^{This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website}

Fish Hoek (South Africa)

Western Cape Province

image by Martin Grieve, 10 Oct 2006 (redrawn from an image by Andries Burgers)

Fish Hoek

See also:

Fish Hoek ( - 1994)

Fish Hoek (In Afrikaans = Vishoek, from the High Dutch meaning Fish Bay) is a coastal town at the mouth of the Silvermine River, on the False Bay side of the Cape Peninsula in the Western Cape province. Previously Fish Hoek was a separate municipality but following the re-organisation of South African local government in 1994 it became part of the South Peninsula Municipality and from December 2000 Fish Hoek now falls under the jurisdiction of the Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality.

The former municipal flag comprised three vertical stripes of gold, black and gold, with the municipal Arms in the centre of the black stripe.

image by Bruce Berry, 10 Oct 2006 (redrawn from an image sent by Andries Burgers)

Following the proclamation of the town in 1940, the Council decided in 1941 that a coat of arms was required. The design of the former municipal arms is said to based on the arms of a Mr A Bruyns, the original owner of the farm in 1818 on which the town was later established, but this cannot be confirmed. The Town Council then approached the UK College of Heralds to register the Arms but this was refused for the obvious reason that it was contrary to the laws of heraldry as it incorporated a silver lion rampant on a gold shield.

Although considerable correspondence apparently ensued on this matter, the Council refused to amend the design and there the matter rested. The Arms were used as decals on the doors of Council vehicles and the flag was flown at the Municipal Offices until the town was absorbed into the South Peninsula Municipality.
Bruce Berry, 10 Oct 2006