The Woodhead dam on Table Mountain, Cape Town, South Africa

The Woodhead dam was constructed between 1893 and 1897 on the ‘Back Table’ of the well-known landmark Table Mountain overlooking the city of Cape Town. At that time it was the main source of water supply to the city and was the largest dam of any consequence in southern Africa. It is still operational and, in 2008, was awarded international civil engineering landmark status by the American Society of Civil Engineers. This paper describes: the background to the water supply problems to Cape Town that led to construction of the dam; some details of the careers of John Gamble, the engineer who located the dam, and Scottish engineer Thomas Stewart, who became the first consulting engineer in South Africa; Stewart's design and construction of the dam, located on a mountain top with very difficult access; and brief details of subsequent measures taken to provide water to Cape Town.