History of Pringle Bay, Kleinmond & Rooi Els
Early traces of habitation have been found at Cape Hangklip. Stone hand-axes from the Neanderthal era dating back 20,000 years have been unearthed.Khoisan strandlopers left their fish traps and kitchen middens along the beach from Kleinmond to Hawston as well as in mountain caves bordering the seashore. The area was isolated because of the Kogelberg Mountains which served as a barrier to the European expansion in the Western Cape.
For two centuries this area became the stronghold of outlaws - or “drosters” - runaway slaves, criminals, and the remnants of Koisan tribes, which had been decimated.
In 1739, a grazing farm was granted to Andries Grove, near to present day Betty’s Bay. Nevertheless the area continued to be mostly uninhabited by humans, although by accounts given by William Paterson, who travelled this region from Somerset West to Botriver in 1771, wild life such as hyena, zebra, bontebok, buffalo and eland roamed free.
By the middle of the nineteenth century, a small fishing community had established themselves at Jongensklip - today the small fishing harbour in Kleinmond.
It was at about the same time in the 1860’s that the area became a favourite holiday spot for the surrounding farmers. Farmers from Caledon and nearby areas began making this annual pilgrimage to camp near the Palmiet lagoon and the Klein Botriver mouth near to where the Hotel stands today. P..I. (Ouman) Delport only built the hotel in 1939 and ran it with Blanche Delport for about 5 years. It was sold to John Pitt.
Church services were held near the Kleinmond lagoon from as early as 1902 and the tree which stands there has earned the name of ‘die Preek Boom’ (the sermon tree) due to the fact that Church services are still conducted there during the end of the year holiday period.
In 1910 the original Lamloch Farm was subdivided and the brothers Kaplan bought the portion upon which they laid out the present town of Kleinmond. The industrial area in Kleinmond bears the name of Robert Kaplan, one of the original owners of the land.
A whaling station was established in 1913, at Stony Point on land belonging to the Walsh brothers, who leased 30 morgen to Mr. Frank Cook. He was the owner of a small shipping company. This was known as the Waaigat Whaling station and the Southern Cross Whaling company began its operation from there. The company was liquidated in 1915, and the buildings stood empty till whaling was restarted in 1925. By1930 the price of whale oil had fallen to such an extent that the Whaling station finally closed.
The surrounding land was used for grazing and collecting wild flowers. Everlastings (Helichrysum Vestitum) were used for wreaths and stuffing mattresses. After the death of John Walsh, the farm was sold to a consortium of Arthur Youldon, Jack Clarence and Harold Porter, who called this The Hangklip Beach Estate. Three townships were established namely, Rooi Els, Pringle Bay and Betty’s Bay.
Harold Porter laid out the present Botanical Gardens and the street plans for the townships in the mid 30’s. Arthur Youldon’s daughter, Betty, gave her name to Betty’s Bay. Italian prisoners of war during the Second World War did construction and worked on the road from Gordon’s Bay.
During the War, Cape Hangklip assumed strategic military importance as a sentinel guarding the Eastern shore of False Bay from the lurking menace of the U-boats. The Townships and Kleinmond continued to develop slowly. In 1948 the first Village Management Board was established.
The fishermen who had their homes near to the harbour in Kleinmond 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 library were built. By 1978, the town had its own coat of Arms and a town planning department, as well as camping sites, which were administered, by the municipality.
At present the town of Kleinmond and the three townships of Rooi Els, Pringle Bay and Betty’s Bay are growing at a phenomenal rate as not only retired people settle here, but new and varied businesses are established as well as allied light industries, especially in the building trade.