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The churches

Religion played an interesting role in Kalk Bay and for a small community there was tremendous

diversity and a large number of places to worship. The Quarterdeck Road Mosque was the centre
of Muslim worshippers and the famous Imam Parker of Simon’s Town was a regular visitor.

The Roman Catholic Church had tremendous influence and besides the Church in St. James, they

ran two schools – Star of the Sea Convent School in St. James and St. James Mission School in

Harbour Road, Kalk Bay. The most popular leader was Father Doran who was often heard long
before he was seen riding his two-stroke motor bike between Kalk Bay and St. James.

The Anglicans had a beautiful church near Dalebrook and seemed to keep a low profile. The
Methodists had a chapel attached to the Bible Institute and very many missionaries were trained

at the Bible Institute. Many went to serve in the Sudan Inland Mission. The Dutch Reformed
Church closed in the early 1950s and moved to Fish Hoek.

Crimes and scandals

Crimes and scandals were really a non-event, except for a case of murder in the late 1940s. The
Police Station eventually closed in the early 1960s because of a ‘lack of crime.’ But there were a

few happenings that should be recorded. Were the bathing boxes at Dalebrook Beach used by
‘delinquents’ to play cards, drink Old Brown sherry, and smoke C to C and Max cigarettes? Who

defaced the SL Bazaars sign one evening by pasting a large F over the S of SL for the whole
world to see the next morning?

Peter Goles can testify to ‘police brutality’ as he was often forced to push my father’s bicycle
back to the Charge Office when more than one drunk was taken to the cells to sleep off their

over-indulgence.

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