Page 64 - Bulletin 9 2005

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were flooded with water. Furthermore, no telephone service was yet available, although
many potential subscribers had been identified. The charge for a message was 1s 3d.

(Wynberg Times, 16 April, 1904).

In June 1904, as a temporary solution, it was proposed at Muizenberg to move the post
office to either the Masonic Hall Building on Main Road, or a site near the railway

crossing on York Road. The Colonial Government also promised that Muizenberg would
get a post office suited to its requirements once a site had been obtained.

But there was no progress and by August 1905 the Mayor and Councillors were

recommending that a ‘monster meeting’ of ratepayers should take place, followed by a
deputation to the Treasurer – General to force him to honour the earlier promise. The

Council’s MOH was asked to report on the state of the two post offices, and he did so in
September 1905. Of the Kalk Bay office he reported that it lay a good deal below the level

of the Main Road, that the floor was only a few inches from the ground which itself was
very damp, that the inner walls were damp with plaster falling off in places, and that

because of these conditions it was not healthy and better accommodation was needed. At

Muizenberg, while the office was dry it was occupied by too many people to allow each of
them healthy air space.

As a result of this the Postmaster General instituted alterations and renovations at Kalk Bay

and a trebling of the size of the public lobby – in his view bringing it up to the standards of
many other suburban post offices. In 1916 the post office was relocated to the building

known as Dukehaven, on Main Road, and diagonally opposite the first post office. (Fig.
2.6.) Presumably new premises were found for the Muizenberg office for no further

complaints were recorded in the minutes of the Council meetings.

However, in 1928, complaints surfaced regarding the efficiency of the postal service, and

steps were taken to resolve these – including Sunday afternoon collections by motor car.
By 1934 GPO-based motor collections and deliveries (Fig. 2.7) reached as far as