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Saldanha Bay (South Africa)

Western Cape Province

image by Bruce Berry, 15 Dec 2006

Saldanha Bay

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Saldanha Bay (2004 - )

Saldahna Bay Municipality is located on the west coast in the Western Cape Province of South Africa and comprises Hopefield, Langebaan, Paternoster, Saldanha, St. Helena Bay and Vredenburg. The new municipality was established following the re-organisation of local government in South Africa on 05 December 2000. The actual Bay is an inlet on the south-western coast of South Africa, north west of Cape Town, forming a land-locked harbour. The northern part of the inlet is known as Hoetjes Bay. It has accommodation for a large fleet with deep water close inshore, but the arid nature of the adjacent countryside caused it to be neglected by the early navigators, and with the growth of Cape Town, Saldanha Bay was rarely visited.

Saldanha Bay is named after Antonio de Saldanha, captain of a vessel in Albuquerque's fleet which visited South Africa in 1503. The name was first given to Table Bay, where Saldanha's ship cast anchour. On Table Bay being given its present name in 1601, the older appellation was transferred to the bay now called after Saldanha.

The new municipal flag is an heraldic banner which was adopted in July 2004 and registered with the South African Bureau of Heraldry. It is described as being:

"A rectangular flag in proportion 2:3, comprising two horizontal bands of blue and white, the blue band comprising one fifth of the width of the flag charged with three Karoo gables issuant, the white band charged with a green demipomme issuant from base; the upper edge nowy inverted at centre point a light brown West Coast fishing boat in frontal view, and in base issuant upwards from the flanks of a yellow Khoisan pot two yellow Namaqualand daisies, seeded red".

scan by Bruce Berry, 15 Dec 2006

New municipal Arms were registered with the Bureau of Heraldry in August 2002 with the following blazon:

Arms: Per fess embowed nowy inverted Argent and vert, at fess point a West Coast fishing boat in frontal view proper, and in base upwards issuant from the flanks of a Khoisan clay pot proper, two Namaqualand daisies Or, seeded Gules; on a chief Azure, three Karoo gables issuant Argent.
Crest: Issuant from a mural crown Or, masoned Sable, an eagle with wings displayed Sable.
Wreath and Mantling: Azure and Argent
Motto: UBI CONCORDIA UBI VICTORIA
Bruce Berry, 15 Dec 2006