Page 62 - Bulletin 7 2003

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Further events which occurred during his term of office included the extension
of the municipal boundaries to Retreat, and the surveying of a harbour at Kalk

Bay with a report to Government. The naming of the Hansen Reservoir also
occurred during his term.

The Hansen Reservoir

Councillor Gourlay said he hoped the objections urged at a previous meeting
against the naming of the reservoir had been got over, as partly all the previous
mayors who were in office during its inception had left the Municipality, Capt.
Brooke-Smith was away in England and Mr. Pocock no longer took an active
interest in affairs. The only name they could associate with the reservoir was that
of Mr. Hansen, who died in harness; as a matter of fact it was on the evening of
the same day that he as Mayor, after inspecting the reservoir, met with his tragic
death. He (Councillor Gourlay) moved that on the morrow it be named “The
Hansen Reservoir”.
The mayor seconded and the motion was carried unanimously.

The Wynberg Times, 18 April 1903

Wood died aged 80 on 8 October 1935 leaving his wife, three daughters and a

son.

Mayor W. D. Gourlay 1905 - 1907 (Fig. 2.6)

William Dickson Gourlay followed Scowen’s third term of office and was

Mayor from August 1905 to October 1907. Of all the mayors he faced the
greatest number of problems and his handling of these was exemplary. He was

elected to continue for a further two-year term but was forced to resign before

completing his second term due to pressure of work.

He was “thrown into the deep end” regarding the construction of the “Drainage
and Electrical Lightworks Scheme” and was responsible for dismissing the

Municipal Engineer, as well as handling the demise of the main contractor