History of Camps Bay, Cape Town

The first residents of Camps Bay were the San and Khoi. When the Dutch settlers arrived in Cape Town in 1652, the Twelve Apostles were covered in forests, which were home to lion, leopard and antelope.

The Khoi tribe lived on the slopes of the Twelve Apostles, but was decimated by measles and smallpox, and was then restricted to the Oudekraal area.
Picture of Historic Camps Bay Picture of Historic Camps Bay Picture of Historic Camps Bay

The area was then granted to John Lodewyk Wernich, and passed from father to son. Johan Wernich married Anna Koekemoer. She was widowed in 1778, inheriting all the land in the area. She met a sailor called Frederik Ernst von Kamptz, who seemed intent on marrying her for her money! The area then became known as "Die Baai van von Kamptz". This eventually was translated into English as Camps Bay.

For most of the 19th century the area was undeveloped, serving as a hunting ground for Lord Charles Somerset, the Governor of the Cape. He used the Roundhouse as his hunting lodge. Kloof Road between Sea Point and Camps Bay was built in 1848, and the coastal drive Victoria Road between the two suburbs was built by well-known roads engineer Thomas Bain. It was completed in 1888, and named in honour of Queen Victoria's jubilee.

Camps Bay became a popular picnic site, leading to the development of a tram service between the city and Camps Bay in 1901. The tidal pools were developed, the Rotunda (still part of the Bay Hotel) and a concert pavilion were built. In 1913 Camps Bay was incorporated into the city of Cape Town.