d'etre. On an otherwise hostile coastline, apart from Simon's

Bay, it was always a safe landing place for small boats. Van der Stel used it as his base for
the first-ever exploration of False Bay in November 1687.

Today the Point is largely vacant: its southern extremity is occupied by the house "By-the-

Sea", while the harbour breakwater, jetty, slipways, parking area, and buildings all occupy

land that was reclaimed along its north shore between 1913 - 1919. (Fig. 2.1). But it was not
always vacant. In fact, until about 1920, it was used for a variety of purposes that are

recorded in old photographs and memories, and it had been fragmented into a variety of
oddly shaped land parcels that at one time or another belonged to different owners. (Fig. 2.2).

Overall ownership of the Point currently vests in four parties: "By-the-Sea" is privately
owned, the reclaimed harbour land and infrastructure along the north shore belong to the

Cape Provincial Government; the rail corridor along the western boundary belongs to the SA

Rail Commuter Corporation, and the central open land has since 1935 belonged to the
Municipality of Cape Town, and its successors in title.

The Point has a rich history and is a place of considerable heritage significance to the local

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