Cape Province History
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Travel Tips for History of Cape Province
Simon's Town, Cape Province, South Africa
Things about Simon’s Town
By Michael Jackson The town officially called Simon’s Town, but often referred to as Simonstown, was originally named Simon’s Vlek after Simon van der Stel, the Dutch governor of the Cape Colony between 1677 and 1699, who surveyed the bay east of Cape Town in 1687 and earmarked it as a safe winter harbour during the months of May to September for which it was finally proclaimed in 1741.
Progress may have come slowly to Simon’s Town, but it has certainly left its mark. The town grew rapidly when it became a Royal Naval Base and the home of the South Atlantic Squadron under the second British occupation of the Cape in 1806, thanks largely to the construction of a huge man-made sandstone breakwater. One of the tasks of this squadron was the care of a certain Napoleon Bonaparte during his exile at St. Helena Island some 1200 miles away in the South Atlantic Ocean. Admiral Lord Nelson himself is also said to have come ashore from his ship to be nursed through an illness in the late 1770s, on the first of his two visits, long before the British occupation. Over 300 ships were repaired at Simon’s Town during the Second World War, and the completion of the modern Simon's Town harbour and the Selborne dry-dock took place by 1910. When in 1957 the Naval Base was finally handed over to the South African Government, at least 125 Allied ships had been sunk by the Germans, Japanese and Italians, in relatively close proximity to Simon’s Town. Situated on the eastern side of the Cape Peninsula on the shores of False Bay, Simon’s Town remains an important naval base to this day, and the town which rises steeply above the harbour up the mountainsides is rich in both architectural and natural beauty, as well as Cape history and strange legends and tales. A famous resident of the town was Able Seaman Just Nuisance, RN, the only dog ever to be enlisted in the Royal Navy, to whom a statue has been erected in Jubilee Square. The sailors' had a favourite Great Dane who was a resident in the town, and request was sent to the British parliament asking for him to be enlisted in the Navy. Permission was granted and the dog was brought to the Recruiting Officer, who inquired: “Name?” “Nuisance, Sir”, the sailor replied. “First name?” “Just Nuisance, Sir,” the sailor stated, giving birth to a great legend. Peopled with many descendants of the world’s sailing and exploring nations, as well as many slave families from the 17th century, and many of South Africa’s indigenous people’s who were drawn to the area from across Southern Africa, Simon’s Town has a rich and multicultural heritage, although it does somewhat resemble an old and quaint Victorian seaside town today. Admiralty House on St. George’s, originally a private dwelling, dates from 1814 as does the Wesleyan Chapel which was built in 1828 and represents the oldest of its type of church in South Africa. Both are said to be haunted by several different ghosts! An interesting 17th century Muslim Kramat (or grave) was discovered among the trees on a terrace above Runciman's Drive in the 1800s. Whoever is interred in the Kramat may be unknown, but its location appears to have a strange spiritual aura. Muslims still hold the site as 'Moestajap', a word used to express inexplicable spiritual happenings. Another interesting building is the Dutch East India Company Hospital with three front-facing gables. Constructed on the mountainside above the Residency in 1764, it was here that author and playwright Edgar Wallace served as a medical orderly in the late 1890s. Robert Brown, generally regarded as one of finest figures in the history of British botany, called at Simon’s Town during 1801, where, for the first time, he saw members of South Africa’s national flower, the Proteaceae, growing in their natural habitats. On returning to London in 1805, Brown began assembling a major monograph on the species, which formed the basis of his work: 'On the Proteaceae of Jussieu'. This great work embodies not only a revised classification of the whole family Proteaceae but also a monograph of the genus Protea itself, in which thirty-nine species were recognized. The town has several museums which are worth visiting. Simon's Town Museum highlights events in the development of Simon's Town through the centuries. The South African Naval Museum in the Mast House (1815) alongside the Simon's Town Museum, displays models of ships and related maritime events. The Heritage Museum in Amlay House on King George Street, also worth a visit, features many aspects of the Muslim community, and the nearby Mosque is absolutely beautiful. Boulders Beach, a few kilometres to the south of Simon's Town is reputed to be amongst the very best beaches in the Cape, and is internationally renowned for being home to one of only three South African colonies of the African (Jackass) Penguins. The False Bay Yacht Club is conveniently situated adjacent to the Simon's Town Waterfront Centre in the town. Boat charters and sea kayaking are some of the many activities offered from the centre, and professionally managed and run deepsea fishing and whalewatching charters are available. The area deservedly draws many tourists, and if you are travelling to Cape Town it should be a ‘must-see’ on your itinerary. Good restaurants, pubs and places to stay abound. Tourism enquiries may be directed to the Simon’s Town Tourism Office on St. George’s Street, telephone (+27 21) 786 5798 or on via email: simonstown@tourismcapetown.co.za
By Michael Jackson The town officially called Simon’s Town, but often referred to as Simonstown, was originally named Simon’s Vlek after Simon van der Stel, the Dutch governor of the Cape Colony between 1677 and 1699, who surveyed the bay east of Cape Town in 1687 and earmarked it as a safe winter harbour during the months of May to September for which it was finally proclaimed in 1741.
Progress may have come slowly to Simon’s Town, but it has certainly left its mark. The town grew rapidly when it became a Royal Naval Base and the home of the South Atlantic Squadron under the second British occupation of the Cape in 1806, thanks largely to the construction of a huge man-made sandstone breakwater. One of the tasks of this squadron was the care of a certain Napoleon Bonaparte during his exile at St. Helena Island some 1200 miles away in the South Atlantic Ocean. Admiral Lord Nelson himself is also said to have come ashore from his ship to be nursed through an illness in the late 1770s, on the first of his two visits, long before the British occupation. Over 300 ships were repaired at Simon’s Town during the Second World War, and the completion of the modern Simon's Town harbour and the Selborne dry-dock took place by 1910. When in 1957 the Naval Base was finally handed over to the South African Government, at least 125 Allied ships had been sunk by the Germans, Japanese and Italians, in relatively close proximity to Simon’s Town. Situated on the eastern side of the Cape Peninsula on the shores of False Bay, Simon’s Town remains an important naval base to this day, and the town which rises steeply above the harbour up the mountainsides is rich in both architectural and natural beauty, as well as Cape history and strange legends and tales. A famous resident of the town was Able Seaman Just Nuisance, RN, the only dog ever to be enlisted in the Royal Navy, to whom a statue has been erected in Jubilee Square. The sailors' had a favourite Great Dane who was a resident in the town, and request was sent to the British parliament asking for him to be enlisted in the Navy. Permission was granted and the dog was brought to the Recruiting Officer, who inquired: “Name?” “Nuisance, Sir”, the sailor replied. “First name?” “Just Nuisance, Sir,” the sailor stated, giving birth to a great legend. Peopled with many descendants of the world’s sailing and exploring nations, as well as many slave families from the 17th century, and many of South Africa’s indigenous people’s who were drawn to the area from across Southern Africa, Simon’s Town has a rich and multicultural heritage, although it does somewhat resemble an old and quaint Victorian seaside town today. Admiralty House on St. George’s, originally a private dwelling, dates from 1814 as does the Wesleyan Chapel which was built in 1828 and represents the oldest of its type of church in South Africa. Both are said to be haunted by several different ghosts! An interesting 17th century Muslim Kramat (or grave) was discovered among the trees on a terrace above Runciman's Drive in the 1800s. Whoever is interred in the Kramat may be unknown, but its location appears to have a strange spiritual aura. Muslims still hold the site as 'Moestajap', a word used to express inexplicable spiritual happenings. Another interesting building is the Dutch East India Company Hospital with three front-facing gables. Constructed on the mountainside above the Residency in 1764, it was here that author and playwright Edgar Wallace served as a medical orderly in the late 1890s. Robert Brown, generally regarded as one of finest figures in the history of British botany, called at Simon’s Town during 1801, where, for the first time, he saw members of South Africa’s national flower, the Proteaceae, growing in their natural habitats. On returning to London in 1805, Brown began assembling a major monograph on the species, which formed the basis of his work: 'On the Proteaceae of Jussieu'. This great work embodies not only a revised classification of the whole family Proteaceae but also a monograph of the genus Protea itself, in which thirty-nine species were recognized. The town has several museums which are worth visiting. Simon's Town Museum highlights events in the development of Simon's Town through the centuries. The South African Naval Museum in the Mast House (1815) alongside the Simon's Town Museum, displays models of ships and related maritime events. The Heritage Museum in Amlay House on King George Street, also worth a visit, features many aspects of the Muslim community, and the nearby Mosque is absolutely beautiful. Boulders Beach, a few kilometres to the south of Simon's Town is reputed to be amongst the very best beaches in the Cape, and is internationally renowned for being home to one of only three South African colonies of the African (Jackass) Penguins. The False Bay Yacht Club is conveniently situated adjacent to the Simon's Town Waterfront Centre in the town. Boat charters and sea kayaking are some of the many activities offered from the centre, and professionally managed and run deepsea fishing and whalewatching charters are available. The area deservedly draws many tourists, and if you are travelling to Cape Town it should be a ‘must-see’ on your itinerary. Good restaurants, pubs and places to stay abound. Tourism enquiries may be directed to the Simon’s Town Tourism Office on St. George’s Street, telephone (+27 21) 786 5798 or on via email: simonstown@tourismcapetown.co.za
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Umtata, Cape Province, South Africa
Umtata is bacically not a very attactive city, but it does have one not-to-miss sight for those interested in recent South African history. As the birthplace of Nelson Mandela (actually close by Umtata, not in the city itself) the city has a lovely museum on his life, which basically follows the steps of his autobiocraphy The Long Road to Freedom . The museum has lots of audio and video to give you a better understanding of what apartheid must have been like. And you will definately leave uplifted after seeing the video of his inauguration.
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Cape Town, Cape Province, South Africa
Ok, now taking a hike down cape point, the southest point of south africa is a journey to remember. Just watch out for those Baboons, do not carry food on you, and if you acidently do and a baboon attacks you, don´t fight it for the food, just give it to them... that was a mistake I wont be doing again :p. Ok cape mountain is a good clime as well, thea beach is lovely. You can rent some nice horses there and go for a ride, and then of course you have to take a boat ride to Robben Island and learn all about Mandela's imprisoment and his struggle for freedom and road to changing history and that...
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Cape Town, Cape Province, South Africa
For Nightlife Long Street in the City Centre is the place to go (there is also a lot of accomodation on Long Street)
For Nature visit Cape Point and Table Mountain (climbing it yourself is so much more rewarding than taking the cable car and it only takes the average person 2 hours or so), also Penguins at Boulder's Beach,and Kirstenbosch Gardens for all the natural incredibly diverse flora.
The winelands are great and scenic and Cape Town produces fantstic wines. Go taste some...
History: Robben Island is rather disappointing...very run down.
For Nature visit Cape Point and Table Mountain (climbing it yourself is so much more rewarding than taking the cable car and it only takes the average person 2 hours or so), also Penguins at Boulder's Beach,and Kirstenbosch Gardens for all the natural incredibly diverse flora.
The winelands are great and scenic and Cape Town produces fantstic wines. Go taste some...
History: Robben Island is rather disappointing...very run down.
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Simon's Town, Cape Province, South Africa
Take a boat trip to the real seal island where the shark's jump out the water, visit the penguin colony at Boulders Beach or explore the history of this charming seaside navy town. Salty Seadog's does good fish and chips.
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