| Kalk Bay | |
| Native Name: | Kalkbaai |
| Pushpin Map: | South Africa Western Cape#South Africa#Africa |
| Coordinates: | -34.1278°N 18.4483°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | South Africa |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | Western Cape |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Type3: | Municipality |
| Subdivision Name3: | City of Cape Town |
| Subdivision Type4: | Main Place |
| Subdivision Name4: | Cape Town |
| Established Title: | Established |
| Leader Title: | Councillor |
| Leader Name: | Aimee Kuhl (DA) |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 0.32 |
| Population Total: | 700 |
| Population As Of: | 2011 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Demographics Type1: | Racial makeup (2011) |
| Demographics1 Title1: | Black African |
| Demographics1 Info1: | 8.1% |
| Demographics1 Title2: | Coloured |
| Demographics1 Info2: | 32.3% |
| Demographics1 Title3: | Indian/Asian |
| Demographics1 Info3: | 0.1% |
| Demographics1 Title4: | White |
| Demographics1 Info4: | 54.6% |
| Demographics1 Title5: | Other |
| Demographics1 Info5: | 4.9% |
| Demographics Type2: | First languages (2011) |
| Demographics2 Title1: | English |
| Demographics2 Info1: | 86.2% |
| Demographics2 Title2: | Afrikaans |
| Demographics2 Info2: | 10.3% |
| Demographics2 Title5: | Other |
| Demographics2 Info5: | 3.5% |
| Timezone1: | SAST |
| Utc Offset1: | +2 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code (street) |
| Postal Code: | 7975 |
| Postal2 Code Type: | PO box |
| Postal2 Code: | 7990 |
| Area Code Type: | Area code |
Kalk Bay (Afrikaans: Kalkbaai) is a fishing village and suburb of Cape Town. It lies on the west coast of False Bay. Much of the town is built on the slopes of mountains which border the sea, with peaks of Table Mountain Sandstone forming valleys.[2] The railway from Cape Town to Simon's Town passes through Kalk Bay, which has one station near the harbour.
Kalk Bay is adjacent to the historically connected suburb of St James, with the division between the two being largely formal. They share the Kalk Bay & St. James Ratepayers and Residents Association, which manages a heritage committee and co-operates with the government on matters of safety and conservation.[3]
In 2018 Forbes Magazine voted the neighborhood one of the "coolest in the world".[4] [5]
It is challenging to separate the history of the Kalk Bay area from the wider history of False Bay. It is likely that the Kalk Bay area was inhabited by Khoekhoe for thousands of years before white settlement, much like the rest of False Bay.[6] Middens found under cliff overhangs in the mountains on which Kalk Bay sits indicate they may have been used for shelter.[7]
The village of Kalk Bay was likely established in the 17th century. The first written mention of the name Kalk Bay came from Simon van der Stel in 1687.[8] Its name is derived from the Dutch and Afrikaans name Kalkbaai, translating to Lime Bay. This name likely emerged from the deposits of mussel shells which were burnt by early settlers to make lime.
The early fishing population of Kalk Bay consisted primarily of slaves from the British colony of slaves brought from Bengal, Indonesia, and Ceylon. They would gain their freedom in 1807, when slavery was made illegal in the British Empire. They were also largely Muslims, leading to the construction of a mosque in 1846.Under British rule, whaling became an important industry within Kalk Bay. It began around the start of the 19th century, and drove human settlement in Kalk Bay. By the 1870s, whale stocks were so depleted that it became a secondary activity to fishing, and by the early 20th century the whale fishery collapsed.
The population was bolstered by the arrival of Filipino fishermen in the 1850s, likely arriving from Simon's Town. The largely Catholic Filipinos are the origin of the separation between Kalk Bay and St James, which contains the only Catholic church in the area.
The railway line to St. James & Kalk Bay was opened in 1883, with construction beginning on the formal harbour walls in 1913.
The passing of the Slums Act of 1934 called for the demolition of 'slums', and was applied with the intent of advancing segregation.[9] Within Kalk Bay, this led to the demolition of houses in an area known as Die Land. This housing was largely inhabited by the Coloured fishing population due to its proximity to the harbour. The act did require for the construction of replacement housing, but this housing was usually segregated and built on the periphery of towns and cities.[10]
The population of Kalk Bay fought for replacement housing to be built in the same location and succeeded, leading to the construction of a set of flats on the cleared land, colloquially known as the "Fishermen's Flats".[11]
In 1967, Kalk Bay was proclaimed a "White Area" under Proclamation 150 of the Group Areas Act. This led to significant protest within Kalk Bay, and a historically unique about-face in which the majority of Kalk Bay's non-White population was allowed to remain for 15 years. This 15 year deadline was never acted upon, meaning that most of the population remained. Roughly a quarter of families were evicted.
The historically dominant fishing industry of Kalk Bay has largely been replaced by tourism,[12] driven by a few notable attractions.
Kalk Bay has a reef with a break known as "Kalk Bay Reef". It is known for heavy barrels and the associated shallow reef, which makes it more hazardous than most popular surf spots. It is best surfed on a big south-easterly swell or a north west wind. In smaller swells low tide makes for better barrels. The waves are often good for surfing in the winter and early spring.
Another popular activity is whale watching, as Southern right whales migrate through False Bay during a few months of the year.
In addition, the mountains above Kalk Bay contains multiple hikes, being Echo Valley and Trappieskop (which translates from Afrikaans as steps hill). These are accessible from Boyes Drive, which runs across the mountain above Kalk Bay. These trails can be used to access sandstone caves known as "Boomslang Cave"[13] and "Ronan's Well",[14] popular among amateur cavers for their ease of access, relative safety, and simple layouts.
These caves are of importance to speleologists because they have formed in sandstone. Large cave systems are not often found in this type of chemically nonreactive rock.[15]
Kalk Bay (including Muizenberg and St James) was a municipality from 1895 to 1913. The town council assumed a coat of arms, designed by Frank Newnes, in July 1901.[16]
The shield was divided horizontally. The upper half was divided vertically, depicting a fishing boat (partly obscured by a small shield) and eight fleurs de lis, while the lower half depicted a bunch of grapes. A small shield displaying an arum lily was placed in the centre.[17]