The Founding of Milnerton

In 1897, the year that saw the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria, the new High Commissioner for South Africa, Sir Alfred Milner (afterwards Lord Milner) arrived at the Cape. In honour of his appointment, the promoters of a new venture decided to use his name in that of their enterprise.

Sir Alfred Milner (later Lord Milner)

The founding of Milnerton Estates Limited, on 30 August 1897, under the Cape Company Act, reflected a temporary wave of optimism and an urge towards development which had been sweeping the whole country as the trauma of the Jameson Raid receded into the background.

The Cape Argus of 25 October 1897 carried an historic item in its advertising columns: “MILNERTON ESTATES COMPANY LIMITED Notify that they have bought Paarden Eiland and Jan Biesje’s Kraal for a Township and intend connecting it with a Railway."

The 25 shareholders included men prominent not merely in local affairs but in those of the subcontinent, among them the chairman, Sir James Sivewright; Sammy Marks; Anders Ohlsson; James D. Logan; and the cousins Julius and Carl Jeppe.

Charles Marais, a land surveyor, had already been instructed to lay out plots, while R. Esdon, a civil engineer, had been engaged to define the route of the proposed railway line.

Still surviving is a copy of the original diagram prepared by Marais, showing a startlingly ambitious project, extending from the north bank of the Salt River, along the sea front, to the banks of Rietvlei! (Most of this was afterwards separated from Milnerton and became part of present-day Paarden Island.)

Twelve alternative schemes followed Marais’ rough plan of the “Township on Paarden Island and Jan Biesjes Kraal”, and were submitted for consideration on 4 February 1898. Of these, one was accepted.

The fathers of Milnerton began their sales campaign in a manner that could almost be described as casual. In the weekly journal the Owl of 17 February 1899, there appeared on the back page a modest advertisement for “46 Plots of Land, near Milnerton Estates and the Beach”, mentioning that the new township would “soon be connected with the Government Suburban Line”.

The outbreak of the Anglo-Boer War on 11 October 1899 slowed down the project and hampered the sale of plots, but work was anything but at a standstill, with work on the wooden bridge, the weir and the railway line progressing apace.

On 4 February 1902, the Cape Argus, in an historic article, announced: “Perhaps the finest and best-situated estate in the suburbs is that lying between the main line of railway, beyond Salt River Station, and known as the Milnerton Estates. Looking at the property from a distance, or from a passing train, it appears to be quite infertile waste, in fact, marshy, but on closer inspection, such as was afforded the representatives of the Press yesterday morning, this impression is altogether dispelled and, instead of a vast stretch of barren land, one finds an expanse of rich soil, planted advantageously with abundant trees, and irrigated by the river, which cuts right across it, a land capable of and eminently lending itself to cultivation, development and improvement…

“As a residential quarter, the Estate possesses the exceptional advantage of being within easy reach of the city, while lying at the shores of the Bay, almost fringing the ocean, from which the healthy invigorating and cooling sea breeze is wafted up.”

No plots had yet been sold, however. In fact, the only visible signs of progress in the first half of 1902 were the completion of the railway track as far as Jan Biesjes Kraal and the planting of 10,000 blue gums and 2,000 tamarisks on either side of the line.

119 plots were auctioned that year, but they were situated close to Salt River station and not in Milnerton proper. Encouraged by the commencement of actual sales, Milnerton Estates acquired additional funds to pay for, among other things, the provision of water from Cape Town, the construction of roads, and the building of a retaining wall along the Diep River. Telephone communication was also planned, the Postmaster-General being asked in November 1903 what it would cost to run a line out to the new township for a single instrument.

This plan is of interest as it shows that the area now known as Woodbridge Island had at that time been divided into plots, but this area was left undeveloped for years. Contemporary photographs show that roads had been prepared there. The plan also envisaged roads on the opposite bank between the lagoon and the railway reserve. Apart from those closest to Cape Town, these were never developed. To the right, the plan also shows the site of the Western Province Rugby Football Union and Athletic Ground, after which the neighbouring suburb of Rugby is named. This plot is now occupied by Woodbridge (formerly Zonnekus) Primary School. The large unshaded plot to the upper left of the park was that occupied by the Cambridge Hotel (and latterly by the Centre Point Shopping Centre). The Concert Hall and Dancing Pavilion are the buildings in the centre-right of the park. Interestingly, too, the plots along Koeberg Road were all intended for shops, but most were thankfully never used for this purpose. The Milnerton Railway Station was located directly below the park and Jan Biesjes Kraal farmhouse is just to the left of the park.

The directors were also encouraged by the confidence shown by Mr J.W.S. (Willie) Langerman in not only buying a block of substantial size, but erecting on it his own large home, called Arnhem, complete with stables. In this fine house, all his five children were born, and there too he ended his days, after a life largely devoted to the well-being of Milnerton. He was one of the most influential horse racing personalities at the Cape and helped found the Milnerton Turf Club. His family had previously owned Jan Biesjes Kraal and other farms in the vicinity. Today, a block of flats on the same site bears the name of Arnhem.

Mr JWS Langerman

Arnhem, the Langerman home

Tenders were called in March 1904 for the erection of the first place of business, an “Estate Shop”, to be hired out, while a few days later a contract was placed for a Concert Hall at a figure of just over £2,000. A month later, on 8 April 1904, something which today would be called a press release appeared in the South African Review: “LAND FOR SALE BY PRIVATE TREATY. MILNERTON ESTATES LIMITED. RESIDENTIAL AND FACTORY SITES.” Then followed an outline of what buyers could expect.

In spite of this, however, considerable time was to pass before the actual auction, mainly on account of the economic slump at the end of the Anglo-Boer War. Indeed, there was increasing hesitation as to whether the whole sale should not be indefinitely postponed, as property prices continued to drop and the number of insolvencies increased disturbingly.

Charles Greig was awarded the tender to operate the Estate Shop as a general dealership. It was originally situated in Jansen Road. Although Greig remained in business for several years, he had in 1907 moved to Koeberg Road, and in 1908 was replaced by Harry Saacks, also a general dealer.

In 1904, Milnerton Estates also received an application for permission to build an hotel, both Ohlsson’s Cape Breweries and the South African Breweries expressing interest. The directors hesitated, but were won over by the personality of Mr Anders Ohlsson, who further agreed to take a block of 20 stands at £60 each.

The Cambridge Hotel

The Cambridge Hotel with its wind pump (centre top)

The King’s birthday in 1904 was celebrated with the hanging of Chinese lanterns in the grounds of the hotel, which was nearing completion. There was also a fireworks display and a promenade concert in the new Concert Hall and Dancing Pavilion.

The Cambridge Hotel was mentioned in the world-famous trial of Marthinus Rossouw, who was charged with the murder of his “friend”, Baron Dieter von Schauroth, who had been shot to death on the night of 24 March 1961. During the trial, Rossouw claimed that von Schauroth had begged to be killed. This was the first defence of its kind and would lead to a new classification of murder: murder by request. On the night in question, Rossouw met von Schauroth at Cape Town station at 5 p.m. They went first to the Prince of Wales Hotel and then drove out to the Cambridge Hotel in Milnerton. Their final stop for the night was at Killarney, where they had one more drink. They then headed along the Old Malmesbury Road, where the murder took place. Afterwards, Rossouw abandoned von Schauroth’s car in Milnerton and caught a bus home. By the time Rossouw came to court, he had changed his story twice, and under questioning he proved to be less than reliable. On 27 September 1961, the jury retired to consider its verdict. After less than an hour, they returned a verdict of guilty with no extenuating circumstances. Marthinus Rossouw was hanged at Pretoria Central Prison on 20 June 1962.

For years, the Milnerton Bowling Club was conveniently based just below the Cambridge Hotel. When the bowlers moved to their new home at the Milnerton Golf Club, the forsaken greens made wonderfully smooth football fields for us youngsters. The Bowling Club is now situated in Pienaar Road, near the library.

The Cambridge Hotel was taken over by the SAAF on 17 January 1979 for use as the Officers’ Mess while building work was underway at the Ysterplaat Airforce Base.

The hotel was demolished in the early 1970s, to make way for the Centre Point Shopping Centre, which opened in 1974. This ugly building was demolished in 2011 and a new, more aesthetically pleasing shopping mall with apartments above was recently opened, after many delays.

The King's Birthday celebrations at the Concert Hall and Dancing Pavilion in 1904

The Owl, at Christmas 1904, carried a memorable article, “A Flutter to Milnerton”, by a writer calling himself “Wayfarer”. He describes a visit to the new Pavilion thus: “This structure is in keeping with the general effect of elegance and thoroughness about every improvement in the estate. The interior is decidedly handsome, the covered ceiling and the many columns supporting it being of alabaster whiteness. The central portion of the floor has been specially laid for dancing, and the devotees of the Terpsichorean art will find ample space in an area that is 60 by 30 and both smooth and fast, while the many anterooms, the bandstand, and the long, deep stoep, commanding a superb view of the city and its surroundings, complete the equipment of this building for the place of future amusement in almost all conditions of weather.” He added: “The hotel, which lies in the rear of the Tea Bungalow, I was informed, is to be completed in a month or two and should prove a decided boon to visitors, especially as it is intended to cater for family visitors.”

He explained how his editor had shown him a press report stating that on the King's Birthday, 5,000 people had made their way to Milnerton. He had then asked him likewise to visit the new suburb. “Wayfarer” next described how he, a photographer and a lady friend, who was there to liven up the pictures, set off from the Main Line platform. “The train, comfortably freighted with pleasure seekers – so much so that we had a compartment all to ourselves – sped along merrily, Woodstock being soon reached and left behind and, then, as the straggling and unpicturesque environs of Salt River hove in sight, the locomotive veered away rapidly to the left and was presently hugging the low, sandy foreshores of Table Bay. Away to the right the village of Maitland receded from view and we were soon ploughing along through a solitary region of rank tussocky grass country, whose general dinginess was, however, somewhat relieved by big patches of bright yellow heather in full bloom that had a gorgeous and pleasing effect by contrast. Hereabouts the country, as my fair companion more than once remarked, strongly resembled the veld, being solitary, treeless and weird. Away to the north-west, as the train rushed along, we caught glimpses of curling rollers running up the white sands of Blouberg Beach, so playful and harmless on this serene and beautiful day, but capable of cruel destructiveness on occasion, as testified by the grim looking wreck of the Hermes, lying not many cables distant. . . The eastern aspect of the country now presented a marked change, dense belts of Port Jackson willow and Minnatucka trees taking the place of the musty-coloured moorland and giving grateful shade, in which groups of sleek dairy cattle grazed or chewed the cud with an air of sweet content”.

The journalist described their arrival: “Milnerton Station. We alight upon a well-constructed platform, adorned with a small but picturesque and convenient station-house built of wood and plaster, and, while taking in the rural surroundings, find it difficult to remember that we are but 20 minutes’ journey from the heart of the Metropolis. Following a narrow pathway through the dense vegetation, swarming with chameleons, beetles and other creatures dear to the heart of the entomologist, we presently emerged in an open space upon an eminence where the Tea Bungalow and the Concert and Dancing Pavilion are located. In front of this a terrace had been formed, and this, with its gravelled, level surface, its many rustic garden seats, its grassy banks, evergreen shrubs and clumps of beautiful marguerites, like great balls of snow, with their many and brilliant white flowers, is one of the prettiest portions of the Estate. The prospect from this commanding elevation is remarkably fine… 

“No point can be so comprehensive… We lingered here a while to get a thorough mental picture of the unique scene, then sought relief from the Sun’s rather marked attentions in the cool recesses of one of the leafy arbors nearby, where we were regaled with delicious tea and cake in Messrs Humphrey and Martin’s best style. This well-known firm is entrusted with the whole business appertaining to the wants of the inner man at Milnerton, and their methods, even to the smallest detail, must gain approval from the most fastidious, everything being apparently of the best, nicely served, and at most reasonable charges.”

Military band entertaining guests

Wayfarer continued: “After tea, we visited one of the swings, of which there are several in different parts of the Estate, and later on traversed a breezy strip of moorland dotted with many varieties of lovely wild flowers and reached a sandy bank of the river, where we forsook terra firma and embarked in one of the many river punts, flat-bottomed, roomy, uncapsizable concerns, provided for the pleasure of visitors, at a moderate charge.” He regretted not having brought along fishing tackle. “Nevertheless, we thoroughly enjoyed our outing in the calm waters of the river.”

The article closed with a final word of praise: “Go to Milnerton, I say, but for one day, and then you will comprehend, as this scribe now comprehends, why 5,000 persons wended their way to Milnerton on the King’s Birthday.”

Along with this account appeared some charming photographs taken by Arthur Elliott, whose name is remembered for his unique photographic record of Cape Town’s history, now carefully preserved in the National Archives.

Revellers enjoy an outing to Milnerton in 1904

Confidence had returned by the following year, as this notice, released on 21 April 1905 attests: “MILNERTON ESTATES LIMITED. IMPORTANT! IMPORTANT! GREAT AUCTION SALE! Unexampled Easy Terms. The above Company has now decided to place 107 of their Magnificent Sites at the disposal of the Public and an Auction Sale, Without Reserve, will be held on the 27th April, 1905, at 3 o’clock AT MILNERTON. A SPECIAL FREE TRAIN will leave Cape Town for MILNERTON at 2.30 p.m. The Land to be offered will comprise: RESIDENTIAL SITES in the vicinity of the River and the Sea; BUSINESS SITES, specially suited for Shops."

Arrival of the first buyers, 1905

The great day came and went, again duly recorded in the Argus of 3 May 1905:  "MILNERTON LAND SALE. GOOD PRICES REALISED. The special free train, which left Cape Town for Milnerton on Thursday afternoon, was crammed with passengers, some intent on business, and others merely influenced by curiosity to see whether the new marine suburb possessed the natural advantages that have been claimed for it. The run-out was uneventful and convinced all that Milnerton is no further removed from the heart of the metropolis than is Observatory Road, while the added attractions of beach and river make it at once likely to become one of the most popular suburbs of the capital.

“Many persons came for an afternoon’s enjoyment, and these thoroughly explored the extensive estate, watching the steam dredger at work on the river, the building up of the sluices, the draining of the backwaters of the river and the improvements which are being placed in operation in every direction. Others again inspected and admired the Rugby ground, which is rapidly being covered with a splendid green carpet of turf, and adjoining which some of the best plots of the estate, when put up for auction, attracted special attention. [Woodbridge Primary School - formerly Zonnekus Primary School - currently occupies the site of the rugby ground.]

“The bidding, though never at any time brisk, was always high; those who had come on business intent had come to purchase, and thus at the end of the afternoon, 63 lots had been disposed of at an average of £92, the gross total realised being £5,714 which was deemed in every way satisfactory.

“The first bid of the sale was £40 for a residential plot near the station, and this was finally knocked down at £105, while seven other adjoining plots realised an average of £80 each. Thence a move was made to some plots overlooking the Football Ground, where some capital prices were the outcome of steady bidding, the prices ranging from £85 to £110 each.

“The lots put up for competition were dotted about in all parts of the estate and another group of 10, between the Football Ground and the terminus, brought an average of £96. Four stands for business purposes were offered, of which two went for £113 each, while the others found purchasers at £93. Four plots near the sea front brought £364, a very satisfactory result, which is proof conclusive of the opinion of business men as to the future of Milnerton. The opinion of all on the return journey was unanimous, that other seaside resorts will have to look to their laurels.”

Another of the picturesque early homes, Vrede Manor, with Arnhem in the background

Vrede Manor (left of centre) and Arnhem (right), with another of the early homes (left)

(With grateful thanks to the late Eric Rosenthal, who compiled the first official history of Milnerton - Ed.)