Gonubie – Jewel of the Eastern Cape

Whether you grew up in Gonubie, had memorable family holidays, or Sunday visits to this wonderful town, it has always been a very special place. I decided to write this article to outline the history and progress that this small town has made and to express my appreciation to a town that will always be very dear to me.

Gonubie is a seaside town at the mouth of the Gonubie River. It is situated just south of >Morgan’s Bay and approximately 21km North-East of East London (Buffalo City) in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The history of Gonubie is both rich and distorted. Gonubie boasts a rich history in that its narratives date back to the early Khoisan and Xhosa inhabitants of the area. In fact, the name Gonubie itself is a corrupted form of the original word “Gqunube”. The specific language of origin of the name has been disputed. For more information, see “Origin of Gonubie’s name is wrong – claim”, Daily Dispatch, 25th April, 1985.” Although the long standing view holds that the name is of Xhosa origin, another view, based on lexicology (the study of the form, meaning, and behavior of words), contends that the name is of Khoi (Hottentot) origin and is derived from the Khoi term for the bramble berry bush. “However, it has traditionally been considered that the name was derived from the rambling bush called Royena with its small yellow flowers. The bush grew in profusion along the banks of the Gonubie River and produced sweet, juicy berries which were much sought after by the local Xhosa inhabitants who named the area Gqunube, the Xhosa name for berry” (Bwalya, 2011, p.119). “Legend has it that the area was once covered by bramble berries. Various forms of human activities, including gathering, hunting, farming, mining and settlement led to the disappearance of these valued berries. Their legacy, however, survived these human interventions” (Mfundiso Mahlasela and Gary Minkley, 2006).

Gonubie is first mentioned in recorded history in 1752, when Ryk Tulbagh (Governor of the Dutch Cape Colony) sent August Frederik Beutler (who was an Ensign at the time) up the East Coast to report on the tribes living along the route, the possibility of trade and on anything else that might be profitable to the Dutch East India Company. The expedition lasted 8 months from 29 February to November, and extended eastward from Cape Town as far as the present-day site of Butterworth. This movement inland and up the coast came as a prelude to the Great Trek. Beutler records having crossed what must today be the Berlin Flats. He also records (in Dutch) his impressions of the Gonubie River Mouth and tells of having a hippopotamus shot for provisions. Doubtless Gonubie had been visited by ship-wrecked sailors several times, as through the years many ships foundered along this surf-pounded coast.

The next mention of Gonubie in historical records might be the occasion in 1862 when the Lieutenant General of Territories of British Kaffraria granted farm number 188 to Duncan Mackintosh in lieu of service. From January 1863, Mackintosh was required to pay 4..1..0 pounds per annul to lease the property of 2024 acres. The land was bordered by the river banks on one side and by the farm of the Rieger Brothers to the west. In 1869, Sir Edward Yewd Brabant (major-general in the British Army (Empire)) bought the farm for £4000 and built “Gonubie Park”. His house still stands and it is said that the beams of the roof were cut from the masts of a ship wrecked at Eastward Ho (Source: old newspaper article entitled; “JUST THE BERRIES AND A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY…..”).

Through my research it was identified that the history of Gonubie is distorted in that, as is the case with most of written South African history, it represents mostly the narratives of White settlers and their descendants. Without dwelling extensively in pre-colonial and colonial history, it is important to note the following:

“The last and ninth frontier war saw mass migration of Blacks to the lands across the Kei River. Thus ‘creating space’ for White settlers. Historical records show that this war between the invading White settlers and retreating Xhosa natives was fought in 1877- 1878 in and around Komga (Qumrha). Gonubie was first formally settled by Europeans in 1877 under a scheme known as the Kaffrarian and Border Immigration Society. As with the general history of South Africa, in particular that of the frontier areas of the Eastern Cape, Blacks in and around Gonubie faced many challenges. After their ancestors were forcibly moved to the impoverished and overcrowded areas of the former homelands of Transkei and Ciskei, Blacks had to ‘come back’ to earn a living as farm workers, child minders, house-keepers and general workers.” (Mfundiso Mahlasela and Gary Minkley, 2006). Rich and intriguing as the history of Gonubie may be, it is important to remember the struggles and hardships of the natives that originally occupied this land.

The first church in Gonubie was built on the eastern side on the Gonubie River by Presbyterian settlers in 1902 (Whitfield, 1979). This church, which still stands today, was used both as a place of worship and final resting place.

In 1927 the township was registered for the first time.

Gonubie River Mouth (circa 1930)
Photo credit: Jenny Balson

“Gonubie Mouth Primary School came into existence in January 1930 with Miss V. Egelhof as the first teacher. A banana ripening shed, belonging to Mr Leopold (Louis) Rosenbaum, was used until a classroom was built. There was an enrollment of 30 pupils.” (Source: A brief history of Gonubie Primary School).

Gonubie aerial view (circa 1932)
Photo credit: Dalena Properties Gonubie

The year 1933 proved to be one of the most significant in the town’s history. This was the year local resident Louis Rosenbaum bought “Gonubie Park”. Rosenbaum decided to sell off plots and called this development “Gonubie Park Estate, Ltd.”  Gonubie Park Estate, approximately 1900 acres, was divided into two sections, “Gonubie Park,” approximately 1100 Acres, and “Gonubie Manor,” approximately 800 Acres. Gonubie Park was the land that was for sale. This was to be the beginning of residential development in the town.  All plots were approximately a quarter Acre in extent and priced from £50 to £200. Copies of the plan and price lists could be had on request and picked up from No 53, Oxford Street, East London in those years.

In his advertising campaign, Rosenbaum described that these plots were on a gradual slope with a sea frontage of approximately one and a half miles and extended inland for over two miles to a frontage along the Gonubie River of nearly three miles. It was 16 hours distant from Durban by boat, and roughly six miles by sea from East London.

Strategically located, GONUBIE PARK TOWNSHIP will offer in a few years the finest examples of: “I could have bought at a third of that price!”

Safeguard against this by investing now in –

GONUBIE PARK TOWNSHIP
“East London’s Better Half.”

Advertisement of Gonubie Park Township. Source: http://www.gonubie-manor.co.za/about-us/history/

Advertisement of Gonubie Park Township.
Source: http://www.gonubie-manor.co.za/about-us/history/

Advertisement of Gonubie Park Township.
Source: http://www.gonubie-manor.co.za/about-us/history/

During 1950 electricity was laid on and in 1953 a village management established.

Gonubie Mouth (1955)
The tea room and the Gonubie Hotel can be seen on the corner of the gravel road.

Before the boardwalk (circa 1960)

The informal settlement of Mzamomhle was established in 1987 and was situated on sandy soil, on the coast, which was not environmentally suitable for settlement. “During apartheid South Africa, Blacks had no security of tenure or any significant property rights. All Blacks were relocated in 1989 from the farms on which they were born, to the new township of Mzamomhle. A city official, Rodbey Bouwer, confirmed the date but could not comment on politics and history behind the relocation. It is interesting to note here that of all the libraries searched, there is no written history on Mzamomhle.”  (Mfundiso Mahlasela and Gary Minkley, 2006).

Over the years to follow, Gonubie began to grow immensely. According to a 2011 Census, Gonubie has about 11471 residents, who reside in the lower income area of Mzamomhle, the middle income area of Riegerton Park, and the majority of the residents residing in the middle to upper income bracket Avenues and Streets. Gonubie has 18 avenues and 12 streets. There is also the lavish riverside area, which is a popular tourist destination.

Gonubie Beach is one of the best kept secrets of the Sunshine Coast. The beach can be found at the mouth of the river as it enters the warm Indian Ocean. With hillsides covered in lush vegetation and only a few houses peeking through. The beach has a unique access point along a raised wooden boardwalk of international standard, built to protect the primary dunes from human traffic. This impressive boardwalk leads down to a tidal pool and eventually arrives at a beautiful sandy beach. The boardwalk is a fantastic lookout spot for watching dolphins and whales, as well as surfers and windsurfers.  There are lifeguards on duty and towards the tidal pool there is some surfing to be had. The lagoon is wonderful and calm – a fantastic place to muck about. To add to that the perfect swimming conditions from the warm waves of the Indian Ocean and the superb natural scenery along the boardwalk and it’s easy to understand how time can pass here without complaint.

Gonubie Boardwalk

In 2004 Gonubie Beach gained pilot Blue Flag status, but lost it in 2007 due to poor water quality. It regained the coveted status again in 2009 only to lose it again four months later because Buffalo City Municipality (BCM) officials failed to submit water samples within the allocated time. Blue Flag beaches are required to submit water samples once a month in order to retain their status. The Blue Flag status is awarded to beaches based on water quality, environmental education and information, environmental management, and safety and services. The prestigious but hard-earned Blue Flag is a powerful draw-card for tourists around the world. At the time, Tourism Buffalo City CEO Peter King said it was disappointing news “since the tourism industry uses this status as a marketing tool to promote the attractiveness of the region”.

Gonubie Beach back in the day when it could still sport its prestigious Blue Flag. Source: Dispatch Live, 2016.

Gonubie’s estuary coupled with the flourishing vegetation on adjacent sand dunes alone is enough to place it in a league of its own. “The Gonubie River offers Fly-fishing from the bank and from the boat. The Main species to be found are Kob, River Skipjack, Garrick and Grunter with the odd Shad, Kingfish, River Snapper and Barracuda.The Best time of the year is Spring and Summer. Hot spots on the river are the Drop-off, Schwedhelms, Rocky Bank, Red Cliffs and the Top Pool. The best time to fish the river are on an outgoing tide and two hours on the pushing tide. Start at the top of the river and move with the tide to be at the Drop-off about one hour to full low. Kob are found from the Drop-off to Rocky Bank. Garrick frequent the Drop-off and Schwedhelms. River Skipjack are found at Top Pool, Rocky Bank, Schwedhelms and the Drop-off. Gunter can be targeted at the various prawn beds along the river banks. Access to the river is from the beach, tide waters and the estuary, the latter being private property so permission must be required.” (Source: http://www.fishingowl.co.za/swvenue.html).

Things are relaxed here and letting go of tension is easy when the beach and lagoon offer hours of tranquility and sunshine pleasure. When the tide is out, the lagoon is a perfect place for exploring – collecting shells, discovering birds, small fish, hermit crabs and other marine creatures and, particularly for families, an ideal place to while away the time. Furthermore, the river serves as a great place for activities such as canoeing and kayaking.

“In addition to the beach, a visit to the local bird sanctuary, which boasts more than 160 species of birds, or a round of golf at the Gonubie Golf Course with its excellent facilities is a must for visitors and golfing enthusiasts” (Jacobs, 2012).

Even your need to restock the coffers is adequately met by the local Spars and recently opened King’s Mall at the corner of Gullsway Road and Main Road. This modern new shopping mall was built in the modern style of the indoor/outdoor lifestyle center. This style enables the architect to create a unique flow of features with a combination of open walkways as well as indoor and outdoor line shops.

For a small village, Gonubie has everything one needs, including: a primary and a high school, multiple doctors, a vet, a police station, a traffic department, multiple petrol stations, and clothing and food stores. There’s a flea market or two every Saturday and the anticipated annual Gonubie Christmas Fair takes place at the Gonubie Sports Field, holding various fun filled activities to keep families entertained all day long. Apart from the natural beauty, one of the main attractions of living in the area is that no industrial development is planned, ensuring that this little piece of paradise remains just that.

When wanting to go out to for a bite, Gonubie offers some fine local restaurants; the prefect breakfast / lunch is had alongside the sea at the Heavenly Pancake House. For supper time, Guido’s restaurant is recommended for their delicious pizza, which is baked in traditional wood burning ovens. They also offer tasty pastas, schwarmas, steaks and seafood.

In terms of accommodation, the Gonubie Mouth Hotel is a 3 star family run hotel boasting two restaurants and 4 bars with magnificent views over the Gonubie bay. The hotel is a stone’s throw away from the beach.

Whenever Gonubie is faced with difficulty, the community comes together and ‘makes a plan’. Gonubie is well established in the world of social media, many groups exist on Facebook, including: Gonubie Home of the legends, Gonubie Marine Club, Gonubie Hotel, Gonubie Primary School, Gonubie Project Neighborhood Watch,  etc. One particular group called Nubians Unlimited has united the community and through their efforts have managed to preserve the beauty of this wonderful town when faced with difficulties. An example of this was when the community group organized and assisted in the repair of the white poles along the area between the Boardwalk and Gonubie Point, which were damaged during new years day celebrations.

This small seaside village has certainly grown over the years and will no doubt continue to increase in size with the new expansion of the Gonubie Main Road. Gonubie is fast becoming a ‘hot property’ spot and holiday homes in particular are popular. Although Gonubie is considered to be a suburb of the city of East London, the chilled vibe and awesome scenery of Gonubie belies this. Lying on the estuary of the Gonubie River and enjoying a wonderful climate, Gonubie is a small piece of paradise on the Eastern Cape Coast.

If you wish to provide further information or photographs that you feel would be valuable to include in this article, then please send me an email at dayne.skolmen@gmail.com. Furthermore, if I have provided incorrect information to your knowledge or used a photograph without consent or without giving credit to the photographer, then let me know and I will remove it/ credit the photographer if they would like the photo to remain in this article.

These streets hold my deepest days, this town taught me golden ways, and for this I will always hold a special place in my heart for GONUBIE

Source: “https://skolmen.wordpress.com/2016/11/20/gonubie-jewel-of-the-eastern-cape/