The implications of DNA studies are that everyone in the world today can trace their ancestry back to an African origin. The unity of the human species is remarkable. H.J. and Janette Deacon, Human beginnings in South Africa, 1999 **

History in this part of the world begins long before modern man expanded from Africa and set foot in Europe. Officially we cannot use the word "history" here. Officially, history in Africa began in "pre-historical" times. Whatever the start-date of history, men and women, like you and I (homo sapiens sapiens), had created a decent living for themselves along the coast of Danger Point Peninsula, between 65'000 and 85'000 years ago. At such time Neanderthal-man was still the only representative of the genus "homo" in Europe. When exactly the "first" modern man walked the earth is not clear.

What is clear, is that the Klipgat Cave on the coast in De Kelders, a short distance to the east of Gansbaai, is one of the discovery places of the oldest remains of modern man. Such early remains have only been found in three other South African sites and in the Middle-East. Excavations in Klipgat Cave between 1969 and 1995 produced stone artifacts, preserved bone tools and human remains left by Middle Stone Age people between 65'000 and 85'000 years ago. At such time the Klipgat Cave was at an estimated distance of 5 km from the ocean and not -as it is today- immediately on the ocean.

From these excavations it is also clear that about 2000 years ago, the Klipgat Cave was inhabited by the ancestors of the original residents of the Western Cape, the Khoisan. "Khoisan" is a combination of "San" and "Khoikhoi". The San were the hunter gatherer communities that formed the sole populace of the Cape for thousands of years until, around 2000 years ago, the pastoralist Khoikhoi- communities moved into the Southernmost areas of Africa. A clear distinction over the past 2000 years between the two groups in the Cape, can however not be made. It seems that the Khoikhoi herders called any person without cattle "San", irrespective of his heritage. In this sense "San" might have been equally applicable to a "Khoikhoi" who lost his cattle as to a "real" San. "San" it appears was an abusive word of Khoi-origin. With this in mind, it is more proper to use the name "Kung", as this is what they called themselves. In the same manner, Dr. Cyril Hromnik, an expert on the early history of South Africa, argues that we should use "Quena" instead of "Khoikhoi". When Jan van Riebeeck landed in the Cape and asked what the name was for all the people of the 16-odd tribes, the answer was Quena. "Khoikhoi", Dr. Hromnik argues, is a name of academic and missionary origin without any support from historical records.

Whatever name one wants to use for the original residents of the Western Cape, very little is known about their history. Most of their history and culture has been lost in the course of the expansion of more dominant cultures. At the same time the genes of the Quena and the Kung are represented in all South African peoples and especially in the "coloured" people, whose identity is primarily of Quena/Kung origin. A most remarkable aspect of their language has also survived: The Nguni languages of Southern Africa, Xhosa, Zulu and Swazi inherited their click sounds from the Quena and the Kung languages.

Dr. Hromnik attempts to fill some of the holes in this lost history and culture. Pointing to archeological evidence that he claims has been ignored or misinterpreted by "mainstream" scientists, and comparing customs, language and religions of cultures, Hromnik asserts that there are parallels between Quena culture and the Dravidian culture from South India. Indeed some of the words of Quena origin, some still in use today, have a striking similarity to Indian words, such as the word "Karoo", meaning "dry land" in Quena, practically identical to the Indian word for dry land: Karu. Engravings in a cave near Montagu of an Indian war chariot should also indicate trade or cultural contact between the Quena and India.
Hromnik states further that the meanings the Quena give to their god ("Gaura"), is a perfect match with the god Siva of the Hindu, one of whose epithets, Gauara, is practically identical with the Gaura of the Quena. The main Dravidian god (Gora, Gaura or Siva) is the god and protector of herders and hunters and -as such- could well meet the religious needs of the Quena herders and the Kung hunters.

The Klipgat Cave excavations produced the earliest sheep bones in the Western Cape, indicating that local Quena were keeping sheep some 2000 years ago. Apart from the earliest pottery in the Western Cape, the Klipgat Cave excavations also came up with numerous bone tools, ornaments and remains of bones of large herbivores, such as the Eland and the extinct Blue antelope. Wildlife in this area was abundant until white settlers moved in and in a short period of time hunted the "Serengeti of the Western Cape" into near oblivion. Many lost and present geographical names (either original Quena/Kung names or Quena/Kung names translated into Afrikaans) point back to the abundance of animals. Examples are: Buffeljagsbaai (place of the Buffalo hunt / Kaukai), Little Lion River (Gaskikamka), Eland's Path, Hartebeeskloof (gorge of the Hartebees), Wolvengat (Hole of the Wolf = brown hyena), Rhenosterfontein (Fountain of the [black] Rhino) and Bonteboksvlei (Bontebok-swamp).

Other caves and protected shelters, such as the more inland Bijneskrans cave, were the home of early Quena herders and evidence points towards communities of Quena flourishing over the ages around Danger Point Peninsula and its hinterland. An expedition sent in 1660 by Jan van Riebeeck to explore the hinterland of the Cape reported having met people of the Ghainokwa community at a place now called Baardskeerdersbos (20 km from Gansbaai). Not surprising since the river flowing through the fertile valley of Baardskeerdersbos is called Boesmansrivier (Bushman-river; Bushman being a derogatory name for Kung people). Quena people built several fish-traps along the shores around Danger Point Peninsula, many of which can still be recognized today.

The Chainouqua tribe of the Western Overberg (Danger Point and hinterland) and the Hessequa of the Central Overberg (Bredasdorp and surroundings) traded cattle with the Dutch East Indies Company as far back as 1660. The Overberg was however populated relatively late by white settlers and hence little was known about the Quena of this area. The local Quena had to give up their semi-nomadic life style after the passing of the "Hottentot Laws" by the colonial government in 1812. These laws forced the Quena to have a fixed address as well as a pass issued by a magistrate if they wanted to travel from one place to another.
Though there is some anecdotal evidence of singular persons surviving in caves in the area and here and there title deeds where given to Quena people for the land where they lived, for most Quena the only available means of existence during the 19th century was to be employed as a farm worker.

People of Quena descent are the founders of the Gansbaai fishing culture: in 1811 the first permanent fishing cottages in the area were erected under the Milkwoods in Stanfords Bay, a short distance from Gansbaai.

Of the coloured communities in the larger area, the Moravian mission village of Elim is the one with the most thoroughly researched history. This beautiful town, 30 km from Gansbaai was established in 1824. Meticulously kept archives show that the first 15 Quena people moved to Elim in 1824 and that there was a Quena ("Khoikhoi") population of 563 in 1839.

The demise of the local Quena-culture occured more or less at the same time as the extinction of two animal-species that once occured in abundance on the plains between Gansbaai and Cape Agulhas: the large Bluebuck (or Blue Antelope) and the Guagga (as the Quena named the beast in imitation of its call). Both became extinct at the beginning of the 19th century. The Guagga, a relative of the zebra, occurred in a wider area and has been extensively described. The last Guagga died in the Amsterdam Zoo and still exists as a stuffed form of her former splendor. Of the Blue antelope however, endemic to the little traveled area of the Southern Overberg, practically nothing is known. * / **Sandy Gall, The Bushmen of Southern Africa - Slaughter of the Innocent

Recent history
The area of Danger Point Peninsula might be relatively new on the map for the tourism market but it is one of the places in the world with the oldest history. Remains of early man (homo sapiens sapiens) dating back between 65'000 and 85'000 years ago have been found in the famous Klipgat Cave in De Kelders, a few km from Gansbaai along the coast. Such early remains have been found in only three South African sites and in the Middle East.

Jumping from the Middle Stone Age to more recent times, Kung people thrived in this area for thousands of years and were joined by the Quena pastoralists about 2000 years ago. The Danger Point Peninsula area was the home of the Ghainokwa-people, one of the 16-odd Quena tribes living in the Cape when Jan van Riebeeck landed with his party at the Cape of Good Hope. As early as 1660 a scouting-expedition sent by Jan van Riebeeck came into contact with Ghainokwa people in Baardskeerdersbos (in the hinterland of Danger Point Peninsula).

For earlier written history about the area, we depend on what sailors have written. In 1595 a flotilla of vessels of the VOC (Dutch East Indies Company), the Mauritius, Hollandia, Amsterdam and Duyfken anchored just east of Danger Point. It was one of those rare calm days and they rowed to shore to get fresh water out of the Uilkraal river (just inland from present-day Franskraal). They also visited Dyer Island and harvested eggs of the penguin colony to take as much needed fresh food for the onward journey.

Due to the isolation of the Overberg, the Ghainokwa people of the Danger Point Peninsula area had a longer period of grace than their fellow-men in the Cape. Still after the smallpox epidemics of the eighteenth century and the "Hottentot-laws" of 1812, the Quena-reign in this area finally came to an end. Still the descendants of the Ghainokwa survivors played a major role in the development of this area and are today part of the vibrant and diverse society of the Danger Point Peninsula region.

Even when the Overberg was opened up from the Cape, the Danger Point area was still remote. People of European descent were at first farming in the area as "trekboere" (nomad farmers). They used a grazing area until it was depleted, after which they left for another place. In much the same manner, there were several nomadic fishermen, moving from one place on the coast to the other depending on the availability of fish.

The first permanent settlement on the coast was in De Kelders. In 1811 Quena-fishermen erected fishing cottages under the Milkwood trees in Stanford's Bay, a sheltered cove and today a good spot for swimming. Graves of these early fishermen can still be found there.

In 1880 a certain Johannes Wessels fought a way through dense vegetation to reach the sea a little to the east of Stanford's Bay. What he found, he liked: a fresh water fountain, a small bay and good fishing grounds. He built himself a shelter, a bride and started fishing. Soon he was joined by other nomadic fishermen. The nomads became residents and a permanent settlement was created. The fresh water fountain was the home of wild geese. Hence the name of the spot: Gansgat ("Hole of Geese, later changed into the more respectable Gansbaai). The fresh water fountain is still there, has lately been restored to its former glory. Only the geese have not returned (yet).

A few decades before, in 1852, the HMT Birkenhead met its fate at Danger Point. At this time, several permanent farmers were living and farming in the area. Today, many old farmsteads on farms with beautiful and descriptive names still speak of these times. The village of Baardskeerdersbos was also originally a farm. Though the name Baardscheerdersbosch was already mentioned in 1730, the farm was registered for the first time in 1831. Wessel Groenewald and Johannes Fourie were the co-owners. The farm flourished and in 1876 (a few years before Johannes Wessels fought his way to Gansbaai) the first teacher settled on Baardskeerdersbos. Land subdivisions during many generations of Groenewalds and Fouries resulted in what Baardskeerdersbos is today: a rural village secluded in a beautiful valley. Many of the Groenewalds and Fouries are still living in Baardskeerdersbos today and old residents still speak of the Groenewald-part and the Fourie-part of town.

Dyer Island has one of the oldest recorded histories of this area. In 1806 Sampson Dyer (A black man of American descent) was the first known human to live on the Island. He made his living with the export of the pelts of Cape Fur seals to America. The island was named after him. However, before that was called Isla de Fera (Island of Creatures), a name given by the Portuguese seafarers with apparent reference to the Cape fur seals and African penguins that still populate the island in spite of Dyer's clubbing of seals and the harvesting of penguin eggs by sailors.

A few decades later Dyer Island was populated by a small group of men who made a living by harvesting guano. Though it was a lucrative business, they were lonely and threatened to strike if something was not done to cater for their emotional needs.
Far away in Cape Town, a big lady "of dark complexion" heard the call of distress. Black Sophie (born Sophia Werner) managed an inn catering for sailors and guano harvesters. Both her parties and her girls were world famous. Black Sophie loaded her girls in wagons and embarked on a long and difficult journey over high mountain passes. She made camp at the beach of present day Kleinbaai and signaled the 40-odd guano harvesters on Dyer Island. After she had organized some of her famous parties on the beach of Kleinbaai, there was no more talk of striking. "Black Sophie" has been immortalized as a big black rock about 200 meters from the beach of Kleinbaai.

Other historical places have also survived. What is today the caravan-park of Uilkraalsmond (at the Uilkraal-estuary close to Franskraal) was already a camping ground 200 years ago. The farmers of the area met each other here around Christmas time.

One of the most striking features of Danger Point Peninsula is its lighthouse, aptly named Danger Point Lighthouse. Many people think it was erected as a result of the wrecking of the HMT Birkenhead. However the lighthouse was only commissioned in 1890 after another 20 ships had perished. The lighthouse was completed in 1890; not a small feat if one takes into consideration that all parts had to be brought in by ox-wagon from Cape Town over the narrow Ghantou-pass.

Recent history has seen dramatic changes in the Danger Point Peninsula area. During apartheid, economic activities were still fully concentrated on farming and fishing. The farmers employed "coloured" workers and the fishmeal factory employed temporary workers from the "homelands Transkei and Ciskei" (Eastern Cape). These men (there were no women) were only allowed in the Cape for 6 months after which they were sent back and replaced by new people from the Eastern Cape. Nobody from the Eastern Cape was meant to feel at home in this region. After the fall of apartheid people regained the right of free movement, and the area around the hostels where the temporary workers stayed, quickly transformed into a booming township. Today it is as if Masakhane (meaning "stand together" in Xhosa) has always been there. The tourism industry has also developed in Masakhane: township tours by accredited local tour guides are organized and there is a restaurant serving traditional Xhosa food.

On aerial photos of Pearly Beach from a decade ago, one can see only a few houses. Today Pearly Beach has expanded into a coastal holiday town and new houses are continuously erected.

Although tourism (and the building industry as a consequence) has gained in importance in the Danger Point Peninsula area, Gansbaai was, is and always will be first and foremost a fishing town. In the hinterland the traditional connection of the farmers with the land lives on in newly established vineyards, plantations of indigenous flowers for the cut-flower markets and conservation of large tracts of pristine nature.

Detailed information on the history of the area can be found in the Strandveld Museum in Franskraal, established in one of the oldest sea-side cottages of the town. In nearby Bredasdorp, there is the shipwreck museum and in the near future, the information and interpretation centre at Klipgat Cave will be open for the public.