Stories, Ghosts, shiwrecks and other tales – Colour Dots

Die Vishuis

carynkaleido — Sat, 10 Dec 2022 12:31:23 +0000

Die Vishuis At the turn of the nineteenth century, the only buildings in Yzerfontein were a farmstead and a small thatched cottage, known as the ‘Vishuis.’ So the Vishuis is the oldest building in Yzerfontein. It was built from local gravel and limestone. The current municipal boardroom in The Vishuis used to be a storeroom for fish and salt. When the Dutch arrived, they needed building materials. They built lime kilns to burn mussels to form a binding material,l which was used as cement. The kilns were built above ground level, with lime stones that did not crack when heated. Inside was a fine grid on which they placed layers of mussel shells and wood. The heat of the fire turned the shells into fine ash, which then fell through the grid. The ash was then mixed with water and placed in an enclosure to dry. Here, it became a type of lime to be used as a binding material. The Castle in Cape Town and many farmhouses on the West Coast were built using it. Salt was added to the lime, and this was widely used to whitewash the walls of the buildings. Vishuis was the property of Matthys Schreuder, who was also the owner of the ‘Langhuisie’ holiday home. The Langhuisie is the setting for a ghost story. A man who lost his head. The story tells of a widower by the name of Rozen who used to visit Mrs Schreuder when her husband was away. He formulated a plan to murder him. One of Mrs Shreuder’s daughters overheard the plan being discussed and told her father, who changed his will in her favour. One day, Schreuder went out fishing with a friend. Screuder disappeared. His friend’s body was washed up with bruises on his neck, pointing to murder by strangulation. Rosen told Mrs. Schreuder he’d killed her husband, but she didn’t believe him. He returned to the body, cut off the head, and brought it back to show her. It is not known what happened to the head; some say it was disposed of in the outside toilet and others say it was burned in the lime kiln. Langhuisie is said to be haunted by the ghost of the man who lost his head. 50 Main Rd, Yzerfontein, -33.344499805, 18.154262171

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Fancourt Golf Club

carynkaleido — Tue, 08 Dec 2020 09:16:38 +0000

This golf complex was constructed in 1990 when an initial 27 holes were laid out, followed seven years later by an additional 9 holes, which then became the Montagu and Outeniqua courses, with the Links following in 2000 and the Bramble Hill course a year later, which has since closed. Fancourt Golf Club is South Africa’s premier lifestyle estate with mountains, forests, and the warm Indian Ocean nearby. The estate features 133 luxury rooms and suites, including The Manor House, a Spa, and various restaurants. There are three Gary Player-designed golf courses. 1) Montagu is a challenging course in an Indigenous landscape, known for superb conditioning and fast-paced firm greens. 2) Outeniqua is an easier course recommended for beginners; it offers a constantly changing terrain, but it presents sufficient challenges to keep golfers engaged. 3) Links is quite challenging, with a dune-style landscape modelled on the links courses of the British Isles. More recently, a fourth course has been added. 4) “The Links Experience”, a 9-hole golf course also designed by Gary Player. This short course offers a world-class golfing experience tailored for players seeking a fast-paced yet challenging round amidst the breathtaking landscapes of the Garden Route. The club includes a Leisure Centre with a Kidz Club. Fancourt Manor House ghost The tale of Fancourt Manor House endures as one of South Africa’s most famous ghost stories. Whether the hauntings are real or imagined, the story of Montagu White’s death and the whispers of his lingering presence remain an indelible part of the estate’s history. The story begins in the mid-1800s, when Henry Fancourt White, an English engineer responsible for constructing the Montagu Pass, built his home in the village of Blanco. Originally named Blanco House, his son, Ernest Montagu White, later renamed the property Fancourt in honour of his father. In 1916, Ernest Montagu White, who had served as the South African Consul-General in London, returned to Fancourt for a visit. A keen mushroom collector, he unknowingly picked a poisonous variety. They prepared the mushrooms for dinner and served them to Montagu, his stepsister Elizabeth, Jan Ham, and family friend Sydney Vincent. Soon after eating, all three adults fell ill. They all died from mushroom poisoning, leaving only Vincent’s young son, who tragically lost both his parent and guardians. Following the deaths, the house remained empty for nearly two years. During this time, locals began reporting strange occurrences. Footsteps echoed through empty hallways, doors opened and closed on their own, and voices were heard where no one was present. The most enduring legend is that of Montagu White’s ghost, said to wander the manor’s corridors or gardens wearing his characteristic suit and Panama hat. Witnesses described him as calm but restless, appearing briefly before vanishing again. Over the years, Fancourt changed hands several times. In 1960, Dr Roland Anthony Krynauw purchased the property and began restoring it. The renovations preserved the structure and returned it to its former grandeur, though stories of unexplained phenomena persisted among visitors and staff. Today, the Manor House operates as a five-star hotel within the Estate. While it offers modern luxury and comfort, many still associate it with its tragic past. Guests occasionally report mysterious sounds or fleeting shadows, yet the overall atmosphere remains peaceful. . Montagu St George Best golf courses in the Western Cape article

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Genadendal training college

carynkaleido — Mon, 06 Sep 2021 11:02:38 +0000

The South African History Online claims that the oldest teachers’ training college in South Africa opened on 26 January 1896, in Wellington, in the Western Cape. Yes, indeed this college opened on that date, but almost six decades earlier, on 12 September 1838, the Genadendal Training College opened its doors; therefore the Genadendal Training College is the very first of its kind in South Africa. If one puts the Genadendal College within the context of similar institutions in the world, then it is quite significant, and definitely a phenomenal milestone in the History of Teacher Training. The history of politics and discrimination in our country led to the Genadendal College closing its doors in 1927. The closing of the college was preceded by a visit by a deputation of the Afrikaner Bond in 1899. They argued that an institution for tertiary education was not necessary for people who were not ‘so-called White’. In a petition, it was stated that: “there were enough farms in the region where they could be employed”. At that time, some of the lecturers were highly qualified educators, competent and products of the Genadendal College; and the results of the college examinations, which were drawn up by the State Department were excellent and indisputable. So the motivation for closure was not pedagogical, but purely political and out of unfounded fear that potential leaders could be trained to lead the masses to revolt against the government of the day. After the objections and pressure from the ‘Bond’, the Department of “Openbaar Onderwijs” withdrew the annual subsidy and thus blighted tertiary education at Genadendal. Consequently, the College had to close its doors. Over a period of 90 years, a total of 236 young men and women qualified as teachers. Today, the building is used as a Cultural History Museum. The Genadendal Museum became the first SA Museum collection to be declared a National Cultural Treasure in 1991.

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Ghosts of the Castle of Good Hope

carynkaleido — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 14:52:18 +0000

The Castle of Good Hope was built in the 1600s as a fortification protecting the new settlement in the colony. It has a colourful history with stories ranging from torturous violence to outrageous parties. Many tortured souls have shown themselves to visitors at the castle. One of these is the ghost of, Governor Pieter Gysbert van Noodt who was a tyrannical man. He once ordered the execution of several soldiers by hanging. A short while later he was found dead, having had a heart attack after one of the condemned soldiers cursed him before he hung. It is said his ill-fated bitter soul wanders around the castle. Ghosts of the Castle include stories of an angry black dog that annoys guests and then mysteriously vanishes. Voices and shuffling noises can be heard from the dark hole which is the dungeon where prisoners were tortured. In addition, the bell in the Bell Tower which was walled up centuries ago after a soldier hung himself with the bell rope, is said to frequently ring on its own accord. Lady Anne Barnard is also said to still be a resident at the castle. In the late 18th century she was the colony’s “first lady” She entertained dignitaries at the castle, To this day she has not neglected her duties and makes an appearance, often when important dignitaries visit. She wrote many letters and diaries about her time at the castle. Even after working in the building for a long time, soldiers are still scared of the ghosts wandering in the area so they prefer to walk the outside boundary of the building to guard the place. Address: Darling St & Buitenkant St, Cape Town There is a nominal entrance fee. Pensioners pay a discounted rate info@castleofgoodhope.co.za Are the Ghosts of the Castle real? Blood-curdling screams, strange voices and footsteps still terrify soldiers on guard during the late-night “ghost shift” at the Castle of Good Hope. The explanation, they are convinced, lies in the bloody history of the Castle and the restless spirits of those who were tortured there centuries ago. To this day, soldiers who guard the Castle would rather walk all the way around the outside of the building than pass through the haunted archways in the wee hours of the morning. (IOL news)

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Graaf’s Pool

carynkaleido — Sun, 26 Sep 2021 18:13:13 +0000

Graaf’s pool is unique, it was built in 1910 to accommodate the needs of Lady Marais, who was paralysed from the waist down from childbirth. Her husband built the pool for her as a private bathing area. There was a tunnel under the beach road for access to the pool and a wall to shield the users from view. In the 1920s their mansion was sold to the Graaff family who bequeathed the pool to the City of Cape Town in 1929. The pool became popular with gay men, who swam in the nude behind the wall. Some of the locals objected to this and the wall was partially demolished in 2005. The huge slabs of concrete that make up the sides and bottom of the pool have been smashed. Bits of rusted rebar are exposed. Broken terracotta pipes lead away from the corners of the pool no longer in use. Green marine algae grow about. The pool is now mostly abandoned. Dogs are allowed as long as they are kept on a leash.

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Graveyard haunting

carynkaleido — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 14:04:36 +0000

There is a story of two friends who were brave enough to walk through a cemetery in Claremont on the night before Halloween. One of them took some photographs. On looking at the pictures, they noticed that the images showed orbs ( those in the know, would tell you these are expressions of energy showing a supernatural presence). On looking closer the friends noticed a figure of a man with a long beard all dressed in red in one of the pictures. Research showed that Sir John Molteno, the first prime minister of the Cape Colony was buried in the Cemetery. Sir John who joined a Boer commando to fight in the Cape Frontier War was well known for his long white beard. Contemporary paintings show the Boer soldiers fought wearing red attire.

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Green Point Lighthouse and Mouille Point Lighthouse

carynkaleido — Fri, 28 Aug 2020 11:33:22 +0000

Green Point Lighthouse is often confused with the former Mouille Point Lighthouse, but they were two separate structures, built nearly 20 years apart. After some violent storms in 1741, the Dutch East India Company decided to move their ships to Simon’s Town for the winter months. They also began to build a breakwater at Granger Bay; however, the project failed due to the work consistently being swept away by the rough seas, and the project was abandoned. However, in 1781, the French managed to build a breakwater and called it Mouille Point, which is French for “anchorage.. Green Point Lighthouse was the first lighthouse built in South Africa. It was commissioned by Sir Rufane Shaw Donkin and designed by Herman Schütte, and built between 1821 and 1823. The light was first lit on 12 April 1824 It was later raised to 16 metres in 1865. It is the oldest operational lighthouse in the country. It was the first solid lighthouse structure on the South African coast and is the oldest operational lighthouse in the country. Originally, the lantern and dome were painted in yellow and black stripes. It was repainted in 1956. When it was first operational, the lighthouse was equipped with Argand lamps, which burned sperm whale oil, a common fuel source in the 19th century. In 1922, 3rd-order dioptric flashing lights were installed, extending the lighthouse’s range to 22 nautical miles, or about 41 kilometres. Today, the lighthouse emits a powerful white light that flashes every 10 seconds, with an intensity of 850,000 candela; it is visible for up to 25 nautical miles. The lighthouse also included a foghorn that sounded for three seconds every 30 seconds. Locals called it Moaning Minnie. The foghorn was replaced in 1986 with an electric horn. Greenpoint Lighthouse is said to be haunted by a one-legged lighthouse keeper. There was a lighthouse keeper by the name of WS West, who was nicknamed “Daddy West” However, he mysteriously disappeared. His voice it is claimed, echoes along the walls at night Staircase inside Greenpoint Lighthouse Light mechanism Mouille Point Lighthouse was the second lighthouse built in South Africa. . It was located on the northeast side of Table Bay in Granger Bay to warn ships of the dangerous rocks at Mouille Point. The original lighthouse, designed by Charles Michell and completed in 1842, had a pyramidal shape. It was replaced by the second lighthouse, which had a cylindrical tower shape and is still partly extant, in 1865 At Granger Bay, near the present-day Cape Peninsula University of Technology. A tall, plastered-brick tower was built, and an octagonal lantern was imported from France. The cylindrical tower was painted with red and white bands. The light used 730 gallons of sheep tail oil every year. This oil was stored in a 4 m deep hollow foundation within the bedrock. This lighthouse was also somewhat inefficient, did not withstand the harsh sea conditions, and the Lighthouse Commission recommended that it be switched off in 1890, when the Granger Bay breakwater was completed. A beacon was placed here, which was also decommissioned in 1906. It was partially demolished a few years later, sometime in the 1920s. What remains of the structure is the circular base with a concrete slab over it. During the Second World War, it was used as a searchlight platform. It is currently used as a store area/garden tool space, The Mouille Point lighthouse was switched off in 1890 when the Granger Bay breakwater was completed. A beacon was placed here, which was also decommissioned in 1906. It was partially demolished a few years later. Greenpoint Lighthouse circa 1920. The Green Point Lighthouse is a national heritage site open to the public for a fee. Contact 021 449 5171 to book. Even after Green Point Lighthouse was commissioned, ships still wrecked at the entrance to Table Bay. See the comprehensive list of shipwrecks around the Western Cape Coast Find a list of ships that wrecked near Green Point Lighthouse 100 Beach Road, Mouille Point, 33°53’57.1″S 18°24’42.0″E

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Groot Schuur Hospital Ghosts

carynkaleido — Thu, 01 Oct 2020 07:51:27 +0000

Groot Schuur Hospital Ghosts Groote Schuur is one of Cape Town’s premier tertiary academic hospitals. It was officially opened in 1938. The hospital is internationally renowned as the training ground for some of South Africa’s best doctors, surgeons, and nurses. Groot Schuur Hospital is home also, to many ghosts as you would imagine an old hospital would be. There are several restless souls resident in the building.. Patients tell of being nursed by women nobody has ever heard of, there is a particular sister who has been seen quite often who is described as having white eyes, she is apparently a nurse who committed suicide on the grounds.. A sister Fatima tries to help staff by handing drinks to patients from unattended trolleys. The tortured soul of a patient who fell to his death while attempting an escape is also said to roam the hallways of the hospital. Address: Main Rd, Observatory,

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Groot Schuur zoo

carynkaleido — Thu, 11 Nov 2021 14:25:42 +0000

Groot Schuur Zoo was a project conceived by Cecil John Rhodes, who was Prime Minister of the Cape Colony from 1890 to 1896. He bought a 2-hectare piece of land on the slopes of Devil’s Peak in 1893. At the time, there was an abundance of wildebeest, leopard and wildcats, deer, duiker, eland, ostriches and zebra. In 1896, Rhodes received two lions and a leopard as gifts. Enclosures were built to house these animals, He planned to build a Paestum temple of colonnades to house the lions, where people could admire their natural strength. However, this was not built, and a cage-like structure was built instead. The idea was for all to have free access to the area for an affordable family outing. Entrance to the Groot Schuur zoo was free, and it was a very popular attraction in Cape Town. There were huge aviaries with birds in many shapes, sizes and colours. Screaming peacocks strutted everywhere, fanning their tail feathers and showing off. Penguins were fenced in a very large aviary with a long pond. It is said there was even an elephant and a camel living here. When Rhodes died in 1902, he left the estate to the government. The Lion House stood until 1930, when it was demolished to make way for new enclosures. Wire-fenced cages and large aviaries were built to house his private menagerie. In 1931, the site formally opened as Groote Schuur Zoo. But by the 1970s, rising operational costs and changing expectations around animal welfare created sustained pressure on the facility. The Apartheid government, facing tightening finances, reduced support. The zoo fell into decline, and it closed sometime between 1975 and 1985. The now derelict Groote Schuur Zoo is a popular attraction in Cape Town with its abundance of shady oak and pine trees, with masses of beautiful hydrangeas. There is a story that there was a kudu bull that repeatedly got into and damaged the garden at Rudyard Kipling’s home (known as The Woolsack, which is a National Monument at UCT) The abandoned buildings of the zoo stand there still, covered in vegetation. At one point during the time the zoo was in operation, two tahirs, a breed of Himalayan mountain goat, escaped up Table Mountain. These goats bred, and quite a large population grew that lived on the mountain. In 2000, it was decided to cull them due to the environmental damage they caused. However, while they are rare, there is still a small population of goats on the mountain. The zoo also played a role in the spread of the European starling in South Africa.

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History of Goudini and the spa

carynkaleido — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 11:06:11 +0000

The name Goudini is generally recognised as having Khoekhoe origins. One interpretation connects it with “bitter honey”, while other explanations refer to wild honey or honey beer. The precise meaning is uncertain, but the name preserves a trace of an Indigenous language spoken in this part of the Cape before Dutch-speaking farmers occupied the valley. Goudini originally referred to a much wider landscape than the holiday resort known by that name today. The area forms part of the Breede River Valley, where generations of people lived in close relationship with the rivers, mountains, plants and seasonal grazing. Before the farms Before colonial farms were established, the valley formed part of the world of Indigenous southern African communities. Khoekhoe pastoralists moved livestock through the landscape, depending on grazing, seasonal water and relationships between communities. The broader region also has a much older history of San hunter-gatherer occupation. These were distinct societies, with different ways of life, although their histories sometimes intersected through exchange, kinship, shared landscapes and conflict. The broad label “Khoisan” can obscure these differences. The plants growing in the valley were also part of a substantial body of Indigenous environmental knowledge. Knowing which plants were useful, where they grew and when they could be gathered was important to survival. This knowledge connected people to the landscape in ways that extended far beyond the boundaries of individual farms. A traveller records the name In December 1778, the Scottish-born traveller Robert Jacob Gordon recorded information about a root called C’harī and a drink associated with Khoekhoe people. His account includes a honey-based drink whose name he recorded as Goideni. He also associated the root with Namaqua country, where Indigenous botanical knowledge was well established. Could this be the origin of the name Goudini? It is an intriguing possibility, but Gordon’s account does not prove it. He was a European observer recording words from languages that were not his own, and spellings written down by early travellers can be difficult to interpret. The connection between Goideni and Goudini should therefore be treated as a possible historical clue rather than a settled explanation. The reference to honey is nevertheless interesting. Honey and fermented drinks made with honey formed part of the knowledge and practices encountered by travellers in southern Africa. The surviving record gives us a glimpse of what Indigenous people knew and what European visitors considered worth recording, although it cannot tell us everything about how that knowledge was used or passed between generations. The hot spring and the arrival of colonial farmers At the foot of the mountains, naturally heated mineral water emerged from the ground. It is tempting to imagine that Indigenous people used these springs long before European settlement, particularly given their familiarity with the surrounding landscape. However, there is no archaeological or documentary evidence establishing that Khoekhoe or San communities used the Goudini springs for healing over thousands of years. That claim should not be presented as proven history. By the early eighteenth century, European farmers were extending their occupation into the interior valleys of the Cape. The recorded history of Goudini states that François du Toit obtained grazing rights at Laauw Watersfontein in 1719. This was the farm associated with the hot spring. The land subsequently passed through several farming families. By 1777, the traveller Hendrik Swellengrebel was describing established farms in the Goudini and Slanghoek valleys. These dates record the expansion of colonial farming, but they tell only part of the story. A farm grant identifies the person whom the colonial authorities recognised as entitled to occupy land. It does not mean that the surrounding landscape had previously been empty or unused. Across the Cape, colonial expansion disrupted Khoekhoe communities through the loss of access to land and grazing, disease, warfare, coercive labour relationships and changing legal systems. For more about the area’s later settlement and development, see the article on Rawsonville. Stone from the original pool From natural spring to holiday resort During the nineteenth century, Goudini’s hot mineral water became increasingly well known to colonial visitors. People travelled to natural hot springs believing that bathing in the warm water could relieve various ailments. Accommodation and bathing facilities eventually developed around the spring, turning it into a destination for visitors seeking the benefits of the water. The spring was not simply a feature of the landscape, however. Its existence depended on the geology beneath the valley, where underground water circulated through fractures in the earth and was heated at depth. That geological system became dramatically apparent on 29 September 1969, when a powerful earthquake struck the Boland. At Goudini, the effects were visible in the spring itself. Historical accounts describe changes in the water’s temperature, colour and flow. Technical research records that the original hot spring dried up, after which the resort’s hot-water supply was obtained through a deep borehole. The earthquake had altered the underground pathways through which the water reached the surface. The warm water available to visitors today is therefore not simply the unchanged continuation of the original spring: its supply depends on accessing the underground water system through a borehole. In 1967, Rondalia acquired the property and helped develop Goudini into a popular family holiday resort. The Afrikaanse Taal- en Kultuurvereniging (ATKV) acquired it in December 1993. The resort has changed considerably from the natural spring and surrounding farmland of earlier centuries. Yet the name Goudini has survived, carrying with it a possible linguistic connection to honey, a record of Indigenous knowledge encountered by eighteenth-century travellers, and the history of a landscape transformed by colonial settlement, tourism and a powerful earthquake. Wyzersdrift Road, Rawsonville, 6845

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