Vishoek (A 17)

Name: Vishoek

Source: http://www.myfishhoek.com/fishhoekpast.html

Fish Hoek, or Visch Hoek, as was previously known, was used mainly for fishing and even Simon Van Der Stel, the then Govenor, came here for fishing in the 1600`s. He later built a house here for the fishermen. By 1725, Visch Hoek had become a regular post for the The Dutch East India Company and early maps of Visch Baai, show a company house here.

The original `Hoek` (corner), was on Clovelly side, and not Elsies Peak. The opposite end seems to have held a fishing facilities.

In the development of Visch Hoek , the corner played a significant role and posed daunting challanges. The road from Kalk Bay basically ended here. From here, there was a path going down to the beach over a series of ledges, which was known as `die trappe` (the steps).The Silvermine river here also presented its own challanges by blocking the way over the beach and then there were the quicksand issue there too. Travellers had to go inland and then turn back toward Visch Baai.

Lord Charles Somerset later built a proper road across Visch Baai in early 1800`s. Prior to this Visch Hoek was in use as a loan farm, but after the building of this road the first land grants were applied for.

In 1818, Andries Bruyns received a grant with the following conditions:-

There was to be no public winehouse

The fishing rights were to remain free.

The beach was to remain open to the public.



The land was later sold again and went through various hands and was used for different purposes, including Visch Hoek being used as a whaling station. Still later the land was divided into three portions and sold.

The first portion was the `Great or Whale Fishery`.The second portion was the `Haring Fishery`. Both these were later taken over by Hester Sophia De Kock, in 1883. She married Jacob Isaac De Villiers.

The last portion `Kleintuin` (small garden), was later sub-divided and sold again, esp in the 1890`s, with the balance sold during World War One, and this again contributed to the development of Kalk Bay.

Fish Hoek`s own further development lay in the combined Whale and Haring fisheries,belonging to Mrs. De Villiers, who held the property till 1916, when Mr. De Villiers passed away.During this time there were some noteworthy developments, one being the stone quarry on Elsies Peak in 1896. Most of the homes built during this period were built with stone from this quarry.

Another noteworthy development was the arrival of the railway line in 1890. In 1909 the railway authorities began planting grass to keep the sand off the railway line.This later proved very successful and the upper part of Fish Hoek Bay was reclaimed.

After 1916,with the passing on of Mr. De Villiers, the property was surveyed and the Fish Hoek town laid out.The first sale of plots took place in 1918 and by 1924 there were 294 houses already connected to the water supply.



Fish Hoek became a popular beach destination and was later referred to as the `Margate` of the Cape Peninsula.

In 1927, two amateur archaeologists, Victor Stanley Peers and Bertie Peers, his son, discovered the fossil remains of The Fish Hoek Man, who was an ancestor of the Bushmen , who lived here approximately 15000 years earlier.

In 1940, Fish Hoek obtained Municipal status, but today does fall under the city of Cape Town.

Source: The False Bay Story by Jose Burman


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