Its pristine beaches and modest lime-washed historic fisherman’s houses have been immortalised in song. Its spectacular, classic view of Table Mountain across Table Bay has been captured on countless photographs, postcards and brochures, which are used to lure tourists to nearby Cape Town.
Yet Bloubergstrand (which is Afrikaans for ‘blue mountain beach’) itself has always had much to offer those willing to make the approximately 25 kilometre journey north of the Mother City to pay it a visit and linger for longer than the amount of time it requires to take a snapshot of the mountain.
Incidentally, one would be forgiven to assume that Bloubergstrand’s name comes from that world famous postcard view of Table Mountain, but one would be quite mistaken. The suburb is actually named after Blouberg, a hill located not too far inland from the coast.
The consistent summer winds sweeping across the bay stirs up the waves, making Bloubergstrand a watersport heaven. In fact, Big Bay – home to the annual, recently held Oxbbow Big Bay Classic windsurfing championship event – is arguably the premier windsurfing and kiteboarding spot in the world.
Strollers and shell collectors can be seen meandering up the wild stretch of Milnerton Beach which lies between the city and Bloubergstrand.
But Blouberg’s beaches and ground are blood-soaked. History buffs will be intrigued to know that a small but significant battle was fought here in1806. It was called the Battle of Blaauwberg and it established British rule in South Africa.
During that time, the Cape Colony belonged to the French controlled Netherlands (then called the Batavian Republic). But the sea route around the Cape was important to the British, so in order to prevent that from also coming under French control, they decided to seize the colony. A British fleet was despatched to the Cape in July 1805 to forestall the French troopships sent by Napoleon to reinforce the Cape garrison.
At the time, the colony was governed by Lt Gen Jan Willem Janssens (Blaauwberg House is located in Gen Janssens Str). He was also commander-in-chief of the colony’s military forces. The forces were small and of poor quality and backed up by local militia units.
The first British warship reached the Cape on Christmas Eve 1805, marking its arrival by promptly attacking two supply ships off the Cape Peninsula. When the main fleet sailed into Table Bay on 4 January 1806, Janssens mobilised his garrison, declared martial law and called up the militia.
Two British infantry brigades, under the command of Lt Gen Sir David Baird, landed at Melkbosstrand on 6 and 7 January 1806. Janssens moved his forces to intercept them with the intent of attacking them right there on the beach and then to withdraw to the interior where he had hoped to hold out until the French troopships arrived. He knew that victory against the stronger and bigger British forces wasn’t possible, but he thought the honour of his fatherland demanded a fight.
However, on 8 January 1806, Baird’s brigades reached the slopes of the Blaauwberg mountain before Janssens and his troops did. Janssens halted and ordered his men to form a line across the veld.
The battle began at sunrise. At the onset, Janssens had 2 049 troops. They were far outnumbered by Baird and his 5 399 men. At the end of the battle, Janssens had lost 353 in casualties and desertion. Baird had 212 casualties.
Following the battle, Janssens and his remaining men moved inland to Elandskloof in the Hottentots-Holland mountains.
The British forces reached the outskirts of Cape Town on 9 January. To protect the town and its civilian population from attack, the commandant of Cape Town, Lieutenant-Colonel Hieronymus Casimir von Prophalow sent out a white flag. He handed over the outer fortifications to Baird, and terms of surrender were negotiated later in the day.
However, Janssens, who was still the Batavian Governor of the Cape, still refused to surrender himself and his remaining troops. He was still sticking to his original plan to hold out as long as he could in the hope that the French troopships for which he had been waiting so long for would still arrive and save him.
Eventually, on 18 January, he finally agreed to capitulate. The terms of the capitulation were reasonably favourable towards the Batavian soldiers and citizens of the Cape. In March 1806, Janssens, along with other Batavian officials and troops, were sent back to the Netherlands.
The British forces occupied the Cape until 13 August 1814, when the Netherlands ceded the colony to Britian as a permanent possession. It remained a British colony until it was incorporated into the Union of South Africa on 31 May 1910.
Much to our relief, the only battles taking place in Blouberg these days are the ones between the windsurfers, kiteboarders and other athletes.
