The oldest quarry was opened in 1652 and is known as the Jan van Riebeeck’s Quarry or Jan se Gat. It is situated in the South Eastern region of the Island opposite the present Alpha one.
It was extensively mined for slate to be used for construction work for the emerging Cape Town. Using forced labour, the slate was worked intermittently for about 300 years. Some early political prisoners held at the “Ou-Tronk” and the MSP were also forced to work at this quarry before it was closed in 1963.
