Driving along the old coastal road on the South Coast exposes one to the development and growth of the area from the tentative outreach of early pioneers who saw the potential of the area for recreational purposes.
Some of these areas, which ballooned into towns with time, were deliberately selected as growth points, while others sprang up from one person’s desire to have a place to holiday.
Park Rynie for example, is named after Mr Hoffman’s daughter named Catherine Renetta, and who was nicknamed Rynie.
The land on which Park Rynie was developed was acquired by the firm Norsworthy & Co. in 1857 and during WWI a whaling station was established there.
From this early development of an industry the town would develop and, as is usual, an indication of growth and popularity of a place is the establishment of a hotel, and in this instance it is in the form of the Oceanic Hotel.
Ramsgate has a rather romantic beginning, when in 1922 a wandering painter and violin maker named Paul Buck, settled on the bank of the Bilanhlola River.
Word spread amongst likeminded souls, who yearned for such peace and tranquility to be found on the banks of the Blue Lagoon.
From this early desire of a man’s quest to possibly find his nirvana, a holiday resort sprang up and over time prospered and became Ramsgate.
Port Shepstone, for the geologists amongst us, has a marble deposit on the north bank of the Mzimkulu River a few kilometres from the mouth.
In the 1860s, some settlers made their homes in the area and the Aitken family and William Bazley (Bazley Beach), endeavoured to open the river for shipping purposes.
Success was realised when, in 1880, the first coaster entered the river and dropped anchor.
From then a regular shipping service connected to Durban and with prosperity evident the town was laid out in 1882.
Of course, over the years, people in South Africa became more affluent and no longer relied on the railways to travel on holiday, but took to the air or travelled by car to the resorts on the South Coast.
Naturally, more vehicles meant improvements to the road system, which made travel much safer and cut travelling time.
The fruits of the endeavours of the entrepreneurs from years gone by is plainly obvious when travelling the length of the wonderful South Coast.
(Historical details courtesy T.V. Bulpin/Discovering Southern Africa.)
BIO
Trevor Barnes is a retired gentleman, who recently entered the club of septuagenarians. He was raised and schooled in Port Elizabeth at Grey High School until Std. 8 and finishing his matric year at Pretoria Boys High School. He trained as a cartographer and spent his productive working years on diamond mines or signage companies. His wife and he raised twin sons who presently are working in the UK and UAE respectively. His interests are history, exploring South Africa and meeting people.
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