Camps Bay

Camps Bay Kampsbaai
Camps Bay as seen from the ascent to Lion's Head
Street map of Camps Bay
Camps Bay Show map of Western Cape Camps Bay Show map of South Africa Camps Bay Show map of Africa  Camps Bay shown within Western Cape
Location within Cape Town  Camps Bay
Coordinates: 33°57′00″S 18°23′00″E / 33.95000°S 18.38333°E / -33.95000; 18.38333Coordinates: 33°57′00″S 18°23′00″E / 33.95000°S 18.38333°E / -33.95000; 18.38333
Country	South Africa
Province	Western Cape
District	Atlantic Seaboard
Municipality	City of Cape Town
Main Place	Cape Town
Established	1713
Area
• Total	1.68 km2 (0.65 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• Total	2,773
• Density	1,700/km2 (4,300/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
• Black African	13.5%
• Coloured	5.1%
• Indian/Asian	1.7%
• White	78.3%
• Other	1.4%
First languages (2011)
• English	79.4%
• Afrikaans	9.4%
• Xhosa	2.1%
• Other	9.0%
Postal code (street)	8005
PO box	8040
Area code	021

Camps Bay is an affluent suburb of Cape Town, South Africa. In summer it attracts a large number of foreign visitors as well as South Africans.

The first residents of Camps Bay were the San (Hunter Gatherers) and the Goringqhaique, Khoi pastorates. When Jan van Riebeek established a refreshment station for the VOC (Dutch East India Company), the 12 Apostles were covered in forests with lion, leopard and antelope.

In competition with the more recent settlers, the Gringqhaique lost their grazing lands on the south east slopes of Table Mountain and in 1657 were restricted to Camps Bay.

By 1713 the number of Gringqhaique population had been reduced by measles and smallpox. All that was left of their settlement was an old kraal (Oudekraal).

The area was then granted to John Lodewyk Wernich and passed from father to son. Johan Wernich married Anna Koekemoer, who on his death in 1778, married Fredrick Ernst von Kamptz, a sailor and the area became known as “Die Baai van von Kamptz”.

For most of the 1800s Camps Bay was undeveloped. Lord Charles Somerset used the area for hunting and used the Roundhouse as his lodge. Kloof Road was built in 1848 and in 1884 Thomas Bain was commissioned to build a road from Sea Point to Camps Bay using convict labour.

The road was completed in 1887 and named Victoria road to honour Queen Victoria’s jubilee in 1888. The road allowed people to cycle out to Camps Bay which had gained popularity as a picnic site. This led to the development, in 1901 of the Camps Bay tramway to bring people out for the day and with it the development of the tidal pools, the Rotunda (now the Bay Hotel) and a pavilion for concerts and shows.

In 1913 Camps Bay was incorporated into Cape Town although it was still seen as a recreational area rather than a residential area.

Oudekraal is made up of a collection of tiny beaches sheltered amongst the boulders and a well established picnic area with lawns, Braais, covered seating areas with tables, benches and public toilets.