Willem Munro was the first person who received a licence to catch whales in the bay. He used to render the fat of these whales on the beach below the cottages. At the time whale fat, or blubber was the main ingredient of soap and margarine. It was also used as lamp oil.
The cottages were restored in 1984 when the Dias Museum Complex was developed. They are closed to the public.
Sources:
South African History Online
Mossel Bay Advertiser, 5 April 2020
National Geographic Online Encyclopaedia. This series of articles is done with the cooperation of the Mossel Bay Heritage Society.
Scheffler, H. (1990): Die Victoriaanse era in Mosselbaai: Munrohoek. Thesis, University of Stellenbosch.
