Page 220 - Bulletin 9 2005

207

“A visit to Camps Bay is naturally part of the programme of all new arrivals, while it is
3
thronged with merry-makers on all high days and holidays." Even socially
unacceptable merry-makers formed part of the throng. Brothel madams hired carriages
on Sunday afternoons and took their girls out to Camps Bay for a ride. The holiday

makers would ogle the girls and the girls in turn would throw them their business cards.

The Council had to clamp down on the activities of these ladies.

Farquhar put down a bowling green, a cricket club, tennis court, a golf course. This
didn’t last long - try getting a hole in one in one of Camps Bay’s health giving

invigorating breezes. Golf estates were not fashionable then and the golf course soon
vanished. But there was a brilliant geologist who thought there were diamonds in

Camps Bay and secretly invested in spades and barrows and excavated until he

discovered that the blue ground he had spotted in the Glen had been trucked in by the
Randlords from Kimberley to level the land for a golf course.

Farquhar offered ground for sale with certain conditions. “As regards the buildings to be
erected, it will be stipulated that only one house be erected in each lot, and that the

buildings, which must be set back at least 8 or 10 feet from the building line, must be of
the value of £800 at least. It is the intention of the company to offer special facilities to

residents in this marine suburb and they will also vend to them building material at
Cape Town prices, so that one might be worse situated than to be a resident under the

auspices of this company.” So reported the South African Jewish Chronicle in 1903.

The South African Jewish Chronicle had not realised that Jews were not regarded by

Farquhar as being suitable residents and he would not allow them to purchase land.
Even picnicking Jews did not feel completely at ease. As a result harmless incidents

could be blown out of proportion through a fear that these might provoke prejudice. An
example was what that newspaper called THE CAMPS BAY EPISODE. “A well-

known dental surgeon” wrote to the South African Jewish Chronicle complaining about

the noise made on the Camps Bay beach by a party of young Jews playing a game of