Page 11 - Bulletin 13 2009

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Nothing could be further from the truth, especially as the C.G.R. railway timetable of
1896 had already called the stop alongside the church, St. James’s. Originally it was

known as the St. James Church halt, i.e. any passengers wishing the train to stop
opposite the church had to tell the conductor on boarding the train. This was later

changed to a compulsory stop and was called St. James’s. Later, still, a platform and

station were built.

The Department for Agriculture replied on 1 October 1898 that His Excellency had no
objections to the selling of the land and using the money to build a church of larger

dimensions on the opposite side of the road. The first offer of purchase came from the
Kalk Bay - Muizenberg Municipality which wished to convert the church into a

courthouse. Plans were drawn and permission sought from the Governor. (Fig. 1.6).

These plans never reached the Governor as the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Sauer,
refused permission for the conversion of the church into a courthouse. He considered it

“most offensive” to place a courthouse on the opposite side of the road in front of the

Catholic Church.

Mr. Sauer, now aware of the situation, then played a major role in the development (or
lack of development) of the ‘foreshore’ of St. James, i.e. the land between the Main

Road and the railway line from the church towards Kalk Bay as far as Hamilton House.
He felt strongly that no development should take place here and to “shut off” the sea

frontage any further than had been already done would be a fatal error. He argued that

all remaining land between the church and Hamilton House should be acquired by the
Cape Government Railways and reserved for public use for all time and be used by the

railways only when absolutely necessary. This is indeed what happened. Mr Sauer went
further in his quest to keep the area free of development and excluded the erection of

bandstands. These bandstands were to be erected opposite the seaside platform of St.
James Station on the open common ground and “must not have the effect of a closure of

view or the curtailing of any other open-air activities.”