
1647 Shipwreck Ends in a Colony
On Sunday 25 March 1647, shortly after five o’clock in the afternoon, the Dutch East India Company (VOC) ship Nieuw Haarlem or Haarlem wrecked in Table Bay, off the coast of South Africa. The events that followed had far-reaching consequences for the history of South Africa. 58 of the crew were repatriated by accompanying ships soon after the incident, but 62 men were left behind to try and salvage as much of the cargo as possible. They found refuge in a makeshift camp, where they lived for about one year. During their stay, the men from Haarlem came into contact […]