Southbroom

History

In 1884, a pioneer named Alfred Eyles established a mission on the site of the present day Outlook Farm. This is the earliest recorded settlement of Southbroom. In 1895, The Fascadale was wrecked on rocks off Southbroom beach while en route to Lisbon, Portugal, but the timely arrival of another vessel meant that only two people died. The name "Southbroom" was first associated with the area in 1908, when the Swedish Zulu Mission took over the mission from the Eyles family, who subsequently renamed their home "Southbroom"; a reference to a family home in their native England. Frank and Gilbert Eyles, the youngest sons of Alfred, proclaimed the township in 1933. In 1935, the Southbroom Hotel opened, with its tidal pool (known as Granny's Pool) opening two years later. The golf course was first opened in 1939, before being extended to a full 18 holes in 1948.

Geography

Southbroom is situated between Ramsgate to the north and Marina Beach to the south, and is bounded by the uMbizane River to the north and the Kaba River to the south. The 2011 census divided the main area of Southbroom into four “sub places”: Southbroom proper (pop. 878), Marina Beach (pop. 247), San Lameer (pop. 93) and Trafalgar (pop. 397).

Most-observed species

• Hadada Ibis

  Bostrychia hagedash (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  1,338
• Red-winged Starling

  Onychognathus morio (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  1,212
• Egyptian Goose

  Alopochen aegyptiaca (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  1,167
• Red-eyed Dove

  Streptopelia semitorquata (Rüppell, 1837) · Aves
  1,126
• Black-collared Barbet

  Lybius torquatus (Dumont, 1805) · Aves
  1,119
• Brown-hooded Kingfisher

  Halcyon albiventris (Scopoli, 1786) · Aves
  1,011
• Dark-capped Bulbul

  Pycnonotus tricolor (Hartlaub, 1862) · Aves
  995
• Cape White-eye

  Zosterops virens Sundevall, 1850 · Aves
  992

Most recent

• M 4.2 — 2019-10-31
  47 km NW of Port Shepstone, South Africa