History of St Francis Bay
St Francis Bay was first sighted by Portugese sailors in 1575 and is named after the Patron Saint of Sailors, St Francis.
What you see today has been pioneered by men like Leighton Hulett, who in 1954, set up a humble fishing camp on his farm “Goedgeloof”. It was his insistence on a certain amount of uniformity that gives St Francis Bay it’s unique character! Leighton later went on to acquire more land on the banks of the Kromme River, where in 1968, he began work on the beginnings of the impressive canals you can see today.
Cape St Francis, visualised by John Booysen who made a swop of his Chevrolet car for part of a farm bordering the lighthouse at Seal Point, originally became a township. In 1965, after just two years, the township was proclaimed the town of Cape St Francis.
Although the area is comparatively young compared to many coastal towns in South Africa, the keen senses and careful planning by its founders have led to an area rich in natural diversity and a unique aesthetic quality.
For more information please visit www.stfrancisbay.co.za
