Robben Island
Robben Island
Robbeneiland | ||
---|---|---|
PO box | 7400 | |
Type | Cultural | |
Criteria | III, VI | |
Designated | 1999 (23rd session) | |
Reference no. | 916 | |
Region | Africa |
Robben Island (
Robben Island is roughly oval in shape, 3.3 kilometres (2 miles) long north–south, and 1.9 km (1+1⁄8 mi) wide, with an area of 5.08 km2 (1+31⁄32 sq mi).[2] It is flat and only a few metres above sea level, as a result of an ancient erosion event. It was fortified and used as a prison from the late-seventeenth century until 1996, after the end of apartheid.
Political activist and lawyer Nelson Mandela was imprisoned on the island for 18 of the 27 years of his imprisonment before the fall of apartheid and introduction of full, multi-racial democracy. He was later awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and was elected in 1994 as President of South Africa, becoming the country's first black president and serving one term from 1994 to 1999. In addition, the majority of prisoners were detained here for political reasons. Two other former inmates of Robben Island, in addition to Mandela, have been elected to the presidency since the late-1990s: Kgalema Motlanthe (2008–2009)[3] and Jacob Zuma (2009–2018).
Robben Island is a
History
Located at the entrance to
In 1654, the settlers of the Dutch Cape Colony placed all of their ewes and a few rams on Robben Island, and the men built a large shed and a shelter. The isolation offered better protection against wild animals than on the mainland. The settlers also collected seal skins and boiled oil to supply the needs of the settlement.[6]
Since the end of the 17th century, Robben Island has been used for the incarceration of chiefly
After the British
In 1806, the Scottish whaler John Murray opened a whaling station at a sheltered bay on the north-eastern shore of the island, which became known as Murray's Bay. It was adjacent to the site of the present-day harbour named Murray's Bay Harbour, which was constructed in 1939–40.[8][9]
After a failed uprising at
The island was also used as a
During the
From 1961, Robben Island was used by the South African government as a prison for political prisoners and convicted criminals. In 1969, the Moturu Kramat, now a sacred site for
In 1982, former inmate Indres Naidoo's book "Island in Chains" became the first published account of prison life on the island.[15]
The maximum security prison for political prisoners closed in 1991. The medium security prison for criminal prisoners was closed five years later.[16]
With the
Access to the island
Robben Island is accessible to visitors through tours that depart from Cape Town's waterfront.[18] Tours depart three times a day and take about 3.5 hours, consisting of a ferry trip to and from the island, and a tour of the various historical sites on the island that form part of the Robben Island Museum. These include the island graveyard, the disused lime quarry, Robert Sobukwe's house, the Bluestone quarry, the army and navy bunkers, and the maximum security prison. Nelson Mandela's cell is shown.[19]
Maritime hazard
Seagoing vessels must take great care navigating near Robben Island and nearby Whale Rock (it does not break the surface) as these pose a danger to shipping.[20] A prevailing rough Atlantic swell surrounds the offshore reefs and the island's jagged coastline. Stricken vessels driven onto rocks are quickly broken up by the powerful surf. A total of 31 vessels are known to have been wrecked around the island.[21]
In 1990, a marine archaeology team from the University of Cape Town began Operation "Sea Eagle". It was an underwater survey that scanned 31 square kilometres (9 square nautical miles) of seabed around Robben Island. The task was made particularly difficult by the strong currents and high waves of these waters. The group found 24 vessels that had sunk around Robben Island. Most wrecks were found in waters less than ten metres (33 ft) deep. The team concluded that poor weather, darkness and fog were the cause of the sinkings.[21]
Maritime wrecks around Robben Island and its surrounding waters include the 17th-century Dutch East Indiaman ships, the Yeanger van Horne (1611), the Shaapejacht (1660), and the Dageraad (1694). Later 19th-century wrecks include several British brigs, including the Gondolier (1836), and the United States clipper, A.H. Stevens (1866). In 1901 the mail steamer SS Tantallon Castle struck rocks off Robben Island in dense fog shortly after leaving Cape Town. After distress cannons were fired from the island, nearby vessels rushed to the rescue. All 120 passengers and crew were taken off the ship before it was broken apart in the relentless swell. A further 17 ships have been wrecked in the 20th century, including British, Spanish, Norwegian and Taiwanese vessels.
Robben Island lighthouse
Due to the maritime danger of Robben Island and its near waters, Jan van Riebeeck, the first Dutch colonial administrator in Cape Town in the 1650s, ordered that huge bonfires were to be lit at night on top of Fire Hill, the highest point on the island (now Minto Hill). These were to warn VOC ships that they were approaching the island.
In 1865, Robben Island lighthouse was completed on Minto Hill.[22] The cylindrical masonry tower, which has an attached lightkeeper's house at its base, is 18 metres (59 ft) high with a lantern gallery at the top. In 1938, the lamp was converted to electricity. The lighthouse uses a flashing lantern instead of a revolving lamp; it shines for a duration of 5 seconds every seven seconds. The 46,000-candela beam, visible up to 44 kilometres (24 nmi) away, flashes white light away from Table Bay.[23] A secondary red light acts as a navigation aid for vessels sailing south-southeast.
Wildlife and conservation
When the Dutch arrived in the area in 1652, the only large animals on the island were seals and birds, principally penguins. In 1654, the settlers released rabbits on the island to provide a ready source of meat for passing ships.[24]
The original colony of African penguins on the island was completely exterminated by 1800. But, since 1983, a new colony has been established there, and the modern island is again an important breeding area for the species.[25] The colony grew to a size of ~16,000 individuals in 2004, before starting to decline in size again. As of 2015[update], this decline has been continuous (to a colony size of ~3,000 individuals). Such a decline has been found at almost all other African penguin colonies. Its causes are still largely unclear and likely to vary between colonies, but at Robben Island are probably related to a diminishing of the food supply (sardines and anchovies) through competition by fisheries.[26] Easy to see in their natural habitat, the penguins have been a popular tourist attraction.
Around 1958, Lieutenant Peter Klerck, a South African Navy officer serving on the island, introduced various animals. The following extract of an article, written by his son Michael Klerck, who lived on the island from an early age, describes the local fauna:[27]
In the early 21st century, the
Climate change
In 2022, the
Gallery
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Maximum Security Prison, Robben Island
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US President Barack Obamaand his family in 2013.
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Rock pile started by Nelson Mandela and added to—one rock at a time—by former prisoners returning to the island.
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MuslimMoturu Kramat shrine on Robben Island.
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World War II guard pillbox.
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African sacred ibis on Robben Island, 2015.
See also
- 1620 Robben Island earthquake
- List of World Heritage Sites in South Africa
- List of heritage sites near Cape Town
References
- ^ a b c d "Main Place Robben Island". Census 2011.
- ^ "Avian Demography Unit: Robben Island". Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town.
- ^ "New S. Africa president sworn in". BBC News. 25 September 2008. Retrieved 22 November 2008.
- ^ "9/2/018/0004 - Robben Island, Table Bay". South African Heritage Resources Agency. Archived from the original on 22 April 2013. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
- ^ "Robben Island". UNESCO. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
- ^ History of South Africa, 1486 - 1691, G.M Theal, London 1888.
- ^ The New Annual Register, Or General Repository of History ..., (October 1781), Vol. 2, p.90.
- ISBN 9780253205247.
- ISBN 9780864862990.
- ^ Frederick Marryat. The Mission; or Scenes in Africa. London: Nick Hodson. Retrieved 10 October 2008.
- ^ "Christianity in Africa South of the Sahara: 19th Century Xhosa Christianity". Bethel University. Archived from the original on 14 May 2008. Retrieved 10 October 2008.
- ^ Edwin Diale (1979). "Makana". African National Congress. Archived from the original on 2 June 2008. Retrieved 10 October 2008.
- ^ Winston Churchill (1900). London to Ladysmith via Pretoria. London: Longmans, Green, and Co. Retrieved 10 October 2008.
- ^ a b Newman, George (1895). Prize essays on leprosy. London: The Society. p. 194.
- ^ "Black's book about South Africa's political prison published (1982)". Times-Advocate. 22 March 1982. p. 3. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
- ^ Chronology Archived 15 February 2010 at the Wayback Machine, Robben Island Museum website, retrieved 8 June 2013
- ^ "Official planning suburbs". Retrieved 17 March 2019.
- ^ "Robben Island Tours". Robben Island Tours.
- ^ "Robben Island tours". Robben Island Museum.
- ^ James Horsburgh (1852). The India Directory, Or Directions for Sailing to and from the East Indies, China, Australia and the Interjacent Ports. W. H. Allen & Co. p. 71.
- ^ ISBN 9781868720620.
- ^ William Henry Rosser, James Frederick Imray (1867). The Seaman's Guide to the Navigation of the Indian Ocean and China Sea. J. Imray & Son. p. 280. Retrieved 4 October 2008.
- ^ "Robben Island Lighthouse". Retrieved 29 October 2014.
- ^ George McCall Theal (1897). History of South Africa Under the Administration of the Dutch East India Company (1652 to 1795). Swan Sonnenschein. p. 442. Retrieved 10 October 2008.
- ^ Les Underhill. "Robben Island". Avian Demography Unit, University of Cape Town. Archived from the original on 5 March 2012. Retrieved 12 October 2008.
- .
- ^ Michael Klerck. "Robben Island: Childhood Memories—a personal reflection". robbenisland.org. Retrieved 23 November 2008.
- ^ BBC News. Robben Island is 'under threat'. 31 October 2009.
- ^ Trisos, C.H., I.O. Adelekan, E. Totin, A. Ayanlade, J. Efitre, A. Gemeda, K. Kalaba, C. Lennard, C. Masao, Y. Mgaya, G. Ngaruiya, D. Olago, N.P. Simpson, and S. Zakieldeen 2022: Chapter 9: Africa. In Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability [H.-O. Pörtner, D.C. Roberts, M. Tignor, E.S. Poloczanska, K. Mintenbeck, A. Alegría, M. Craig, S. Langsdorf, S. Löschke, V. Möller, A. Okem, B. Rama (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, US, pp. 2043–2121
- PMID 31996825.
- PMID 33082220.
- ^ Technical Summary. In: Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (PDF). IPCC. August 2021. p. TS14. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ IPCC, 2021: Summary for Policymakers. In: Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Masson-Delmotte, V., P. Zhai, A. Pirani, S.L. Connors, C. Péan, S. Berger, N. Caud, Y. Chen, L. Goldfarb, M.I. Gomis, M. Huang, K. Leitzell, E. Lonnoy, J.B.R. Matthews, T.K. Maycock, T. Waterfield, O. Yelekçi, R. Yu, and B. Zhou (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, US, pp. 3−32, doi:10.1017/9781009157896.001.
Further reading
- Weideman, Marinda (June 2004). "ROBBEN ISLAND'S ROLE IN COASTAL DEFENCE, 1931–1960". Military History Journal: The South African Military History Society. 13 (1). Retrieved 17 September 2012.