Cultural & Historical information about the Lagoon

The town originated on a farm called De Stompe Hoek that was first called Geytenbergsfontein. Langebaan is one of the oldest towns in South Africa with a history dating back more than 400 years. It has an archaeological history of a few million years. Twelve kilometres east of the farm Elandsfontein, a fossilised skeleton was found that dates back to the Stone age. This fossil deposit is considered to be one of the richest in the world.

Seal hunters from France frequented the area long before the time of Jan van Riebeeck. They used Schaapen Island as their head quarters and for storage of Seal skins and whale oil. This island which is close to the beach was called: "Isle à la Biche" at the time and the name was only changed back to the original about a century ago.

Schaapen Island was also used as a stop over to do repairs to ships. It was also used as a place of grazing for sheep that were then returned to Cape Town by the VOC.

Leentjies klip, where we find a caravan park today, got it's name from a Mr. Lynch, who absconded from his ship in the area. "Lynch se klip" soon became known as "Leentiesklip", a name still used today.

Donkergat was used as a quarantine camp. In later years two fishing companies were established here: Donkergat in 1909 by John Bryde and Salamanderbaai in 1910 by Carl Ellefson.
The P.O.S.I., an oystershell factory, was founded in 1918 where the Yacht Club is today. Remains of the original building forms part of the building where the bar is today.

Langebaan has a colorful history with many old historic buildings. "Oom Rijk Melck" (78) will gladly show you the places where they played as kids. His house, "Greystone", is one of the oldest buildings in Langebaan. As you enter the town, you will find a restaurant called "Tolhuis". This house got it's name because their was a gate in the road next to the house. The children would run to open it for visitors and received a penny for their trouble. As a result, the house earned it's name.

The Langebaan region is rich in history, which has resulted in the unique blend of cultures encountered today. Khoi tribes, including the Hottentots, Bushmen, and the Strandlopers who are now known as the Khoisan, inhabited the West Coast area. Europeans only entered the bay in the early 1600s upon which they named the bay ‘Saldanha’. A navigational error caused them to mistake the wonderfully protected natural harbour as the present day Table Bay. The bay is thus named after a Portuguese seafarer who has never set foot here!

In the 1600s, the French and the Dutch were in conflict in the Bay. The French withdrew and the Dutch, with the Dutch East India Company’s support, used the area to supply fish and penguin eggs to their trading post in Table Bay. They established a Military post on the Lagoon to stop the fishermen and later farmers, from trading with passing ships.

The 1700s saw the Dutch in conflict with the British and major sea battles raged in the Bay. With the increase of sea traffic in the region, the islands around the Lagoon claimed many a victim with valuable treasures still buried in the depths of the Lagoon today. The islands, rich in guano, were exploited during the guano rush in 1844 where more than 300 ships lay in the bay. Farmers occupied the area bordering the lagoon and the Khoisan were gradually pushed further north or taken on as labourers and servants.

During the American Civil War, the Confederate Warship The Alabama took refreshments aboard in the bay. George Lloyd deserted from the ship, settled on the Lagoon, and later founded Churchhaven. There are various interpretations as to how Langebaan got its name. The most popular explanation is that the Dutch seafarers who entered the Lagoon to repair and clean their ships, named it after the long strip of calm water formed by the Lagoon. In 1909, a whaling station was established by Scandinavians at Donkergat leading into a new era for Langebaan as a fishing village. The practice of whaling finally ended in 1968 and the village quietly continued with fishing. In the late 1900s, Langebaan and its Lagoon gained popularity as a holiday destination and grew in leaps and bounds. Today you can experience this wonderful village with its unpretentious locals, as moulded and shaped by this rich history.

Information courtesy of the official langebaan website