Between the mountain and the sea

History

History of  Kleinmond

By the middle of the nineteenth century, a small fishing community had established itself at Jongensklip which is the small fishing harbour at Kleinmond. It was about the same time in the 1860’s, that the area became a favourite holiday spot for the surrounding farmers. Farmers from as far as Caledon and other nearby areas began making this an annual pilgrimage to camp near the Palmiet lagoon and the Klein Bot river mouth near to where the hotel stood. Mr. P J [Ouman] Delport built the hotel in 1939 and managed it with Blanche Delport for about 5 years. It was later sold to John Pitt.

Church Services were held on the banks of the Kleinmond lagoon during the end of the year holiday period, from as early as 1902. The tree which still appears on the banks of the lagoon, earned the name of “the Preekboom” [the sermon tree] because the ministers conducted and still conduct the services from under it. The original Lamloch farm was subdivided in 1910, and the brothers Kaplan bought the portion upon which they laid out the present town of Kleinmond. The industrial area in Kleinmond is named after Robert Kaplan, one of the original
owners of the land.

The townships and Kleinmond continued to develop slowly. In 1948 the first Village Management Board was established. Fishermen, who stayed near to the harbour in Kleinmond at that time, were moved higher up on the mountain slope and the harbour area was declared an industrial zone in 1954. The development of an infrastructure began in 1966. Tar roads, a town hall, municipal offices and a library were built. By 1978 the town got its own coat of arms and a town planning department as well as camping sites that were administered by the local municipality.

Geskiedenis van ons huis

1918 – Erf word geproklameer

19?? – Huis word deur ‘n Noorweër, ene Melchior Johannesen en sy vrou Alie (dogter van John West) gebou. Meer info hier.

1947 – Mev Groenewald

– Louis van As

– Pam Erwee

– Gordon Horné

– Geldenhuys

2002 – Ons Koop 31/1/2002, trek in 1/9/2002