Simon's Town
Simon’s
Town is spectacularly situated beneath a 678m high ridge of mountains.
The bay of Simon’s Town was originally known as Isselsteijn Bay from
a Dutch East Indiaman of that name which, in 1671, sheltered there from
contrary winds.
The crew of this ship found the bay so much to their liking that their
reports eventually stimulated an exploration of the bay in 1687 by the
Governor, Simon van der Stel. He recommended its development as an
alternative winter sanctuary to Table Bay, which was exposed to
north-westerly storm. The Bay was renamed Simon’s Bay in his honour.
On 2 April 1957 the South African Navy took over Simon’s Town naval base.
Simon’s
Town is the terminus of the suburban railway from Cape Town. The train
journey along the coast between Muizenberg and Simon’s Town is a
delight. It is worthwhile strolling down the main street of Simon’s
Town with its Historic Mile of period buildings and national monuments.
The
museum also tells the story about the celebrated dog Just Nuisance who
was a great friend of sailors during the second World War. There are
many amusing stories about this naval dog and his love of sailors.
Just Nuisance
was a regular traveler also on his own on the train to Cape Town and
became later an able Seaman. He died in Simon’s Town on 1 April 1944 at
the age of only seven and is buried above the town. There is a memorial
to him created by Jean Doyle, a bronze Statue, on a rock on Jubilee
Square in the center of the town where he often stood and aided in
collecting money for charity.
The Beach out of Paradise
