Saturday Scenes

On the 7th of April in 1652 Johan Anthoniszoon van Riebeeck, known as Jan van Riebeeck, became the 1st Commander of the Cape.

The Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie (the Dutch East India Company), the first multinational corporation in the world, had a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia. Van Riebeeck joined them in 1639. In 1651 he volunteered to establish a resupply camp near the southern tip of Africa in order to re-supply ships travelling from the Netherlands to the East Indies. He landed three ships at the location now known as Cape Town on the 6th of April and built the Fort de Goede Hoop (‘Fort of Good Hope’) using mud, clay and timber. Van Riebeeck stayed on as Commander of the Cape for ten years, at which point he moved to Malacca. The outpost was known as “The Tavern of the Seas” and grew to become the Cape Colony as the Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie encouraged more settlers.

Old cape Colony : a chronicle of her men and houses from 1952 to 1806

For seventeen years after van Riebeeck’s departure, the Cape was at a standstill... But the efforts of the Governors were confined to the building of a castle which was to replace van Riebeeck’s wooden fort, now dilapidated and considered inefficient. Wouter Schouten says in 1658 that the fort had a “church where the word of God was preached,” but according to Theal, the large hall decorated with skins was the only church. It had a stuffed zebra at the entrance, and the attractive beast was removed before the service began, lest the attention of the congregation should be diverted.

The wild almond hedge that van Riebeeck had planted around the original fort still survives over 350 years later.

And on the 7th of April in 2012, these wonderful photographs were taken and sent to @SatScenes from diverse locations all over the world:

And here are the photographers who took them:

• JeannieKelly
• CarolineBignell
• craftychai
• JanetIsserlis
• akrabat
• Pewari
• carocat
• annemnicholas
• akaSylvia
• robdavies
• DaughterofLir
• ernmander
• UKMelia
• HeideSpruck
• arcticpixie
• Korwhai
• raumsinn
• maidbloke
• oxonlady
• mousewords
• jamesnnb
• HarryMyhre
• icklemouse
• riggersmark
• dudleypj
• AlistairRae
• noirem
• sahfenn

Did you know there’s a list for everyone who submitted a Saturday scene? Saturday Scenes 2012 now has 72 members, all of whom submitted a photograph from a Saturday this year.

If you’d like to join in, just take a picture on Saturday and send the link to @SatScenes with the location! It’s easy and fun and we all love seeing new sights.