1652
Construction begins on Fort de Goede Hoop
VOC workers began constructing an earthen and timber fort near Table Bay to protect the new refreshment station and its stores.
View in timelineAfter arriving at Table Bay in April 1652, the VOC party began building Fort de Goede Hoop near the station. The first fort used earth, timber and other readily available materials to protect stores, equipment and the settlement’s workforce. It served as the station’s initial military and administrative centre while the company developed gardens, water supply and livestock arrangements.
This early fort was not the stone Castle of Good Hope completed later in the seventeenth century. Its construction established a defended company base from which the VOC could regulate access, provisioning and subsequent expansion around Table Bay.
Significance
The fort concentrated military, administrative and logistical power at the new VOC station and provided a base for later colonial expansion.
Why it matters
The fort concentrated military, administrative and logistical power at the new VOC station and provided a base for later colonial expansion.
Disputed interpretations
The first fort was an earthen and timber structure and should not be conflated with the later stone Castle of Good Hope. Accounts differ over the precise construction sequence and location as the early works were altered and replaced.