Page 6 - Bulletin 17 2013

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combing waves; nearby Zandvlei was a potential boating amenity; and all of this was

backed by imposing mountains accessible via Peck’s Valley. Undoubtedly, as regards
natural amenities, Muizenberg was superior to any of its Atlantic coast counterparts, but

these remained latent assets until given added value by rail access.

Since DEIC days it had lain at the end of ‘De Grote Weg na de Caap’ but the railway,
which arrived on 15 December 1882, gave it real accessibility to the ‘masses.’

Additionally, and importantly, it was patronised by influential people occupying top

positions in British Imperial life: empire-builder Cecil Rhodes bought his cottage in
1899; his architect Herbert Baker had already built his house ‘Sandhills’ on the Beach

Road in the early 1890s; the poet of Empire, Rudyard Kipling and his family, spent many

summers at Muizenberg as guests of both Baker and Abe Bailey until their last summer
visit to the Cape in 1908; Bailey built his mansion ‘Rust en Vrede’ in 1903 to the design

that Baker and, in particular his partner, Francis Masey, had prepared for Rhodes on the
site; in 1914 Alpheus Williams, Rhodes’ American mining engineer, followed with

‘Vergenoeg’ on the beachfront east of the Vlei mouth, designed by Franklin Kendall who
was a partner in Baker’s firm. (Figs. 1.2 – 1.5.)

These potentialities and trends had been apparent to the Councillors of the Kalk Bay –
Muizenberg Municipality when it was formed in May 1895. At its first meeting on 5 June

1895 Captain Alfred William Brook-Smith was elected Mayor. Together with his fellow
councillors he prepared the Kalk Bay Municipal Improvement Act No 27 of 1897, which

was approved by both houses of the Cape Parliament on 24 June 1897. The Act set out a
variety of goals to guide the work of the Municipality, with resort development at the

core.

The Wynberg Times, 17 July 1897.

THE KALK BAY MUNICIPAL IMPROVEMENT ACT was passed in the closing
days of the last session of Parliament, and received the assent of H. E. the Governor
on June 24 last. The Bill on which the Act was based was laid before, and unani-
mously carried at a large meeting of ratepayers in April, 1896. The Act vests all