The Foreshore in Cape Town, South Africa - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

I think this sign is facinating. It discribes how the entire "forefront" of Cape Town is an area that used to be ocean but was "reclaimed", meaning it was filled in with fill (dirt, debris, etc) from elsewhere, to move the shoreline further out, and create more room for the city to be built. This was accomplished in the 1930 & 1940s. Waterkant, Strand and Sea Street used to be water canals, where boats navigated the same places you can now walk. In total, an astonishing 363 acres of land was "reclaimed" and made available for development.

Who said they aren't making any new land? Amazing!

Take a look at the photo in this link: it shows the "foreshore" after it had been infilled (reclaimed), but before developement occurred: (visit link)

Here is the text:

Historic Cape Town Moments in Time

You are standing in Waterkant. A hundred years ago this was part of Cape Town's waterfront on the shore of Table Bay.

In the time of the Dutch East India Company, slave and 'free black' fishermen launched their rowing boats from the beach nearby. Sailing ships anchored in the bay, and passengers and supplies were ferried to and from small jetties on the shore.

There were many changes in the shoreline in the 1800s. The North Wharf and later the Breakwater and Docks were built by prisoners and people displaced by Britain's colorian wars. The diamond and gold rush, and the war that followed, brought waves of immigrants, troops and refugees. As shipping and trade increased, the port was expanded.

The shoreline changed drastically in the 1940s. Today there is a huge area of reclaimed land where the sea ued to be- Cape Town's Foreshore. The beach at Roggebaai, th old fishing harbour and the pier at the bottom of Adderley Street disappeared- leaving Waterkant, Strand Street and Sea Street a long way from the sea.

Group that erected the marker: City of Cape Town Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary: Waterkant (District and Street Downtown (roughtly Waterkamp, Strand and Sea Streets to the ocean) Cape Town, Western South Africa 8000 URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: Not listed

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