HISTORY OF KNYSNA

The town of Knysna was named by the Koi San People and possibly means "place of wood". The area was colonised by George Rex, a bastard son of George III who had been banished from England in 1797.

Knysna was first used by pirates praying on unsuspecting trading vessels. These plunderers found that once they had navigated the treacherous currents surrounding The Heads, beyond lay a calm harbour with plenty of fresh water and game as well as indigenous wood to repair their vessels.

Access by land to Knysna in those days was equally hazardous as well as arduous. Visitors travelled by ox wagon & horses across, thick forests & swollen rivers for months to reach this paradise. There is still evidence of these tracks which can be explored today.