Page 49 - Bulletin 7 2003

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running a most successful pharmacy J. T. Pocock and Co., the forerunner of
Heynes and Matthew who bought his business on his retirement in 1902.

He had previously been Mayor of the Rondebosch Municipality in 1888, and the

experience he brought to the fledgeling Kalk Bay Municipality was much

appreciated. He was a Justice of Peace and his favourite hobby was photography.
He as a pioneer of x-ray work in South Africa and his photographic collection is

preserved in the W. Cape Archives in Roeland Street, Cape Town. During his
term of office he took an active interest in the policing services at Kalk Bay as

well as the beachfront development from Muizenberg to Kalk Bay, which
included the planning of the beach pavilions and the standardization of bathing

box designs.

He was a shrewd, industrious and capable man, and a keen musician and chess

player. His motto in life was reputed to have been “Progress in harmony with the

times” - a philosophy that was appropriate to the development of Kalk Bay. He
died in his home at Rondebosch on 2 July 1922 aged 65, leaving his wife

Elizabeth Ann (nee Dacomb), two sons and four daughters.

Mayor J. J. Meyer 1898 - 1900

Jacob Johannes Meyer followed W. H. F. Pocock and his term of office was

from August 1898 - April 1900. His term included the early years of the Anglo-
Boer War (1899-1902) and he and his Council had to deal with the problems of

the many refugees who arrived in the Municipality, thousands of whom arrived
virtually penniless in Cape Town from the Transvaal. This took up many hours

of his and his councillors’ time. He did, however, head a Building Committee
during his term of office which handled the big upswing in demand for housing

and hotel accommodation along the coast line from Muizenberg to Kalk Bay.

It was during his mayoral term that great progress was made with the

construction of the Silvermine Reservoir as well as the completion of a bridge