Page 109 - Bulletin 8 2004

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The Wynberg Times: 10 January, 1903.

They Say :

That the Fish and Cold Storage new buildings now being erected have an ugly commercial
look with them.
That the site was evidently intended by nature for a grand hotel.
That this impression will be further verified when the 950 foot harbour pier runs out to sea.

The Wynberg Times: 14 March, 1903

Local Observations

The new Cold Storage Works are hastening towards completion, and the engineers
are busy erecting the machinery which it may be expected will be running in two or three
months. Facilities for storing enormous quantities of fish have been provided, and
housekeepers in the Peninsula may hope to get a regular supply throughout the year
irrespective of bad weather or the temporary absence of fish in the bay.

Very soon the fisherman did not believe that they were benefiting from contracts with the
company because the price to local consumers had increased as most of the company’s fish

had been sent up country.

While loading ice on the 3 October 1903 the Rex, a 244 ton trawler, started to drag its
anchor. Within a few hours she had drifted on to the rocks in front of Kalk Bay station.

Two of the Admiralty tugs, the Scotsman and the Maori, failed in their efforts to pull her

free. The ten-man crew managed to reach the shore safely. From here things started to go
wrong and the following year the Company went into liquidation and the Mary was sold at

a public auction. The reasons for the company’s failure were the loss of the Rex, the

depression after the South African War, and most importantly the “dissatisfaction on the
part of the fishermen”. Another company, called the Kalk Bay Fish & Land Co., bought

and took over the premises. Within three years this company also went insolvent and was
liquidated.