Arniston, South Africa
Arniston | ||
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PO box | 7280 | |
Arniston is a small seaside settlement on the coast of the Overberg region of South Africa, close to Cape Agulhas, the southernmost tip of Africa. Prior to the wreck of Arniston, it is also known as Waenhuiskrans, an Afrikaans name meaning literally "Wagon house cliff", after a local sea cave large enough to accommodate a wagon and a span of oxen.
Wreck of Arniston
In May 1815, a
The survivors spent several days on the beach before being discovered by a farmer's son.[3] A memorial, a replica of which can be seen today, was erected on the beach by the wife of Colonel Andrew Geils (here spelled "Giels"), whose four unaccompanied children were lost in the tragedy. The memorial bears the following inscription:
Erected by their disconsolate parents to the memory of Thomas, aged 13 years, William Noble, aged 10, Andrew, aged 8 and Alexander McGregor Murray, aged 7 (the four eldest sons of Lieut Colonel Andrew Giels of H.M. 73rd Regiment) who, with Lord and Lady Molesworth unfortunately perished in the Arniston Transport, wrecked on this shore on 3rd May, 1815.
Over the years, the name of the wreck has become synonymous with the name of the location and today the labels 'Arniston' and 'Waenhuiskrans' are used interchangeably.
Today
At first only a fishing community, Arniston has become a holiday destination and its hinterland a region for
References
- ^ a b c d "Main Place Arniston". Census 2011.
- ^ Basil Hall (1862). The Lieutenant and Commander. Bell and Daldy.
- ^ Raikes, Henry (1846). Memoir of the Life and Services of Vice-admiral Sir Jahleel Brenton. Hatchet & Son. p. 527.
Remembering Arniston: A Bicentenary Picture Book in Commemoration of the Wreck of the HMS Arniston, South Africa, 30 May 1815 Paperback
External links
- Local Tourism Authority
- Arniston Lodge Home Page
- Arniston (ship)
- Arniston Waenhuiskrans Listing
- Arniston / Waenhuiskrans
- History of Arniston
- Hotagterklip and Kassiesbaai - Conservation and community challenges of two fishing villages in the Overberg - Ashley Lillie, 1995
Municipalities and communities of Overberg District Municipality, Western Cape | ||
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District seat: Bredasdorp | ||
| Cape Agulhas | .svg) | |
| Overstrand | ||
| Swellendam | ||
| Theewaterskloof | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
