History of Lambertsbay & Surrounds
History of Lambertsbay
On 31 December 1831 Gerrit Erasmus Smit rented the site of Otterdam – large 5 486 morgen 310vk from the Government at an annual rent of £2-5-0. The name Otterdam originated from a former dam, east of the Jakkals River, near Rooiberg, next to the old road to Clanwilliam. This area was known as Otterdam until the town of Lamberts Bay was proclaimed and the first plots sold in 1913.
Lamberts Bay is named after an admiral of the British Fleet, Admiral Lambert, who conducted surveys of the area between 1826 and 1840.
The first owner of Otterdam was Robert Grissold. Hy bought the farm on 1 June 1858 from the Government. Earlier, a certain Mr Tait had a trade centre at Donkinsbaai (near Doring Bay). When the trade centre was closed, Mr Grissold bought the buildings and re-erected the buildings in Lamberts Bay. These buildings were later destroyed by fire. The next owner of the site was PA van Zyl, and in 1887 Mr Stephan bought the area, who was already here with his fleet – the Stella, Oarora and Borelis – and built the current hotel in 1888.
They also rented the guano-island from the Government for the high amount of £553 per year.
The first caretaker, Mr FE Kasner, was appointed in 1910.
The area became a very popular holiday resort and people pitched their tents and “matjie” houses here. The first permanent residents were Grissold, Stigling and the family Spence – Johnny, Robby and Pieter.
The extension of the railway from Eendekuil to Graafwater seriously affected sea-transport to Lamberts Bay, resulting in a sharp decline in the Lamberts Bay economy.
On a recommendation by Dr Nortier of Clanwilliam and Engelbrecht, the Government bought the area across the Jakkals River to save the dunes.
This step was very successful and was named the Nortier Nature Reserve.
Piet Jaers Bush was located 4 miles north from where English warships bombarded the “koppie”, erroneously thinking that Boer armed fighters were hiding there.
Lamberts Bay was the docking bay for the British ships during the Anglo-Boer war of 1900 – 1902 and in 1901 the Sybil sank at Steenboksfontein while the crew and captain were having a party with the natives of the area. Captain Williams was still sleeping in the attic of the home of Stigling, the manager of the trade centre.
The first lobster factory was opened in a very primitive manner by Mr Lindstrohm in 1918. Prices were like 1/6 (15c) and 2/6 (25c) per 100 lobster was paid!
Lamberts Bay takes pride in one of his sons who became a famous Springbok rugby player – Jan (Boland) Coetzee. Jan’s father was a beloved schoolteacher of Lamberts Bay – (Meester) JH Coetzee.
Other important events were;
1948 – Initiation of a railway bus service between Lamberts Bay and Graafwater
1928 – Lamberts Bay Canning Co erected a separate building for use as the local post office
1925 – Lamberts Bay had its first rugby team
1915 – First school started with 13 pupils
1928 – Phase one of the current school building
History – Surrounding Towns
Graafwater
On the old Explorer’s Trail Sightseeing
The first explorer in the region was Oloff Bergh, who came in search of the mythical gold fields of Monomotapa. In November 1682 he and his party stayed at a cave which is now known as the Heerenlogement, about 30km north of Graafwater. This name was registered in 1732, but in his journal, Bergh called the place Dassen Berghs Fountain, due to the large numbers of rock-rabbits (dassies) in the vicinity. Simon van der Stel also “lodged” at Heerenlogement in 1685 on his well-documented journey to the Namaqualand Copper Mountains. It is probable that the lettering chiselled into the rock face, “Simon van der Stel commandeur aan de Caap de Goede Hoop”, was engraved on the return journey in January 1686.
Naturally, Bergh also carved out his name and the date. Other important visitors included Captain KJ Slotsbo who suppressed a Namaqua uprising in 1712 and IT Rhenius, a DEIC official.
Scores of other names were added and Heerenlogement became a large, permanent, visitors book. There are altogether 130 dated names, 30 undated names and 14 sets of initials – silent witnesses of visits from the pioneers of yesteryear.
There is also a large cast iron pot in the cave, 1.23 x 1.0 x 0.6m in size, but to this day nobody has been able to explain the presence of this enormous object. At the foot of the cave is the Berghfontein or Oloffsfontein, a fountain which yields delicious fresh water. Another sight is the leopard-trap about 150m from the cave There are also forts constructed of galvanised iron – one at Heerenlogement and others on the farms Klipfontein and Graafwaterplaas.
At Klipfontein, the farm of Mr JV de Jongh, about 25km from
Graafwater and 10km south-west of Heerelenogement, is the so-called Oloff Bergh stone with his name chiselled into it, with the date 1682, as well as those of Slotsbo in 1712 and Rhenius in 1721. There is also a private museum which is well worth a visit.
Location and Climate:
To reach Graafwater, turn west off the N7 at Clanwilliam. The total distance is 288km from Cape Town. Graafwater is about halfway between Clanwilliam and Lamberts Bay on the coast, and thus it serves a large area. It is a transport and commercial centre that also does duty as a convenient departure point for visitors wishing to see the flowers during a good year.
History:
in 1910 Graafwater railway station was built as a rail junction between Cape Town and Bitterfontein. By 1920 the station had become the church centre for the surrounding communities and the congregation bought the township – a part of Graafwater farm – from Erasmus van Zyl. The first explorers, hunters and farmers invariably trekked through this area, and therefore it has several historic sites.
Clanwilliam
HOME OF ROOIBOS TEA
History:
Clanwilliam claims to be one of the ten oldest towns in the Republic. About the year 1732 there were already well-established farms on the Olifants River stretching as for north as its confluence with the Doorn River – all as a result of Ensign Jan Danckaert’s reconnaissance of the region in 1660.
In 1808 a sub-landdrost’s office was established on the loan farm, Jan Dissels Valleij (Jan Dissel was a botanist who lived in the area) and in 1814 it became a full magisterial seat, named by the Governor of the time, Sir John Cradock, after his father-in-law, the Earl of Clanwilliam. In 1820 an unsuccessful attempt was made to establish a number of British settlers in the area, but only six families, among others, the ancestors of the Fosters, Fryers, Shaws and Parkers – persevered. On 1 January 1837 Clanwilliam became an independent district and when it became a constituency of the Cape Parliament in 1854, one of its first representatives was Jan Hendrik Brand, who later became president of the Orange Free State. The town was granted municipal status in 1901.
The Dutch Reformed congregation of Clanwilliam was established in 1826 and most of the later congregations of neighbouring towns were established from this base. Among its many famous ministers was the Rev. CF Leipoldt, father of the poet, author and doctor C Louis Leipoldt, who spent his childhood in this town. Probably the town’s most important and most loved resident was Dr Pieter le Fras Nortier, bosom friend of Leipoldt and enthusiastic botanist and farmer, who among other things, pioneered the cultivation of rooibos tea.
Recreation:
The Clanwilliam Dam is held to be the best surface for waterskiing in the country. When the dam is full, which is for nearly seven months of the year, it reaches about 18km upstream. The Olifants River sports the greatest variety of indigenous fish species south of the Zambezi and is one of the Cape’s most sought after inland fishing spots. The main species are black bass and yellowfish (Barbus capensis).
Sightseeing:
As is to be expected, Clanwilliam can boast a fair number of historic buildings. There are, among others, the old Landdrost’s court (1808), the old prison (also 1808) which at one time housed the garrison, the old DR Church (1864, architect Carl Otto Hager), the Anglican church (1866, architect Sophie Grey) and parsonage, as well as several old, thatched roof houses in Park Street. In 1958 the Leipoldt-Nortier Memorial Library was inaugurated in the town, and the agricultural school Augsburg, which dates to 1928 and which became a high school ten years later and today draws pupils from far and wide.
Bergfontein is in the area, where the explorer Oloff Bergh carved out his name on a rock in 1687, as well as the “Stadsaal” rocks in the Cederberg stretching southward, there are the well-known nature reserve Ramskop, the Clanwilliam and Bulshoek Dams, Boskloof (a swimming pool in the Jan Dissels River at the foot of the Krakadow Pass) and the Biedouw Valley which presents an unforgettable view in springtime. The picturesque mission station Wupperthal can be reached via the impressive Pakhuis Pass where Leipoldt lies buried in a simple rock shelter. Further along, there is another historic grave, the last resting place of a member of the Gordon Highlanders, Lt G Clowes, who was killed in the Anglo Boer War in 1902.
There is an interesting drive from Clanwilliam via Graafwater to the Heerenlogement, taking in Lamberts Bay with its bird sanctuary and the Wagendrifts Pans and passing Leipoldtville on the return journey to the town, again via Graafwater.
These are just a few of the possibilities for exploring the unique scenery of the district, which also ranges southward to places such as Paleisheuwel, the beautiful Kransvleikloof and Greys Pass (Piekenierskloof).
Lutzville
NORTH OF THE OLIFANTS RIVER
History
As early as 1661 the area where Lutzville is today, had been explored by Sergeant Peter Everhaert and afterwards frequently visited by hunters and trekboers. It used to be known as Vlermuisklip because one of the early parties had been plagued by bats from a nearby hill.
The township of Lutzville was only proclaimed in 1945, mainly as a result of the secession of the DR Congregation from Vredendal. The name commemorates Johan Lutz, first superintendent of the irrigation scheme, and who was a respected pioneer in this field. At the beginning of 1966 Lutzville gained a town management board. Development accelerated and in 1875 it was granted municipal status.
Location and climate:
From Cape Town to Lutzville is a drive of 345km. Situated in the Lower Olifants River area, which is semi-desert, Lutzville has an average annual rainfall of 120mm. Thanks to catchment dams and a canal system of 325km in this area, about 9210ha is under irrigation. Viticulture is the main agricultural activity, which also produces fresh grapes, raisins, currants, and sultanas. The area also contributes about 12 000 tons of canning tomatoes annually. A sought-after and rare product of the region is the so-called “lapie bean” which thrives here. Annual production runs to about 2 000 bags. The climate is very temperate, with little variation between summer and winter temperatures.
Recreation:
Lutzville provides visitors with a variety sport that they can participate in. Tennis, rugby, netball, karate, badminton, golf and jukskei are the most popular sports and a bowling green and children’s playpark are being planned.
Sightseeing:
In 1963 a co-operative wine cellar was established.
With a membership of 110, the co-op produces nearly 30 000 tons of grapes annually. It is one of the biggest wineries in the country, and visitors are welcome to taste and purchase their products.
Lutzville and its surroundings have much to offer the tourist. 20km west of the town is the coastal settlement Strandfontein, with a hotel and overnight facilities as well as camping sites with all amenities. 7km south of Strandfontein is another coastal town, Doring Bay, where alluvial diamonds are mined, and crayfish are in abundance. About 300 tons of crayfish are processed and packed here annually. Visitors may strike it lucky and even buy a fresh snoek. In the flower season Doring Bay puts on a show of vygie varieties and marigolds. At the mouth of the Olifants River, a few kilometres north of Strandfontein lies Papendorp, well known for its salt pans where people still gather salt in the traditional way. Papendorp offers camping facilities to visitors. Not far from Lutzville is a 1 035m long railway bridge that spans over the Olifants River and was constructed for the sole purpose of providing a crossing for the Sishen-Saldanha railway line. The bridge is divided into 23 sections of 45m, weighing 610 tons each. The deck ultimately weighed 14 100 tons and was pushed into position over Teflon sheets with the aid of hydraulic jacks from the bridge-head – the longest bridge in the world to be built by this method. The supporting pillars rest on pylons that were driven 45m deep into the riverbed. The tallest pillar measures 52,5m above the riverbed.
Klawer
AT THE FOOT OF THE MATzIKAMA
Location and climate:
It is 283km from Cape Town to Klawer – lying 285km south of Springbok at the foot of the Matsikama Mountains towards the east, and the Olifants River in the west. This makes for a convenient overnight sport for travellers on the long road, and also a good reconnaissance base for the holidaymaker who is interested in the area. Furthermore, Klawer’s bakery cannot be beaten.
Rail and road meet in Klawer. Trains from Cape Town pass here on the way to Bitterfontein which is the Namaqualand terminal. Passengers bound for the Karoo and Bushmanland areas alight at Klawer. All passengers and goods for that part of the country are onwards conveyed by road transport from Klawer. Many of the town’s business activities are associated with the South African Transport Services.
Summer days in Klawer can be real scorchers. The winter is lovely, being virtually frost-free, with pleasant sunny days. The average annual rainfall is 178mm and the name of the town itself is derived from the wild clover which grows in the district after good winter rains.
Sightseeing:
One of Klawer’s unique sights is the siphon at Kransbrug, which draws off the irrigation water from the western to the eastern channel of the river. This eastern channel flows the entire length of Klawer, thus dividing the town.
About 3km away there are Rock paintings can be seen about 3km from Klawer and are attributed to the Bushmen that roamed the area hundreds of years ago. Diagonally across the way from these paintings is Klawer’s co-operative wine cellar, where visitors are always welcome.
Recreation:’
SA Transport Services plays a prominent role in the town, as well as in its social life. Their recreation club has a multi-purpose hall with a sprung floor where a variety of events, from film shows and badminton matches to wedding receptions regularly take place. The clubhouse boasts its own restaurant, a members’ bar and snooker room, as well as a spacious lounge form smaller functions and conferences. The other facilities of the complex are outdoors and may be used by visitors, after making bookings with the club secretary. There are tennis courts, a swimming pool, a rugby field (for joggers) and an excellently appointed playpark for children.
It is less than an hour’s drive from Klawer to the sea, should one want to try some fishing. Rock climbers who may wish to show their mettle in the mountains are advised to consult the town clerk about climbs and possible access via private property.
Bird Island – Lambertsbay
Bird Island was joined to the mainland by a breakwater in 1959 to protect the fishing fleet in the harbour. The island is a breeding site for Cape Gannets, Jackass Penguins and Cape Cormorants and other seabirds. The breakwater provides easy access for visitors to the island. It became necessary to erect fences to prevent visitors, unknowingly in most cases, from disturbing breeding birds. Visitors are requested not to venture over the fences, however harmless it may seem. Every year, guano deposited by Cape Gannets and to a lesser extent, Cape Cormorants is collected for use as high-quality fertilizer. This collection takes place about April, after breeding is completed. In the past, seabirds were often regarded as competitors with the fishing industry, but it is lately realised that seabirds harvest small amounts of fish compared to commercial fishing.