Page 55 - KBHA BULLETIN 3

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By 1920 the face of the Kalk Bay townfront had something of the appearance it has today

(Fig. 4.16). In 1930 King’s Hotel was demolished and replaced by the New King’s Hotel.

The Boarding Houses and Private Hotels of Kalk Bay and St. James

The distinction between hotels and boarding houses is a fine one and is usually drawn on the

holding of a liquor licence. Private hotels and boarding houses were generally places without

a liquor licence.

Over the past 120 years at least 22 places have operated as boarding houses. Old newspaper

adverts from 1880 onwards show a steady increase in both demand for seaside
accommodation and in its supply. (Figs. 4.17 & 4.18.) Kalk Bay was popular not only

because of its climate and beauty but also because special events were staged there at the peak

season. For example, on second New Year there was a church bazaar at Holy Trinity and the
regatta at the beach featured sailing, rowing and swimming races. In response the Cape

Government Railways, on which the majority of holiday-makers depended for transportation,

scheduled special trains to take people home.

By 1910 the choice of accommodation available had widened with great emphasis being

placed on the availability of electricity, water, and drainage (ie. water-borne sanitation) - all
of which had been brought on stream around 1906-07. Prior to this fresh water had always

been a problem. For example, in the 1880s residents without wells on their properties paid 15

shillings a month to a water carrier who would bring two buckets of water from the spring at
the Trappies above the site of present Clovelly station.

Some of the short-lived boarding houses were:

Kimberley House 1912 - 13 (bottom of Kimberley Road, St. James)
Stanley Boarding House 1912 - 19 (Hillrise Road, St. James)

Rocklands 1917 -19 (St. James)

Rodwell 1917 (St. James)
Sea View 1917 (Kalk Bay - on the site of Edward Mansions)

Stonehenge 1917 (St. James)