Simon’s Town is a community and naval base on the eastern coast of the Cape Peninsula in southwestern South Africa. It lies on Simon’s Bay, which is part of False Bay. The community is part of the city of Cape Town, one of South Africa’s largest cities.
Simon’s Town has 21 buildings that are more than 150 years old. Most of them are in the “historic mile” in St. George’s Street. Admiralty House, the oldest building, dates from 1814. The harbor is a base for fishing boats and private yachts. Tourism is a major industry.
Governor Simon van der Stel, governor and commander of the Cape Colony from 1691 to 1699, named Simon’s Town. In 1814, the harbor became the headquarters of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy as the base of their South Atlantic fleet. In 1957, Simon’s Town was handed over by the United Kingdom to become the operational headquarters of the South African Navy. Simon’s Town became part of Cape Town in the mid-1990’s.
