As I live in a suburb of this seaside town, beloved by young families and retired folk, I felt it remiss to not have explored and shared the origins of Fish Hoek’s name and history with Travel Blog readers.
So, as part of our How the Dorp Got its Name series, I bring you…
Fish Hoek
The name Fish Hoek or Visch Hoek (or even Vissers Baay) can be seen on the earliest maps of the Cape. While the arrival of settlers in 1652 pushed the indigenous population away from the area, it brought with it a farming community that began to settle in the Noordhoek (North Corner) area on the Atlantic coast opposite False Bay’s warmer Indian Ocean.At that stage, Fish Hoek was used, informally, as a whaling and fishing basis. Hence the name Visch Hoek – Fish Corner. It was only in 1918 that Fish Hoek was laid out as a township officially.
Whale watching is a major tourist attraction in False Bay today - thankfully they are no longer hunted by whalers!
You can watch the "trek" fishermen with their colourful wooden boats pulling in large nets of fish most mornings and evenings on Fish Hoek beach - ideal for buying fresh-from-the-sea fish for that family braai...
Wikipedia tells us the following about the early non-indigenous landowners in the area:
The first grant of Crown Land in Fish Hoek was granted to Andreas Bruins in 1818. The land was sold several times before being bought by Hester Sophia de Kock in 1883. She was then a spinster of 51 years old. In 1901, late in life, she married a local farmer, one Jacob Isaac de Villiers who came to live with her on the farm. Although she farmed wheat and vegetables she started providing accommodation for people who wanted to stay in Fish Hoek, and so became the first local tourist entrepreneur. Fish Hoek has remained, with its situation and views, a beacon of extra-ordinary accommodation ever since.
Looking for quality benchmarked holiday accommodation in Fish Hoek, Noordhoek and surrounds? Contact Portfolio. for advice and bookings.
(Images: Joy-Anne Goodenough. Creative Commons License)
1 Response to How Fish Hoek Got its Name
Perhaps also nice to mention er, Somerset or Baines??
"Free Fishing Rights for all" and that "No Alcohol would be sold"?
By myphotographer (5 years ago)