Page 145 - KBHA Bulletin 16
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-shelter. It housed 76 bathing cabins in the wing close to the pool, with tea-rooms at the
higher level in the other wing. In the angle between the wings was a stage for orchestral
and other entertainments with the audience accommodated on the sands. The projecting
roof supported on columns provided shelter to a large part of this area. On 23 December
1915 the tender of Mr S Romain of £6,316 5s was accepted and the Pavilion opened in
1917. The Camps Bay – Bakoven Drainage Scheme was inaugurated only on 18 July
1928. Sewage flowed by gravity or was pumped to the outfall in Bakoven Bay.
In 1918 the Cape Peninsula Publicity Association described Camps Bay as follows:
Camp’s Bay itself is a restorative health resort, ozone from driven salt spray, balm
from adjacent pine woods, and cool, fresh mountain airs mingle on the Camp’s Bay
beach and constitute just the tonic needed to send new life to tissues parched by inland
heat.
The Camp’s Bay beach is pleasant and uncommon. Unlike so many seafronts, it is
not a depressing range of furze-clad sand dunes, but a restful, charming pleasure-ground
where grassy downs and long silvery strands alternate with picturesque rocky coves and
promontories.
The beach slopes too abruptly, and the currents are too strong to permit surf
bathing, but there are places specially indicated by signboards, where open sea bathing
may be enjoyed in water calm, safe and deep enough in places to permit of swimming,
and shallow enough in other places to accommodate those who do not swim.
Cape Peninsula Holiday Haunts, July 1918: 43.
During the 1920s the post-war depression dashed hopes of further development. After
1931 the tramway track was ceded to the Council provided it was converted to a motor
road that has been known subsequently as Camps Bay Drive. In 1936 all Cape Marine
Suburbs assets were bought by Isadore Cohen but sales were sluggish until the
development really took off in the 1960s. (de Beer, 1987.)

