Nostalgia
A look at Cape Town long ago
Mouille Point Lighthouse circa 1824
This building is a well-known and much-loved fixture on the promenade in Mouille Point – a small suburb tucked away between the V&A Waterfront and Sea Point – and is often used as a landmark when navigating the area. It was declared a national monument in the Seventies and is the oldest operational lighthouse in South Africa. Completed by German builder Herman Schutte in 1824 to curb the frequency of ships running aground off Table Bay, it originally had two fixed lanterns that burned nine litres of oil every night. The lighthouse was electrified in 1929 and, to this day, its light is still visible from a distance of 25 nautical miles. Until the 1850s, Mouille Point was used as farmland and livestock grazed on the neighbouring Green Point common – then a soggy vlei but currently under construction as a Soccer World Cup stadium. For visitors information, phone 021 449 5171.
If you have a story about Cape Towns bygone days - an anecdote, memory or family legend - please email emma@hsm.co.za.