Thesen Islands Parkland Facility Upgrades

Big money, flimsy plan.  

No debates, no discussion, no workshops. 
No detail.  

I don't know how I should feel about this Thesen Islands Parkland Facility Upgrades document. One moment I am exasperated - another year on and once again I am again reading a plan that has no substance, no beef.  Then I am irritated -  12 years after I wrote about the HOA wanting to carve the Parkland into stands, here I am again writing about another Parkland plan. 

And then I hit indignation - the HOA thinks I will vote to spend R38 million of our money based on 5-page document.  This is up for vote at the AGM on 19 December, 2025.  

A largely different version of the layout plan was presented at an Information Sharing Meeting on 24 July 2025. One takeaway from that meeting was that the 2 vocal protesters against losing the trailer park to the new clubhouse were successful as the new plan keeps the trailer park.  The "Do away with the trailer park" lobby doesn't have a voice at the HOA apparently. Other lobbies, though, clearly do. Because what is back, wrapped in shiny R38 million paper, is the padel court. Up from last year's outdoor R1,200,000 version to an astronomical  R7,619,046.56 for an indoor version. Chew on that. 

Does anyone else think that maybe, as we face running out of water in days - think water harvesting - and are hooked into an increasingly disfunctional Knysna Municipality, we should not be looking at spending R38 million on "nice to haves" right now?  I don't think we should be.

Our Municipality operates a sewer system where sewerage is often running down the streets and struggles to collect the rubbish on schedule. Our Municipality is dependent on the Knysna Infrastructure Group (KIG) for maintainance services, engineering services buying pumps, fixing burst pipes and a lot more. KIG is funded by ratepayers, myself included, as well as the HOA. 

Maybe we should be a bit cautious here? We may be having to come up with big money in the near future to keep Thesen Islands running. We live in a nice bubble here, but an unpleasant reality could be smashing down on us any day soon.  

The Money  - R38,1118,629 (estimate only, not final cost)

Point 1  Here is how the R38 million was arrived at. Survey takers (more on who they may be later) were presented with a list of "nice to haves" and asked to choose one or everything, but no cost estimates were provided. It was essentially a catalogue with no prices. Everything appears free. Then all those items are added up and the total became the proposed spend. You either take everything or you take nothing. And "everything" is R38 million.  

Point 2  If the HOA wants us to spend R38 million on “nice to haves,” then only Members as defined in the Constitution should be taking the survey - the people footing the bill, not random family members, friends and hanger on's who happen to have access to the email link.

The HOA can’t verify who filled in the survey, completing the survey more than once is possible.  And given the simple errors in the survey itself, I’m not confident about their abilities to run it accurately. Yes, it’s more work to verify respondents - but earning R38 million is also work. 

Point 3  The HOA wants to implement the R38 million of upgrades. They are clear about this. They say so - see below.  So everything they do, and say, is slanted to achieving this goal. And sent to every member. There no options for a smaller version of upgrades, no counter arguments about the value of the open spaces. 

This is the same playbook the HOA used when the trustees wanted to increase bulk. No counter arguments presented, while the HOA came up with 3 different aguments for increase in bulk. You can read that whole unpleasant saga right New lipstick for the Pig! Trustees try a 3rd colour lipstick but Pig is still a Pig. Pig will be sued! Picture!

It is not right that this blog is the only way a counter argument is given to a few members.  My mailing list is now even smaller than it was in the bulk fight. So few people get to read this. 

The Survey is Flawed

From the document High Level Budget for the Thesen Islands Parkland Facilities Upgrades 

The following facility upgrade proposal is based on the results of the Member Survey done in April 2025

This survey was fundamentally flawed.

If you answered “No” to:

“Would you like to see further sports facilities developed?”

…you were still forced to select at least one new facility in the very next question.

Forced choices = skewed results. You can’t claim democratic support when everyone had to tick at least one box.

I met, then wrote afterwards, to Boet Grobler, the General Manager, on 24 May, 2025, about this, as well as my other concern. Some members see the Parkland as a green refuge, while other see it as prime development land or vacant land. A balanced survey should reflect both viewpoints. This one didn’t.

I asked that the survey be withdrawn before it become a bone of contention.

The reply I received included phrases like the survey was to “invigorate discussion” and “a large amount of work, debates and workshops will still be part of the process.”

Except — to my knowledge — none of those things ever happened.

Yet the HOA proudly states:

“68% supported upgrading the clubhouse and 72% supported new facilities.”

Of course they did — everyone was forced to choose something, even those who said “No” to new development. That’s not consultation; that’s box-ticking theatre.

Back to the Money - We Pay Individually, But Spend Collectively

Pricing approved by HOA

Let’s use the Indoor Swimming Pool as an example. The cost is presented as R13,821.05 per property. Sounds like a car advert promising “just R6,000 a month,” while ignoring the balloon payment.  And property means you, the member. Property ain't goin to be paying! Ain't got no money, honey.

The Real Amount We Spend: R7,864,177.45        

And the number of people who supposedly want it? 134.

Assume all 134 are actual property owners (a heroic assumption):

134 of 569 homeowners is 23.5%   (The HOA says 569 properties) 

So 23.5% of homeowners get the R7.86 million pool they want.

The other 76.5% of us pay for it anyway.   And some of those 134 may not have even wanted it — they simply had to pick something to proceed with the survey.

And remember: These are estimates. As anyone who’s built a house knows, estimates are like toddlers — they grow unexpectedly.

If the HOA comes back in a year asking for another R10,000, will anyone be surprised? If the 15% levy increase gets extended yet again because the Capital Maintenance Reserve Fund has had to be tapped, don't be shocked.

No information is given on running costs. Heating a pool? Air-conditioning and lighting a padel warehouse? Maintenance? Staff? Lifeguards? Electricity?

Where is everything put on the Parkland?

The map provided shows the layout of the new facilities but it is still not easy to see exactly where everything is planned, like the padel warehouse, in relation to the current Parkland.

The Indoor Padel Court - Version 2

The Real Amount We Spend: R7,619,046.56

Information provided: Even less than last year.

Consultation: Zero.

Acoustic impact assessment: None.   

Visual impact assessment: None.

By the way, the Padel courts at Knysna Hollow were shut down less than a week ago by the Knysna Municipality on the grounds of "noise nuisance". A noise nuisance, I read online, is any sound that disturbs or impairs the convenience or peace of any person. It is assessed based on reasonableness, considering factors like time, duration, and locality. It took a long struggle, well over a year I think, by the neighbours to achieve this shutdown. 

Last year the HOA pulled the proposal because it was going to be voted down, largely due to, unsurprisingly, no consultation.

This year? The same lack of consultation, but with a bigger price tag. 

I looked up indoor padel courts online. An 8-metre roof is needed for proper play. That is the height of a double story house. The footprint is 14m × 24m — 336 m². That’s the size of nine double garages stacked together. Here this is where I got the information   My example is the smallest shed, the court itself is 20m x 10m. 

They look like a warehouse in the Industrial Area, but the pictures aren't identified by size.  It seems to be next to the Bird Reserve. Imagine that.

The HOA’s stated reason for the upgrades: keeping up with “premium estates” 

The HOA claims we must upgrade to “stay abreast with neighbouring premium estates.”

It is to keep up with neighboring estates! I don't know about you, but I can't even keep up with my neighbours - they keep buying bigger boats and cars. Now I must fund upgrades to keep up with Fancourt?  And other "premium" estates!   

Maybe we could save money by simply being an estate? No premium needed. Stay humble.  

The HOA even writes: "To stay abreast with other premium estates, we need constant upliftment." That "constant upliftment" really worrries me - I'm googling Fancourt to see what we'll have to buy next year.    

Here is what the HOA said in full:  "Live, eat, work, stay, play" was the Thesen Islands promise* at the start of the development nearly 25 years ago. Since taking over from the developer in 2008 only a few minor facilities have been added for the benefit of Members. To stay abreast with other premium estates, we need constant upliftment."   *It was not. 

Where do the trustees get the idea that their role is to ensure we "stay abreast with other premium estates"?  Who gave the trustees a mandate to run Thesen Islands like a business in a market-share war?

Thesen Islands is a place to live, not a corporate competitor.

And by the way, property prices have already jumped — from R8.7m in 2024 to R12.2m in 2025. Without an indoor padel warehouse.

What Was the Actual Thesen Islands Promise?

The original brochure highlights the 11-hectare Parkland and Bird Reserve, celebrating natural habitat, open space, and environmental harmony.

Many of us bought here for those very features.  

As I wrote in July 2024, Don't Bring the Big City with You

"Value the Open Space. 

The constancy of the HOA eyeing the open space of our Parkland as wasted space. Either an opportunity to make money, cutting it up to sell plots or use it for cellphone towers, or the latest, to build a Padel court(s) using a special levy, meaning we dig into our pockets.

I walk at Steenbok Park on Leisure Island. A few weeks ago, when I was walking there, I thought “In all the years I have been getting their "Friends" newsletters, I have never read of a scheme by LIRA’s Board to build on, cut up, sell off parts or their park!”  

In the 20 years I have lived on Thesen Islands, the Parkland has been under attack by the HOA many times." 

It is now 22 years. And here we are again.

Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants. — Epictetus

The Water Crisis: Start harvesting rainwater! 

If you are not harvesting at least some of the rain that falls on your roof, you need to start without delay. Having only a few thousand litres of water in tanks that can get you through, at minimum, a week of no water, is insurance you need. You don't want to be putting your faith in the Muni being able to supply your water all the time. 

But while a week of water is good, you need to be harvesting the rain that falls on as much of your roof as you can. Then you need to be storing the water in as many tanks you can squeeze on your property. Tanks come in all shapes and sizes so even small spaces can be used. 

An example of what's possible: 

In 2016, I put in two 5,000 litre water tanks harvesting about 140 sq m of my house roof. Then, at some stage the HOA loosened the setback requirement for tanks. They now allow a tank to be positioned outside of the building line, with certain restrictions.  I could now squeeze in another tank of  4,750 litres, which I did in 2023. If I could have squeezed in a 4th tank, I would have!  When my tanks are full, I have 14,750 litres (14.75kl) of water. I increased the roof area I harvest to 218 sq m. This is virtually my total roof area.

A quick check shows that in the last year, I used 11kl of Muni water, with 2 people living here almost permanently. Roof repairs and painting resulted in use of a small amount of the rainwater. Plus with the lack of rain I definitely wanted to preserve my 5,000L buffer supply so I switched to the Muni water for a period. Then 40 mm of rain I measured in later October filled my tanks to the brim, which currently sit at 80% capacity.

As a rough guide, 1mm of rain on 1 sq m of roof gives 1 litre of water. 

ReCap of my blog post dated 4 December, 2023:

"Sadly the ponds have many water birds, some who are permanent residents whose home is rapidly drying up. This is a warning of what could happen to the humans who have made their homes on Thesen Islands if they don’t start storing water. "

- excerpt from my letter to the HOA on 30 November 2023.   

More from my letter:

Elfrieda's response primarily reiterated the challenges and reasons behind the reluctance to pursue various water projects, as mentioned in the first board communiqué of 2023. I find this response disheartening, given the urgent need for proactive measures, especially in light of the escalating water crisis in Knysna.

The inadequate water harvesting practices across Thesen Islands have become a growing concern for me. 

I strongly believe that the HOA should play a pivotal role in addressing this issue by setting an example. Specifically, showcasing rainwater harvesting at the clubhouse would embody a 'lead by example' strategy.

Our dependency on the municipality for water becomes increasingly precarious, considering their ongoing challenges in waste collection and sewerage pump maintenance. With water restrictions already in place due to insufficient town water supply and no immediate plans to increase storage capacity, our reliance on small dams filled by river pumping poses a significant risk. Yet the cash strapped municipality, desperate for more income, is still approving a block of flats in lower town, a mall in Main Street, houses, RDP housing and who knows what other developments.

In summary, we face a critical situation with inadequate water supply, managed by an inefficient cash strapped municipality, and a growing demand for water. This is a pivotal moment that demands immediate action and collective responsibility.

Possible practical solution: Introduce an HOA requirement mandating water harvesting for every renovation project exceeding a certain threshold. This can be a first step in ensuring sustainable water practices within our community.

The Ponds

The current predicament with nearly empty ponds, following a R2 million investment, is disheartening. Sadly, the ponds have many water birds, some who are permanent residents whose home is rapidly drying up. This is a warning of what could happen to the humans who have made their homes on Thesen Islands if they don’t start storing water. 

The initial ponds were likely designed to be fed by run off but are the new ones? 

Can we investigate how we can get runoff?  

At the north end across the road there is a swale with a drain in it. When it rains, masses of water runs down the drain into the lagoon.  What about a sump pump and some piping to run the water into the top pond? There is electricity at the capped borehole. 

By my rough measuring, I estimate the clubhouse to have over 600 sq m of roof. One square meter of roof receiving 1mm of rain delivers about 1 litre of water. 10-year average rainfall on Leisure Island is about 680mm. This water could serve the needs of the HOA offices as well as contribute to the ponds. 

Don't Bring the Big City with You

First posted 11 July, 2024

As more and more people move to the Garden Route and it grows to accommodate them, we are losing the open spaces and the beauty, the slowness of life that encourages the enjoyment of what this area offers naturally. 

What we have lost, and are still losing, on Thesen Islands reflects what is happening beyond the gate.  

➤The Encroachment into Open Space 

Boating down the waterways after many years, I was struck by how boats, canoes, paddles, rubber toys, jetties and floating jetties, boat hoists and walkways, were all crowding into the waterway. 

The year long plus fight a few years ago (2018/2019/2020 blog archive) against the increase in bulk might have been won, but the subverting of the Design Guidelines continued with the insidious allowance of more and bigger decks, jetties and boats on what is actually "common property". It has made the narrower waterways feel more Asian floating village than waterway. 

That pools, yes pools, are allowed 500mm from the gabions is peak crowding of the waterway.  

The one boundary, the boundary that allowed everyone to enjoy the view of the waterway, the one that you would think would be sacrosanct has been breached. Now is it more “look at my neighbour’s toys", than look at the ripple of the water.   

Shoehorn development, squeezing as much sellable or rentable space in as possible, is what happens all over Knysna. 

Blocks of shoebox sized 😉, cheaply built flats in place of 2 or 3 houses, a cheap mall. Another one on its way up across the road, all with that "must have" of Knysna redevelopment, insufficient and inadequate parking.  

I kept a letter to the Cape Times years ago from Christopher Bisset of Rondebosch about the new Montclare Place shopping centre. I kept it for this, his last paragraph: “Every time you drive down the ridiculously steep, narrow ramp and stoop your head in the horribly cramped parking lots, you give your blessing to an architecture that exists only to squeeze profit from every inch of available space.”   Sounds familiar, right?     

➤ Value the Open Space 

The constancy of the HOA eyeing the open space of our Parkland as wasted space. Either an opportunity to make money, cutting it up to sell plots or use it for cellphone towers, or the latest, to build a Padel court(s) using a special levy, meaning we dig into our pockets. They haven't said where they want it, but where but our Parkland?  It reminds me of when, in 2014, I heard in a coffee shop about the well advanced plans to sell off stands in the Parkland. 

28 November 2014

I walk at Steenbok Park on Leisure Island. A few weeks ago, when I was walking there, I thought “In all the years I have been getting their "Friends" newsletters, I have never read of a scheme by LIRA’s Board to build on, cut up, sell off parts or their park!”  

In the 20 years I have lived on Thesen Islands, the Parkland has been under attack by the HOA many times.  Read about the 2014 plan to sell stands here      

➤ Care for Nature

Looking at the original sales brochure for Thesen Islands, I read that “11 hectare Parkland and Bird Reserve is a magnet for the rich bird like of the Islands.”

And of the “Many detailed environmental studies…used in the masterplanning to ensure that the Islands will exist in harmony with the Knysna Estuary environment. Bird plant and wildlife specialists are helping plan suitable habitat…in the waterways, the parkland area and Bird Reserve.”

Many of us were attracted to Thesen Islands because of these features. We enjoy the natural open spaces, the ponds and the birds, the long views. Like everything, it needs to be maintained. But the Board of the HOA, under the guise of letting nature take its course, take a different view.

The Board decision is that the ponds and surrounding vegetation should be managed going forward according to the natural rains and seasons. 4 July 2024

So what does it mean? No effort to get water into them.  Abandoned ponds, framed as letting nature take care of itself.  The premise that ponds can be taken care of by nature is absurd. The big May rains putting lot of water into them, notwithstanding. See graph below. 

The ponds were planned and made by man. Nature had nothing to do with them so nature is not equipped to take care of them. Using the HOA’s logic, you could throw your old refrigerator in the lagoon, telling your astonished neighbour and HOA that you are letting nature take care of it! 

Or look at it this way. Would it make sense if the HOA said that the golf greens, like the ponds "should be managed going forward according to the natural rains and seasons", and never watered them? 

But it gets worse. A few years ago, a rushed vanity project of the board just before an AGM cost R1.5 million to gussy up the top 3 ponds made them completely reliant on Municipal water (ignoring a history of restrictions). The pond levels and surrounds were changed. So today there is no, or little runoff, from the surrounding area into the ponds as originally designed. If we had done nothing, we'd saved R1.5 million, and the ponds would arguably be in better shape.

All the while the HOA downplays the amount of rain we receive. We're in “a climate with unpredictable rainfall” (Where is rainfall predictable? you may ask) with “continued low rainfall” followed up with “The current rainfall is now between the 5 and 20 year averages so we need to accept this as a baseline.” (Last 2, not true for 2023) 30 January 24.

In 2023, Leisure Island received 960mm of rain, far exceeding the 10-year average of 667mm, as well as the 20-year average of 759mm.  2023 Rainfall - Knysna-Plett Herald

"Continued low rainfall" says the HOA, not so says Steenbok Park!

Then, without providing their analysis, they say “it has been determined that there is insufficient rain to fill and keep the ponds full from harvesting roof top water.”  20 March 2024.

Does this justify not harvesting any rainwater for the ponds? 

And 4 July 2024: “It has been it has been determined that neither the use of the borehole nor an RO plant will be either environmentally friendly or financially viable to fill the ponds. 

The borehole (ruled out years ago*) and the RO plant (never a serious consideration) are put in there to make doing nothing sound better.      *Another waste of our money, about R200,000. The board at that time decided not to consult with the South Coast expert who said, straight off, they would not find good water! Read more

Yes, harvested rainfall may not be enough to fill the ponds, but it well could be enough to keep some water, and the water birds, in them. 

The best runoff is coming from the drains that were put in from the road taking the water into the southern pond. Who thought of that? I did in 2019. Does it fill the pond? No. it does not. But it helps. 

I fail to understand the reasoning that the least expensive option – rainwater harvesting - to get some water into the ponds is discarded as it won’t completely solve the problem!   

In an email (30 Nov 2023) to the HOA urging water harvesting, I estimated that the Club House has about 600 sq m of roof. In 2023 with 960mm of rain and the accepted 1 sq m of roof receiving 1mm of rain delivers 1 litre of water, 576,000 litres of water could have been harvested from here alone. My email

Rainfall graph above from "Friends of Steenbok Park", June 2024. 

➤ Enjoy the Slowness

Knysna is slow. Don’t try to speed it up. You won’t be able and you’ll just get uptight. When the traffic on the N2 is moving at the speed limit, be it 80 or 100 km/h, and there is a long line of cars going at that speed, don’t tailgate the car in front of you to intimidate him/her to pull over. Think: The roads are dangerous primarily because people drive too fast. Or cannot think. 

When you are driving on Thesen Islands and the car in from of you is going at 25 km/h even though the speed limit is 30 km/h, don’t tailgate.  And, this is not something you do not know - there are kids, some very small in the roads, riding out of blind intersections, coming out of everywhere. Slow down for their sake, at least!

You moved to Knysna for the lifestyle, remember. It’s slow. Enjoy it.  

And if Thesen Islands is your home, get involved. Write to the HOA about stuff you like and don't like, make suggestions. Speak up. Often, you can influence decisions that have profound impact on our way of life here. 

This blog is a lot of my opinions, some people agree with them, some people, often HOA trustees, don't. But I say this: In 2014, I sounded the alarm about the plan to cut up and sell off the Parkland and members rallied against it, forcing the trustees to can the idea. In 2018, I took up the fight against the increase in house sizes and while it was ugly, with many blog posts, that too was defeated by clear thinking members. Thesen Islands would look and feel a lot different if both those plans, pushed by HOA trustees, had won.

 

“Don’t bring the big city with you” comes from what a friend in the township was told by a neighbour after he got the luck of an RDP house in what is now called Millionaire’s View in Greenfields. It is a row of houses on the top of the hill, looking over the lagoon. Most of the houses are now much grander than what they started out as. My friend has cows. When he was moving in, his neighbour said to him, “Please, Tata, don’t bring the farm with you!”   

 

1933: Aerial Photograph - Thesen & Co. Ltd., Knysna - Saw Mills & Furniture Factory  

Dated 1933, this is the oldest aerial photograph that I have seen. Taken 11 years after sawmilling activities were concentrated on Thesen Island in 1922.

What is certain is that the Saw Tooth building, now housing shops and offices, is likely the oldest building currently on Thesen Island. 

At the top right, there appears to be a short sea wall. The whole of the island would be virtually encirled by a sea wall which was built over many years. This sea wall defined the perimeter of what would be come Thesen Islands.

In the middle of the island there seems to be some houses, one of them fancy with a big garden. They were the first of a number of houses that were built for employees.    

The narrow gauge railwy line that was in operation from 1907 to 1949 is not easy to see, but is still visible. It started at Diepwalle and ended at the Thesen Jetty.  Read about the railway here 

This photograph belongs to Trevor Johnson and I thank him for sharing it and the other photographs posted on the blog in November, 2025. Trevor was a longtime employee of Thesen & Co, from 1970 until the closure of the operations on Thesen Island on 29 June, 2001. 

During the gradual handover, beginning in 1999, of the island from Thesen & Co to the Thesen Islands Development Company (TIDC) he made an invaluable contribution to the sucessful redevelopment of the island with his encyclopedic knowledge the factory infrastructure. 

When Thesen & Co finally closed down, he was still too valuable to lose. So he was employed TIDC, then the TIHOA for many more years. Early owners in Thesen Islands remember his willingness to help where ever and when ever he could. He still lives in Upper Town Knysna.        

1977: Aerial Photo with Points of Interest 

 

Points of Interest 

A:  The Boat Shed. Now hardly recognisable with the 2 new buildings globbed on at both ends. 

B: The Slipway. This is still visible. 

C: The Oyster Co. The line visible from the jetty towards the Oyster Co is the salt water supply pipe for cooling the turbines, which was recirculated back to the lagoon. The Oyster Co tapped into the pipe for salt water for their oyster tanks. (Source: Trevor Johnson and GT Berry).

D: The Sawtooth building that was repurposed to shops & offices. 

E: The Gantry. Still visible today in the residential area of Thesen Islands.

F: The Dry Mill. The steel frame has been incorporated into the Dry Mill Apartments.

G: Staff houses.

H: The Pole Yard, now where he Parkland is. The creosote dripping off the freshly creosoted poles mildly polluted this area of the Parkland. Creosote treated poles are still used as jetty poles. 

I: Discarded sawdust. 

J: The Power |Sation, now home of The Turbine Hotel.   

K: The first Boiler house/Power Station, later the Electrical Maintenance worksop with storage upstairs. Then the Company Clinic until the Thesen & Co closed on 29 June, 2001. Now houses "Milk & Honey". (Source: Trevor Johnson).

L: The Bird Reserve Pond. Without apparently much effort, it has water in it. Mismanagement by succession of trustees has seen it almost dry up.

M: Known as the "The Compound", workers from the Eastern Cape were housed here.  

More information, corrections and comments on this photograph welcomed.

Thesen Islands Sales Centre, alongside the Boat Shed, March 2000. The Knysna Oyster Company entrance can be seen across the road from the Sales Centre. 

Another view, also taken in March 2000.

All photographs from the collection of Trevor Johnson, longtime employee of Thesen & Co from 1970 until the closure of the factory on 29 June, 2001. 

 

1947: Aerial views of Thesen's Island. Taken at the same time but from slightly different angles.   

The label on the above reads "Thesen Industrials (Pty) Ltd. Knysna 1947

2 slighty different stamps on the back of both pictures read "Aircraft Operating Co. of Africa Aerial Surveying" Both have a handwritten date, one "1947", the other "Apr 1947".  

Points of interest: The Boat Shed is visible, although the rounded roof was changed at a later date. The roof has "Thesen & Co Ltd" painted on it. As does another building where the first shops of Thesen Harbour Town are now.  It is interesting that this was done as with the lack of airplanes, there weren't many who would have seen the signs. 

The Boat Shed slipway is also visible.  

The narrow gauge railway on the jetty is visible. There was a railway line than ran from Diepwalle to the Thesen Jetty from 1907 to 1949.  Read more about this interesting bit of history here on the Knysna Woodworkers website. 

The Saw Tooth building is visible. This still exists, the South end now housing 'Scratch Golf' and other businesses. 

2 smokestacks are visible. There are a number still existing. 

Staff houses are visible on the right. These were still in use until the factory closed. The palm tree on Quill Island was in the garden of one of the houses. The tree had a small aluminium sign on it, with the names of the people who lived there and the date. It was stolen by an idiot a few years after the stands were sold.  

The sea wall that forms the edge of modern Thesen Islands is clearly visible along the edge of what is Crab Claw Island. Before you get to the sea wall there appears to be what is a large sawdust mound North of the entry road.  There is history that  makes this possible: There was a huge sawdust mound in the area of Crab Claw Island (C20 to C40 approx) in 1999. This was removed by mixing it in with the topsoil when the Islands were created.

What would become Costa Sarda is visible, as is what is now Lower & Upper Old Place. It is interesting to see what appear to be a number of scattered buildings, small farms perhaps, up the hill towards the Hornlee turnoff. What is Hornlee now, was a small forest. 

The white area just below the horizon in the right could be a quarry. 

Observations and comments welcome!

Both photographs are from the collection of Trevor Johnson, longtime employee of Thesen & Co from 1970 until the closure of the factory on 29 June, 2001. 

Modern aerial views of Thesen & Co operations on Thesen Island 

More from the collection of Trevor Johnson, a longtime employee of Thesen & Co from 1970 until the closure of the factory on 29 June, 2001. 

The grassy area where Avocet and Bitou Islands are now, used to attract many Water Dikkops. On the left and in the foreground are 2 staff houses.  The long building running East to West, with the skylights, was the Dry Mill which was repurposed as The Dry Mill apartments. 

   

The Thesen Islands Sales Centre can be seen next to the Boat Shed. The famous and much loved Jetty Tapas is missing from the jetty. It burned down one night in about 2000. Stef Mulder, living in the Boat Shed, famously slept though the sound of the exploding gas bottles. 

The old Parks Board building can be seen at the end of the jetty. 

The cylinderical structure in the middle was the incinerator that was used to burn waste sawdust, mostly at night, creating an impressive orange glow seen from a long way away.

Looking towards town. The Knysna Quays appears to be built out. In 1999, it was still not finished. The developer went bankrupt and the bank had to step in and finish the project. Sales consultants at the TIDC Sale Centre (opened December 1998) were asked "Look at Knysna Quays! How do I know you won't got broke, too?"

Leisure Island and the Western Head in the background. The Dry Mill building with the skylights is prominent here. 

  

Thesen & Co at Night and Sawdust burning.  

The factory was very visible at night. This picture was taken from the Causeway, opposite the Yacht Club Road.
 

The Incinerator burned sawdust waste. This seemed to take place at night. I thought that this was done so the townspeople would not see the black smoke.  Depending on the wind, if you lived in town, you'd find back soot on your window ledges on some mornings. If you had a yacht in the lagoon, you'd experience this, too.  The steam boilers used to generate electricity for the factory, including the timber drying kilns also contributed to this, too. Thesen & Co also supplied electricity for the town of Knysna until about 1974. Exact date? 

There were people who said that the respiratory and eye irritation issues they experienced, disappeared when the factory closed down.  I lived in Hill Street, Upper Town during this time. 

Thesen & Co - Boat Building; Cape to Rio Yacht Race Winner

During World War II, on behlf of the British Admiralty, ten motor gunboats (110ft overall) of the Fairmile Class, were built and launched at Knysna, while over 600 life boats and smaller craft were also produced.  -   Industrial South Africa 1956.

Fairmile Motor Launch ML 4002 being launched at Knysna in early 1945 

Caption source: https://www.facebook.com/groups/southafricansinww1ww2korea

Caption: 

The Thesen Family Centenary Sloop "Albatross II" sailing down the Knysna Lagoon en route to Cape Town to take part in the South Atlantic Cape to Rio Race 30 December, 1970.

With the Compliments of Thesen & Co (Pty) Ltd. 

Albatross II  - Winner of the first Cape to Rio Race in 1971

In 1971, two Van der Stadt 222 design, 42-foot sailing yachts were built to compete in the first Cape to Rio transatlantic ocean race. The first was the ‘Albatross II’, which was built in Knysna at the Thesen’s Boatbuilding Yard, the second was the ‘Mercury’, which was built in Bremen, West Germany. These two South African yachting teams sailed neck and neck for much of the race, but it was ‘Albatross ll’ that eventually took the lead and won the race, putting the Thesen Boatbuilding Yard, and Knysna, on the map. Also participating in the race was ‘Voortrekker 1’, the original South African flagship in the event, also built in Knysna by the Thesens. 

Source: 

https://www.southernyachting.co.za/take-to-the-helm-with-southern-yachting-academy/#:~:text=In%201971%2C%20two%20Van%20der,and%20Knysna%2C%20on%20the%20map.

 

 Factory Scenes 

Looking North from the Admin Building. Partly hidden by Coral Trees, the Boat Shed can be seen on the left. The triangular shaped concrete bollards are re-used along the roads on Thesen Islands.

The back side of the above:

Wet saw mill.  Wet (green) logs are easier to cut.

Main entrance into the Thesen & Co operations - 2nd December, 1995. This entrance was where the Gate House now is. 

Hopper filled with sawdust chips for loading into trucks to take to the Chipboard factory in George. In front is a Poles 20 ton mobile crane used to move machinery as well as in construction.

Conveyor belt with weather shield use to move woodchips to the wood fuel store at the Power Station. 

A child getting a ride in a fire truck. Driver Trevor Johnson. Child of P du Rundt, who is also Father Christmas. You can just make out his eyes! 

 Workers and Big Logs 

Anyone know who they are?

Anyone know who they are?

Large yellow wood log being trimmed before being loaded into a veneer lathe. 

A veneer lathe is a specialized wood processing machine that rotates logs and peels them into thin, continuous sheets of wood called veneer. The yellow wood would be on the face, the outer layer of the plywood board. Photograph from about 1980.

Many people lived on Thesen Island when it owned by Thesen & Co.

I started working in the Thesen Islands Sales Centre in December 1998, soon after the Centre was built next to the Boat Shed.

The Thesen & Co operations were, of course, in full swing. We were intruders into their world. Not welcomed, but tolerated. We were not allowed through the main gate and would not be for 6 to 9 months. Barloworld was selling the island to the Thesen Islands Development Company. Virtually all factories and other buildlings would be demolished. Everyone there would lose their jobs. The people - families - who lived in the staff houses - would lose their homes. Why would we be welcomed?  

So we worked side by side in an uneasy relationship. Eventually we got access to the Island. Pegs were fixed marking the outline of what would be come Ferry,  Hammock and the east edge of  Plantation Islands. I would drive down the planned waterway between Jubilee & Plantation Islands with prospective buyers, the metre high grass parting like water at the front of the car, and passing the sides. "This is how it will be in your boat!", I'd say. A very low boat sitting low in the water.    

A small platform was built on the far east of Hammock which demonstrated what the ground level of the Islands would be after they were raised, using the sand dug out for the waterways. It was all make believe and the early buyers were those who could use their imagination. The downpayment was a hefty 20% and we had to get a significant number of sales before Investec would commit financing.  The pressure was on.

Meanwhile the the locals opposed to the redevelopment were denigrating it to anyone who would listen, including prospective buyers. After years of complaining about the pollution from factory, they didn't want it to go. But the time of having a factory on a prime piece of land in the middle of Knysna Lagoon had passed. Barloworld was cashing in. Other people wanted the island to be turned into a park, overlooking who would pay for the years of pollution that needed to be cleaned up. The island was owned by a public company with obligations to shareholders and the sale paid for the clean up. Others were just bitter that someone, other than them, would benefit. "It will never happen" they'd cry.  There was the American lawyer with a leather bag full of papers under his arm, who said the buildings would sink into the sand. Building on Thesen Islands, he said was "akin to building on marbles!"   

But people would be losing jobs, about 600. Other jobs would replace them in the construction of Thesen Islands; one example, the stonepacked gabions of the waterways were built by hand. 

Then the constuction of the houses fuelled a boom. If you were in Knysna in the early 2000's you know what I mean. You couldn't get a seat at Harry B's in Main Road on a Friday or Saturday nights. Nor at Oldes when a rugby game was on. Construction bro's everywhere. It was good times for many.

I managed to get a tour of the factory in the last days. I had my camera with me and shot a roll of photos which I now can't find anywhere. Thank you for Trevor Johnson for sharing his collection.  What is sad is that no one thought of making a good photographic record of the Thesen & Co factories and their workers. 

So we are lucky that we have photos of some of the houses that some of the workers and their families lived in. According to Trevor Johnson, there were about 20 in total. Houses were knocked down and added as the factory expanded. The workers who lived on the island were power station and engineering staff who worked shifts around the clock.    

 

Go to this post see see the location of the Compound where workers from the Eastern Cape were housed.     

The palm tree can be seen on Quill Island. There was a small aluminium plaque on the tree which had the names of the family who planted it/lived there and the dates. Sadly, it was stolen by one of our idiots.

There is a date - Dec 83 - on the back of this photo.

In the background is the rubble of 3 demolished brick houses that ran east to west at what is now the south side of Plantation Island. House were usually timber, like the one in this picture.  

2 views of the same house.

Source: Trevor Johnson