The Fort de Goede Hoop ('Fort of Good Hope') was the first military building to be erected in what is now Cape Town. It was built in 1652, and was in use until 1674 when it was superseded by the Castle of Good Hope.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, when it established a replenishment station under

Jan van Riebeeck Johan Anthoniszoon "Jan" van Riebeeck (21 April 1619 – 18 January 1677) was a Dutch navigator and colonial administrator of the Dutch East India Company. Life Early life Jan van Riebeeck was born in Culemborg, as the son of a surgeon. He ...

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 is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

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 it was erected the first Masonic lodge in South Africa, Lodge De Goede Hoop, which was a branch of the

Premier Grand Lodge of England The organisation now known as the Premier Grand Lodge of England was founded on 24 June 1717 as the Grand Lodge of London and Westminster. Originally concerned with the practice of Freemasonry in London and Westminster, it soon became known as ...

Footnotes

References

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

History

See also

Footnotes

References