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.