The New Simon’s Town Community Flag

SIMON’S TOWN COMMUNITY FLAG

For 90 years and until 1996 when the Simon’s Town municipality became part of a Greater South Peninsula, the municipal flag containing the registered arms (see below) of the town flew over it. In 1996, the arms and flag were transferred to the Simon’s Town Historical Society.

When STADCO assumed control of Jubilee Square and the Jetty to operate on behalf of the Cape Town Metropole, permission was granted to them to fly the old flag on Jubilee Square as an identifying symbol.

Because of the intricate design, the cost of replacement flag became too expensive and it was felt the formal device was not recognisable to most residents or visitors. In fact it was supposed to be based on the arms of Simon van der Stel after whom we are named but was later discovered to be those of his son Willem Adrian who was discredited after his term of office!

It was thus decided to design a new and more representative, but heraldically correct, flag that would not only be flown on Jubilee Square but would be a community flag that any business or resident could share and would promote pride in the community and be a unique identity for a community that still sees itself as a town rather than just a part of Cape Town.

This process took a year with the major community organisations such as the ST Civic Association, the ST Business Association, the ST Historic Society and the ST Community Police Forum being approached for comment and approval.

The flag has now been flown with the National Flag on Jubilee Square since July 2015.

Top two cantons form Municipal arms while anchor represents Navy influence and presence with Roman Rock light as unique symbol.

Due to a number of requests, these flags may now be ordered through the STADCO Office on the Square and are available in two sizes; Standard (180mm x 90mm) and Storm (90mm x 60mm) – prices on request). In addition, bumper stickers and small fridge magnets displaying the flag are available at the STADCO Office for R10-R20 depending on size.

As the flag belongs to the community, businesses (including guest houses) can order their own stock to sell, direct from the supplier.

It is hoped that this simple flag will promote a greater pride in the community, promote the town and even contribute to our economic activity.

 

Walk the Historical Mile – Simon’s Town

The Simon’s Town Historical Society will conduct Walking Tours of the Historical Mile on the first Saturday of every month.

Next date:  Saturday, 6th December 2014.

For details please contact Audrey at aread@telkomsa.net or phone 021 786 1805

Simon’s Town Museum Talk

Photo by William Martinson

The Delville Wood Memorial and the founding of the War Graves Commission, in which Rudyard Kipling was also involved. A PowerPoint presentation by Herb Farrow.

Where: Simon’s Town Museum, Court Road, Simon’s Town
When: Wednesday 26 November 2014
Time: 17.30 for 18.00 hrs
Cost: R20 per person, including a glass of wine or fruit juice
More details: Yvonne Mawhinney on 021 786 4404

Simon’s Town Museum Talk – From the Hearse’s Mouth

FROM THE HEARSE’S MOUTH, by Chris Molyneux takes you on a journey to the past. In his talk he looks back over the past 200 years of how we in the western world have dealt with death. How cemeteries have changed, how mourning patterns have evolved, new ideas and new products, and the changes in the legal and social world that have all influenced and shaped the funeral traditions over time, to how we care for our dead today.

When: Wednesday 27th August 2014
Where: Simon’s Town Museum
Time: 17h30 for 18h00
Cost: R20 per person, includes a glass of wine or fruit juice
Further details: Yvonne Mawhinney on 021 786 4404

Redhill’s ruins: Cape Town’s forgotten District Six

By Barbara Maregele – first published on Groundup.org.za

There’s silence as Margaret Constant and her brother George Lawrence walk through lush Fynbos to the stone ruins of Redhill Village, the place they once called home.

Nestled in the mountains overlooking Simon’s Town, Redhill was once home to more than 70 predominantly coloured families, before they were forcibly removed from the area in the late 1960s.

“I was about nine-years-old. My parents got a letter and we were told that we couldn’t stay here anymore. I couldn’t understand why. To us, this was our home. I was heartbroken,” says Constant.

They were among thousands of families forced to leave their homes and relocated to barren land on the Cape Flats under the Group Areas Act.

Families were issued with a notice and given about a week to vacate their homes.

At the time, Redhill residents were told they were being moved to make way for the construction of a new dam. But this never happened.

The first people to leave Redhill were relocated to Heathfield and Retreat, while the rest were all moved to Ocean View, then known as Slangkop.

They were joined by people who were relocated from the surrounding Noordhoek areas.

Nearly 44 years later, Constant, 53, and Lawrence, 57, took GroundUp through the ruins in Redhill.

Margaret Constant sits on the steps of one of the ruined houses of her childhood.
Photo by Masixole Feni.

Simon’s Town Museum Talk – Seabirding off Cape Point

“SEABIRDING OFF CAPE POINT” by Patrick Cardwell, an enthusiastic ornithologist, takes us on a virtual pelagic day trip off Cape Point, which Patrick regards as one of the most enjoyable and memorable birding days one can enjoy within the ‘Big 5’ destination mix of birding experiences in South Africa.

When: Wednesday 30th July 2014
Where: Simon’s Town Museum
Time: 17h30 for 18h00
Cost: R20 per person, includes a glass of wine or fruit juice

Further details: Yvonne Mawhinney on 021 786 4404

Simon’s Town Museum Talk – 4th ‘Dumps’ Willis Memorial Lecture

Humphrey ‘Dumps’ Willis contributed in many ways to Simon’s Town and was a renowned historian and researcher and was also the founder of the Simon’s Town Historical Society.

During the Second World War his role was that of air rescue and in later years as a Simon’s Town councillor he opposed the Group Areas Act.

In this lecture James Willis shares his recollections of his father as a book collector.

When: Wednesday 26th February 2014
Where: Simon’s Town Museum
Time: 17h30 for 18h00
Cost: R20, includes a glass of wine or fruit juice

Remembrance Day – Gun Firing at Simon’s Town

From David Erickson, Simon’s Town Historical Society

At 11h00 on Remembrance Day, Monday 11th November 2013, the 9 inch Rifled Muzzle Loading Cannon will be fired at Middle North Battery, Simon’s Town. A charge of 5 kilograms of gunpowder will be used, sponsored by the South African Navy.

This cannon was manufactured at the Royal Gun Factory at Woolwich, England in 1865, and was designed as a broadside gun for heavy iron clad ships, and also for the defence of harbour and sea fronts. It weighs over 12 tons (over 12,000 kg) and is a very powerful gun for its weight. Only 190 of this particular type were made, of which the Simon’s Town gun is No. 22. The gun was issued in 1866 to Halifax, Nova Scotia; in 1878 it was moved to Bermuda, and it then returned to England in 1881 where it was mounted at Sheerness Naval Dockyard until 1885. It was mounted in its present emplacement at Middle North Battery in 1896, and is a unique survivor of this type of gun still in its original mounting.

The Wreck of the Brunswick

In 1805, the English East Indiaman, the Brunswick, was captured by the French off Port du Galle, Ceylon and brought across the Indian Ocean as a prize to Simon’s Town, then in Dutch and French hands. On 2 September, the anchor cables parted under a south-east gale and the ship ran aground in 10 metres of water on the west side of Simon’s Bay (near to where the Redhill Road meets the coast). Its cargo of sandalwood was recovered and sold, and the wreck was then left to the mercy of the sea.

Simon’s Town Educational with Metro Rail, 18 October 2013

Metro Rail and Cape Town Tourism have earmarked Simon’s Town as a “destination” for their Educational and Tourism Markets. They are extensively marketing “The Southern Line Tourist Route” with a Tourist Train visiting Simon’s Town every 1st Sunday of each month.

A group of Travel Agents and Tour Operators will be visiting to Simon’s Town this Friday to see what the town has to offer in terms of Restaurants, Activities and Accommodation. Metro Rail will sponsor the costs of bringing this group to Simon’s Town and HGTS will sponsor the transport of 7 groups of 12 people each to different venues in Simon’s Town. Each group will experience a different activity in Simon’s Town and then to be hosted by an Accommodation Establishment or Restaurant for lunch (sponsored by each individual lunch host).

This is a fantastic opportunity to get businesses noticed by a group of people who are very likely to send future business to Simon’s Town after experiencing the town’s product/service offering.  Each of the 80 delegates will receive an information pack with brochures on all participating Businesses. If you are on Twitter, tweet and follow @TourismTrainCT. Two media guests will also come along for the day. One writes the stories for our My Line, Metrorail local newspaper distributed to 80 000 commuters the other is a blogger.

DATE: 18 October 2013
TIME: 11:00 – 14:30 hrs