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Umhlanga Lighthouse Commemorates 60 Years

Umhlanga Lighthouse Commemorates 60 Years

Author: Kasia Yoko
Date: 2014-11-28

2014 marks the 60th anniversary of the Umhlanga lighthouse and to commemorate this very memorable event the Oyster Box hotel decided to celebrate with a few friends of the hotel. Cake and champagne were the order of the day.

Geoff Pullen is the nephew of the founder of the hotel, Kathleen Pearl Hill and he shared some unknown history with the guests. He said, "Kathleen was the licence holder of the Oyster Box hotel because in those days women were forbidden to enter, so Kathleen, as the licensee of the hotel use to keep law and order in place when the men got out of hand."

"When in 1954 the Durban Port Authority decided to build the lighthouse they made Kathleen the custodian of the lighthouse. In those days they had three little red lights in the back office, when those lights use to flash, the hotel staff knew there was something wrong and reported it to the port captain."

The reason Durban Port Authority placed the lighthouse where it is today is because they had to replace the lighthouse from the Bluff, which was, build in 1869 and which had deteriorated very badly. The Port Authority specifically chose the place outside the hotel because the crew and the captains of the ship had already started using the red roof of the Oyster Box hotel as their landmark to see whether they were in the right position.

Commenting on the lighthouse 60th celebration, General Manager Wayne Coetzer's PA, Barbie Hamilton, said that the hotel was proud to have the lighthouse on it doorstep.

"Contrary to some legends we don't change the light bulbs as a lot of people might think. We do not have a very long key, which opens the door, and one does require permission from the National Ports Authority in Cape Town to enter the lighthouse."

"So many people think that the Oyster Box hotel is the personal custodian of the lighthouse. Well sadly we are notwe do however love having them on our doorstep."

"Many of the visitors to the hotel request to visit the lighthouse for engagements and special occasions. They go up there and have their pictures taken. Its very sweet and memorable experience." Concluded Barbie.

The Umhlanga lighthouse is our icon. It is true that when people see it, they immediately think of the beach, they think of Umhlanga, they think of Durban, they think of the sea and all the good times that are associated with fun in the sun - and yes they do think of the Oyster Box hotel.