It is believed that the Cape
Peninsula has been occupied by nomadic pastoralists and
hunter gatherers since almost 8000 years ago. The first
European settlers found on their arrival that the
Khoi-Khoi were grazing large flocks of sheep in the
Table Valley and on the slopes of the Mountains. Kolbe
in 1719 provided a sketch showing two large Khoi-Khoi
kraals on the slopes of the Lion Hill. References to
the “Leeuwenberg” – its head (kop), back (rug), rump (bil),
and the knee (knie) occur regularly in the earliest
Dutch archival documents.
In 1660 Van Riebeeck established a
look-out post at Kloof Nek and in 1668 a temporary
look-out was also established on Signal Hill which was
100 metres higher. In 1673 The skipper of the
Hasenberg and sailors from the Vliegende Swaan
carried the first signalling mast up onto Lion’s Head
where they planted it together with two light cannon.
The first flag was hoisted and the guns fired on
27.03.1673 to announce the arrival of the Alkmaar. A month later the flagstaff was split in two by
lightning as was to happen a number of times in the
future
Two signalmen were on duty on Lion’s
Head. They lived in a small house on Kloof Nek and took
turns to scale the rope ladder to the top of the hill.
When a second post was established on Signal Hill later
in the 17th century, the signalmen
interchanged daily with those on Lion’s Head and at the
Kloof.
Signal Hill was also the start of a
point-to-point signalling system. By gun or the hoisting
of flags messages could be sent to Salt River, Tygerberg,
Muldersvlei, Paarl etc. until the whole colony was
alerted to any danger in a matter of hours.
In 1770 the signalling system was
improved to allow for the hoisting of lights on tall
posts at night and in 1824 a black ball was hoisted to
the top of the flagstaff to announce a ship on the
horizon, again followed by a flag to indicate
nationality.
The British, after their second
occupation preferred to use only Signal Hill. In 1894
the signalmen’s quarters on the hill were enlarged with
the addition of a look-out room and a new blockhouse.
By now there were also two huts, three masts, signals
and a weather gauge all surrounded by a wire fence. A
new signal station, built in 1909 remained in use till
1950 when the masts were taken down. By then wireless
had superseded flag signalling.
For three and a half centuries Signal
Hill has played a prominent part in the lives of
Capetonians and a display of its past history could
broaden the experience and add considerably to the
interest of tourists and local visitors to the area. It
is also clear that a small area on the top of Signal
Hill has been inhabited for the past 300 years and that
it is devoid of the natural fynbos which covers the
slopes below.
Historical photographs of the old Magazine circa
18??
