Fish Hoek or Vissers Baay or Visch Hoek appears on the earliest maps of the Cape. The arrival of European settlers in 1652 forced the indigenous population to leave the area.
The first person to buy land in Fish Hoek was Andries Bruins in 1818. The land was sold several times before being bought by Hester Sophia de Kock in 1883. She farmed wheat and vegetables but she also started providing accommodation for people who wanted to stay in Fish Hoek, and so became the first local tourist entrepreneur.
The oldest house on the bay is named Uitkyk. This was the beginning of the town of Fish Hoek. Initially people built holiday cottages but as there was a good train service to Cape Town a more permanent community soon arose. By 1940 it was big enough to be declared a municipality.
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 officially laid out as a town. Today, whale watching is a major attraction in Fish Hoek but thankfully whales are no longer hunted there!
Fish Hoek beach is still used by trek fishermen.
Until recently, Fish Hoek was a "dry" area - one of the conditions placed by the owner who gave the land for development was that there be no alcohol sold there. Nowadays, alcohol is available in restaurants and bars but there are no bottle stores. Fish Hoek has become well-known as a tourist resort and as a place where elderly people retire.
The Discovery of Peers Cave
In 1926 Victor Peers and his son, Bertram excavated the cave now known as Schildersgat, which later became known as Peers Cave. They found many stone tools and the remains of nine people, one of whom became famous as Fish Hoek Man. The skull has the largest brain area of any skull of its age found up until that time, and has been dated at 12,000 years old.
In January 1941 Peers Cave was declared a National Monument
Peers Cave is a short climb up the dunes above 19th Avenue, and affords beautiful views across the Peninsula to both oceans from across the valley and, a peep intro stone-age history.
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