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A Story of the oldest Hotel in the Overberg PDF Print E-mail

HOUWHOEK INN

In the old days the Houwhoek Mountains were even more difficult to traverse with ox wagons than the Hottentots Holland Kloof. The former range lies close to, and to the east, of the latter. The Houwhoek Pass was built shortly after Sir Lowry’s Pass had been completed.

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Myths surround the station PDF Print E-mail

One of our historic buildings, the station, is still the subject of urban myth.   The Sunday Times once had a story about the head of the SA Railways and Harbour Services who set a tone for Hermanus where he, Sir William Hoy, enjoyed fishing for many years.  The story continued that Sir William decreed that the railway line destined to link Hermanus with the Bot River junction 30 km away would not be built lest it reminded him too much of work while on holiday.

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Mr "Lemm" of Lemm's Corner PDF Print E-mail

A rather peculiar advertisement in The Times of Hermanus of 20 August 1980, ended an era of 20 years of shop-keeping. The same paper reported:  “since opening in Hermanus, Lemm’s Corner has become almost a family institution to Hermanus residents — ‘from the napkin to the wedding’. They have seen the children from babies in arms grow up and become young men and women”. “The deciding factor for closing was the threat of demolition of a building constantly needing repairs and modernisation.” “Hermanus residents have expressed their regrets at the departure of the Lemonskys, but the sheer economics of the situation have finally brought about the decision.”

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A lack of water, but an excess of brandy! PDF Print E-mail

Years ago, between 1944 and 1968 the usual tranquility at Stanford was disturbed by a fight over water. The water from the Oog (the Eye) supplied one and a half thousand gallons of water per day but only a small percentage reached the village in a four inch (10 cm) pipe. The rest of the water flowed into the sea. For 24 years nothing was done to improve the situation, while the village population grew steadily and some residents liked to plant vegetables.

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He won a farm at the races, along with a wife! (By SJ du Toit) PDF Print E-mail

There are apparently two branches of Steyns in the Overberg. The one is the well-known Swellendam Steyns from which descends the ex-Free State President MT Steyn; and then there are the Spitzenkop Steyns who fell on good times. Jan Steyn related this story to Andre Kotzé of Struisbaai. 

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