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residents who also claim to have contributed). The initial construction consisted of a seawall and

the concreting up of rocks in the east (Muizenberg side) of the pool. The west wall (Kalk Bay
side) was not completed. Steer found the expense of the sea wall and the east wall far more than

he had budgeted for, especially as he was required to build strictly to Municipal regulations. He
duly applied for compensation (£96) from the Municipality but this was refused.

In 1906 a petition was presented to council, signed by 18 local residents, including the Reverend

Brooke of the of Holy Trinity Church and Mr. J. Van Copenhagen the local postmaster, that

“Council authorize the thorough cleaning out and completion of the west wall of the Bathing
Pool in front of Douglas Cottage, Kalk Bay, as it is to be noted that at low tide the pool was

virtually empty with only small children bathing with any form of enjoyment.”

After some deliberation Council obliged and by the summer of 1907 the first tidal pool along this

coastline was completed. Bathing box construction at Dalebrook was very limited with a
maximum of 15 bathing boxes built mainly along the west side of the beach. All of these were

built by local residents until the Municipality took over.

The pool retained its narrow rectangular shape until the 1960s when it was much enlarged

towards the rocks on the north side.

St. James Pool

The first move towards a ‘safe bathing place’ at St. James was made in 1903 when two residents,
Messrs. Albrecht and Brown, offered to fund the moving of rocks by convict labour to form a

crude tidal pool. (Fig. 2.23.) They offered up to a maximum of £50 with the Council paying the

balance. This the Council agreed to and convict labour was used to clear St. James beach of large
rocks and to place them so as to form a ‘safe bathing place’. The beach and Point area continued

to be heavily used during the summer season but, besides using convict labour for the
maintenance of the beach and rock clearance, few other improvements were undertaken. (Fig.

2.24.) Then, in 1911, Advocate Bill Schreiner, a popular resident of No 16, Main Road

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