History
Bazley Beach has a rich history that dates back to the early 19th century. The area was originally inhabited by the indigenous Zulu people, who were later joined by European settlers.
Bazley Beach...
The first European settlers arrived in the Bazley area in the 1820s, when the British government began encouraging immigration to the Cape Colony. These settlers established farms and homesteads in the surrounding areas, and the town of Bazley Beach gradually developed as a fishing and farming community.
Bazley was named after John Bazley, an engineer and Byrne Settler whose son William successfully opened the Mzimkulu River mouth for shipping in the 1880s, at the place now known as Port Shepstone. John Bazley first arrived in the area in 1859 and set up camp on the banks of the Ifafa River. After a fairly good start, his farming activities grew and he was granted 250 ha of land for sugar farming. He worked hard and prospered. Within two years, he had established a sugar mill.
During the 19th and early 20th centuries, Bazley Beach remained a relatively isolated and rural community. However, the town began to develop as a popular holiday destination in the mid-20th century, when the construction of the N2 highway made it more accessible to visitors.
Today, Bazley Beach is primarily known as a holiday town, with a thriving tourism industry. However, it remains an important agricultural center, with many farms in the surrounding areas producing sugarcane, bananas, and other crops.
Despite its growth and development over the years, Bazley Beach has retained much of its natural beauty and small-town charm. Visitors to the town can still enjoy its long sandy beaches, lush vegetation, and peaceful atmosphere, making it a popular destination for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of city life.
Nil Desperandum: The Bazley Story
Nil Desperandum is the biographical story of the Bazely family, starting with John Bazley who came to Natal in 1850 as a Byrne settler. He was the first man to pitch his tent at Richmond and established the sugar cane estate, Nil Desperandum in the Ifafa area, wild and untamed in these early years. John’s son William opened the Umzimkulu River at Port Shepstone to shipping, after years of blasting and toil the channel was eventually deep enough for small steamers to enter the river.
For a deeper exploration of Bazley’s rich history, you can acquire the book “Nil Desperandum: The Bazley Story” written by Denzil Bazley.
To learn more and obtain a copy, please reach out to him via email at bazley@mweb.co.za
Click here for more interesting snippets of information on Bazley and the surrounding areas history.
