March 2020

In this article, which forms part of a comprehensive series on the chronological history of Hermanus, Dr ROBIN LEE of the Hermanus History Society focuses on the history and development of the town’s business sector. On 8 March 1978, the local newspaper (then known as The Times of Hermanus) published […]

Generally, the owners and managers of Hermanus hotels kept quiet, orderly establishments. Their guests were mainly middle- to upper-middle-class individuals and families, not given to riotous nights. But sometimes events beyond their control occurred and resulted in a story that would go round the village. Then, it might be passed […]

Hermanus New Harbour, part 2 We can see the second reason that the New Harbour never became the commercial success it could have been. It became the object of arbitrary decisions by the responsible government department that found itself suddenly responsible for “small harbours”. During its first 50 years of […]

Writer: Dr Robin Lee In 1896, two events occurred in Hermanus that began the long life of the town as a tourist destination – as it still is today. The first event was the building of a Sanatorium in Marine Drive. Dr Hoffmann and his wife launched this initiative to […]