The Fort of Good Hope ( Dutch: ''Ford de Goede Hoop'') was the first military building to be erected in what is now

Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...

. It was built in 1652, and was in use until 1674 when it was superseded by the Castle of Good Hope.

History

The Fort was built by the

Dutch East India Company The United East India Company ( ; VOC ), commonly known as the Dutch East India Company, was a chartered company, chartered trading company and one of the first joint-stock companies in the world. Established on 20 March 1602 by the States Ge ...

, when it established a replenishment station under Jan van Riebeeck on the shore of Table Bay in 1652. Constructed of earth and timber, it was square, with a pointed bastion at each corner. The bastions were named ''Drommedaris'', ''Walvisch'', ''Oliphant'', and ''Reijger''.Ras, A.C. (1959). ''Die Kasteel en Ander Vroëe Kaapse Vestingwerke''. The bastions were named after the ships in Van Riebeeck's fleet. Within the Fort were living quarters, kitchens, a council chamber (which was also used for church services), a sick bay, workshops, and storerooms. Cannons were placed on the ramparts. A nearby stream was diverted and channeled to form a moat around the fort. Being built of earth, the Fort needed frequent maintenance and repairs, especially after heavy rains. In January 1666, work began on a stone

fortress A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from L ...

to replace the Fort. It took eight years to build, and it was not until 1674 that it was ready for occupation. On 2 May 1674, the council resolved to demolish the Fort, except for some stores which were retained for a while longer, until their contents had been moved into the Castle. The Fort is sometimes confused with the Redoubt Duijnhoop, which was built some distance away, at the mouth of the Salt River, in 1654. In 1732 the first Masonic lodge in South Africa was erected, Lodge De Goede Hoop, which was a branch of the Premier Grand Lodge of England.

Footnotes

References

* Emms, M. 'Fortifications of the Cape of Good Hope' in ''Lantern'' (June 1976). * * {{Cape Town, history Military history of Cape Town Goede Hoop 1652 establishments in the Dutch Empire Former buildings and structures in Cape Town

History

See also

Footnotes

References