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Hout Bay Mine (Hout Baai Myn) Manganese Mine (South Africa)


While exploitable manganese was known to have existed in the Cape from 1676, it was only in 1909 that the difficulties surrounding mining there had been overcome by a small company and ore was being shipped to Belgium. Another company called Hout Bay Manganese Ltd. Took over the operations in 1910 and mined the deposit from May 1910 to May 1911. The mine is located on the slopes of the mountain just above Chapman’s Peak Drive and a long ore chute extending 700meters from the mine to the beach down below was constructed. The ore would slide down the chute from the mine to a collection point where it would be transferred to cocopans that took it to the jetty where it was loaded onto ships. The pillars of the ore jetty are still visible just off shore at the start of Chapman’s Peak. The amount of ore that was exploited is not certain, but records show that in 1911, roughly 130 tons was produced, fetching a price of £179 (Westby-Nunn, 2005). The extent of the operations is evident when looking at all the ore piles on the side of the mountain. Recent maps show that thirteen shafts are still visible, but most of them are filled in or very shallow. The only one that is still quite extensive and accessible leads about 70 meters horizontally into the mountain.

Photos of Hout Bay Mine Manganese Mine

Historic Photographs Of Hout Bay Mine
Historic Photographs Of Hout Bay Mine (0 photos)
Last updated November 16th 2012 by Jako
Photographs Of Hout Bay Mine
Photographs Of Hout Bay Mine (0 photos)
Last updated November 16th 2012 by Jako

Google Earth Map of Hout Bay Mine Manganese Mine


Other location/mapping information:

Latitude: -34.0527624755266
Longitude: 18.3668698584122

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