Video of one of the most comprehensive and interesting museums in Western Cape - Shipwreck Museum in small historical town Bredasdorp, South Africa.
#BredasdorpShipwreckMuseum #WesternCapeSights #SouthAfricaTourismShipwreck Museum is located at 6 Independent Street, Bredasdorp, Western Cape. The Bredasdorp Museum is primarily a maritime Museum whose exposition's main theme is "Shipwrecks along the dangerous Southern Cape coast". South African coastline is known as the "Graveyard of Ships" with well known ships like the 'Arniston', 'Birkenhead' and 'Queen of the Thames' coming to grief in these waters. One of these lost ships is remembered in such a particular way as the American sailing ship Gentoo. She went down in Struys Bay. Among the survivors were a number of young servant-girls who had been engaged by wealthy people in the Cape Town suburbs. The girls soon drifted out of respectable employment into New Street and Keerom Street, which had bad reputations. They set up places which became known as "Gentoo houses ", with Malay orchestras to provide dance music. To this day a loose girl is called a "Gentoo" by the Cape Malays. Cape Agulhas, one of the great turning points of the oceans, ranks next to Table Bay as a graveyard of the sea.
Disaster on Saint Patrick's Day. In 1870 there was no regular line of shipping sailing between London and Australia via the Cape. Devitt & Moore, of England, planned a new service. The firm built their first ship, The Queen of the Thames, at a cost of £55,000. The new ship left England in November, 1870, and made a fast run to Melbourne, where she received a big welcome, for the Australians had never before seen anything to compare with the luxury of her fittings or comforts of her cabin accommodation. More than 200 passengers booked for the return trip. Besides her crew of 120, she carried a cargo of wool.
On St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 1871, she was scheduled to anchor in Table Bay the next morning. The passengers got up a hilarious party to celebrate the voyage and the captain was present. Some of the passengers had not yet gone to bed before disaster overtook them for the ship ran hard ashore on a reef near Struys Point. Bredasdorp people showed the ship-wrecked Australians how hospitable South Africans can be. The Queen of the Thames lay on the rocks with her masts still standing and her sails moving in the breeze. Six citizens of Port Elizabeth formed themselves into a syndicate and bought the ship for £15.000 and at once began to sell off the valuable contents. The loss of The Queen of the Thames was a tragedy for the Cape because Devitt and Moore, discouraged, gave up the idea of building a fleet for the Australian run. It was not until the Orient Line began to call at Cape Town in 1878 that a regular service from England to Australia via Table Bay was established. Queen Of The Thames 1871
Incidentally, although the wreck lies in 30 feet of water, a wooden section of the port side lies on the shore opposite the memorial. Although it is normally covered by sand it does sometimes become exposed after a strong southeast storm.
Wreck of the MFV Meisho Maru No. 38 Suiderstrand, South Africa
Today marks 38 years since this fascinating ship(one of the most recent ships to have ran aground) stranded along the L'Algulhas coastline.
The MFV Meisho Maru No. 38 was a small Japanese fishing vessel that ran aground in the stormy waters around L'Agulhas in the early morning hours of 16 November 1982. The accident occurred close to shore and the crew of 17 all managed to swim to safety, leaving the ship as the only casualty.
After surviving seas than, at times, can produce swells of up to 30 metres, the ship finally broke apart a few years ago.
Shipwreck Museum Bredasdorp
The haunted loop is going to be held for 10 consecutive Friday nights, with an option to expand it... depending on COVID-19 regulations too. If it is successful and there is enough interest it will definitely be expanded.
Special "Dennis" Low Load Line 50HP (Presumably 1932 Model). Ordered 13 February 1933 and delivered for use to the City of Cape Town in July 1933.
Bought on tender for use by the Local Town Council in July 1974 at R1100. Donated to the Museum when withdrawn from service.
Wafra, 28.02.1971
MUSEUM GUNS
All guns were donated
No. 1: British Gunade
Discovered in and recovered from the DENEL coastal area lying buried on the beach below the high water mark.
This Gunade and a large anchor were found. Today both are displayed at the museum. The old Gunade is presumed to be from the wreck of the Martha that was lost at Skipskop in 1826.
No. 2: British 4-pdr Gunade by WB & Co in England.
It was salvaged in Struis Bay and taken to Robertson in 1880 by W.J. van As & G.H. Wolhuter and recorded by G de Vries in Oct 2000.
The Gunade is dated as to be around 1800 and presumed to be either from the wreck of the Duke of Northumberland (1838) or the Martha (1826). A Gunade is very similar to a carronade except that it has trunnions as opposed to the ring that a carronade has underneath. It is also normally of a 4- to 9-pdr calibre and does not have a chamber smaller than the bore. "Wat jy vir jouself doen, sterf met jou. Wat jy vir die samelewing doen, leef vir ewig."
- C. R. Wolhuter
No. 3: Swedish iron cast (Dutch) cannon 2650mm long and with a bore of approximately 110mm.
The museum gratefully accepted this artifact in the 80's as a donation from some local Struis Bay divers (their names sadly unrecorded) and is today presumed to be from the wreck of the Dutch East Indiaman, Schonenberg that was lost in 1722.
No. 4: Bronze Dutch cannon with dolphins missing and a bore diameter of a 12 pdr.
Reijgersdaal (1702). The wreck was discovered in the 80's by Tubby Gericke, Peter Leube & Brian Clark who donated this cannon to Bredasdorp Museum.
No. 5: A very early and rare bronze Dutch mortar.
Willem de Zwyger (1863). Many maritime donations to the Bredasdorp Shipwreck Museum were made by Tubby Gericke, Peter Leube and Brian Clark. This was one of their kind donations.
Anchors
Queen Of The Thames 1871
Incidentally, although the wreck lies in 30 feet of water, a wooden section of the port side lies on the shore opposite the memorial. Although it is normally covered by sand it does sometimes become exposed after a strong southeast storm. Shipwreck Museum Hall Collection: Baptismal font/Doopbak & Compass from the Queen of the Thames, donated by Mr Henry Villet Museum hours are subject to change without prior notification
Monday - Friday: 09:00 - 15:00
Saturday: 10:00 - 15:00
Sunday: 11:00 - 15:00
Public holidays: Closed
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