Timeline - Robben Island Museum

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ARMY & NAVAL BASE OVERVIEW

1931 - 1960

Between 1931 and 1960, the Island played an important part in South Africa’s military history – as a fortified station and home to a large number of personnel of the armed forces. During this military period, the Island was not used as a hospital nor was it used as a prison. It served solely as the military security of the country as per a Government Gazette of the 22 May 1936 which stated that it would be “reserved for military purposes”. However, Robben Island did not become an active defensive site until 1939 when it served to protect Allied interests up to 1945.

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CEMETERIES & GRAVES OVERVIEW

1754 - 1931

The Island’s four cemeteries and graves, with burials dating back to the early days of European settlement, are also sites that demonstrate elements of its 500 year history. One of the cemeteries, namely the Kramat (Muslim burial and memorial site) is linked to the colonisation period and the other three, i.e. the Leprosarium, Staff and Garrison Church cemeteries came into existence during the Infirmary period.

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GENERAL INFIRMARY OVERVIEW

1846 - 1931

The period when the Island was used as a General Infirmary is mostly remembered for its isolation of people with leprosy. However, when it was established in 1846 during British colonial rule, it was used as a medical institution for three (3) specific categories of poor sick people, i.e. the ‘insane’, the chronically ill and those with leprosy.

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GEOLOGY & CLIMATE OVERVIEW

1300 - 1400

Robben Island was part of the Cape mainland and is actually the pinnacle of a now submerged mountain. It is linked by an undersea saddle to Blouberg and is situated approximately 11 km from Table Bay.

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KHOI KHOI OVERVIEW

1400 - 1823

Robben Island is a vital part of the Khoi-Khoi people’s lives and heritage. They were the first South Africans recorded to have set foot on the Island – through banishment and imprisonment for resisting colonisation.

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MARITIME UNDERWATER CULTURAL
HERITAGE OVERVIEW

1611 - NOW

Robben Island is also an important part of South Africa’s maritime history, evident from the large of number of shipwrecks around the coast of the Island. These maritime wrecks provide further to support the 500 year history of the Island. Today, some shipwrecks can still be seen on Robben Island’s coastline. The shipwrecks all form part of the Island’s cultural and historical landscape. The Island, a submerged mountain linked to the Cape mainland by an underground saddle, made its coastline inhospitable to shipping because of the submerged rocks that lie around it.

There are over 70 documented shipwrecks scattered around the Island. Most of the shipwrecks were identified as European in origin and occurred on the western side of the Island which has a jagged rocky profile. This side is also known as the windward side.

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NAMIBIAN POLITICAL PRISONERS OVERVIEW

1966 - 1989

During the period that South African’s were fighting their struggle against the Apartheid rule; the Namibians were fighting against the illegal occupation of their country by the very same South African Apartheid government.

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BANISHment & PRISONMENT LANDSCAPE OVERVIEW

1400 - 1959

During the period that South African’s were fighting their struggle against the Apartheid rule; the Namibians were fighting against the illegal occupation of their country by the very same South African Apartheid government.

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IMPRISONMENT LANDSCAPE OVERVIEW

1615 - 1991

Robben Island is renowned for its use as a Maximum Security Prison (MSP) during the Apartheid era of South Africa’s history yet less is known of the Island’s use as a prison in the period preceding this and dating back 500 years. Criminal and political prisoners were sent to the Island during Colonial and Apartheid rule of South Africa.

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PRISON LIFE OVERVIEW

1650 - 1991

Banishment and imprisonment on Robben Island was used more as a means of punishment rather than as a ‘rehabilitative’ tool. Most of the people sent to the Island had at some point, over the past 500 years, opposed colonial and apartheid rule in South Africa. Both colonial and apartheid rule divided people on the basis of race, class, gender and ethnicity. It denied the indigenous people their political and human rights. The daily lives of those banished to, or imprisoned on the Island mirrored the status quo and practices of colonialism and apartheid.

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RELIGIOUS / SPIRITUAL OVERVIEW

1754 - 1989

Christianity and Islam are the two main religions manifested in the form of tangible heritage on Robben Island. It is assumed that the first explorers to set foot on the Island would have been Christians. In addition, Robben Island has contributed significantly to the establishment of Islam in the Cape. Islam was introduced to the Island during the 1600’s with the incarceration of East Indian Muslim leaders and other prominent Muslim persons opposed to Dutch colonisation and expansion. Christianity, the dominant religion of the Dutch and British settlers including those placed on Robben Island, showed its prominence in Island life and is associated with the its General Infirmary period.

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RESISTANCE TO REPRESSION OVERVIEW

1400 - 1991

From as far back as the 1400s almost all those banished and imprisoned on Robben Island were sent there as a form of punishment for their resistance to oppression and domination that epitomised colonial and apartheid rule in South Africa. It is thus not surprising that they resisted the harsh conditions and treatment they were subjected to and persisted, with the same vigour and determination, to fight for their rights and freedom. Their resistance took many forms.

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SETTLEMENT PATTERNS &
BUILT ENVIRONMENT OVERVIEW

1600 - NOW

The settlement patterns reflect the various uses of the Island and development in general as access to all parts of the Island became possible. Most settlement happened on the eastern side of the Island.

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SOURCE OF FOOD &
POST OFFICE FOR SAILORS OVERVIEW

1488 - 1700

In the 1400’s Portuguese, Dutch, British and other European explorers passed the Cape of Good Hope on route to the East. The journey from Europe to the East was long and difficult and the Cape was one of three places used as stopping points for ships to replenish their water, food and other supplies.

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PRISON PERIOD OVERVIEW

1600 - 1991

Robben Island was used as a prison, for criminal and political prisoners, during South Africa’s historical colonial and apartheid historical era’s. The only time the Island was not used as a prison in its 500 year history was when it was used as a military base, which was between 1931 and 1960.

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Tour Details

Weather

Cape Town

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Rain

06:3318:43 SAST

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Wind: 23km/h SE
Humidity: 81%
Pressure: 1013.21mbar
UV index: 4

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Tours

South Africans
R400 per adult
R210 per child (U/18)

Non South Africans
R600 per adult
R310 per child (U/18)

Tour Times
09:00 | 11:00 | 13:00 | 15:00

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