uMhlanga: Where it all began – Part 1
The first in a three part article: Former mayor of uMhlanga Rocks, Henry Reynolds, talks about the history of uMhlanga and how Virginia came to be.
ONCE a haven for hunters and fishermen, uMhlanga, which means the place of reeds, is now a bustling business, shopping and holiday destination. Only a few decades ago the now ever bustling uMhlanga was simply lush wooded countryside and dense bush, inhabited by monkeys, snakes, various species of wild buck and boar.
That’s according to former mayor of uMhlanga Rocks, Henry Reynolds, who has kept a keen eye on the village’s development over the years.
A solitary beach cottage, The Oyster Box, was used by passing ships as a navigational point and was built out of Burmese teak, corrugated iron and reinforced concrete. Today, uMhlanga Rocks is one of South Africa’s premier holiday destinations. A number of empty beds await holidaymakers, with restaurants, movies, malls, pubs, clubs, amazing beachfronts and many other tourist attractions eagerly waiting for the area’s many visitors.
But not only is uMhlanga a tourist’s heaven, it’s also a sportsman’s paradise. Surfing, swimming, scuba diving, fishing, sailing and running are just a hand full of sporting activities within the area. That’s not even talking about the many world-class sports’ clubs in the greater uMhlanga area.
“Originally part of the canelands owned by Natal Estates Limited, which was based in Mount Edgecombe, and founded by Sir Marshall Campbell in 1985, uMhlanga Rocks was a paradise for a few farmers who either leased or had consessions on the beach. Oysters and mussles crowded the rocks, crayfish abounded and stumpies, garrick, snoek, shad, barracuda were plentiful,” Reynolds said.
Many rocky outcrops along the shore provide safe splash bathing for children, while the sea is a surfer’s joy. In 1860 a French Mauritian, Melidor Cheron, bought a cane farm along the coast, known today as Glenashley. The farm was named after his daughter, Virginia, and part of the farm is where the Virginia Airport is today.
It is believed Virginia Cheron had an amazing voice and was locally dubbed the Nightingale of Natal. Having been married three times, Virginia and her third husband, an Irishman, Ancrum Marcus McCausland, built the then Victoria Hotel in 1920.
