The Possessional Stone

Proclaimed a National Monument in 1936

Submission for a Blue Plaque Award from The Van Plettenberg Historical Society

The major trading nations of the 17^th century set their sights on the East but soon realised that they needed halfway refreshment stations. The Dutch were the first out of the blocks and annexed the foot of the African continent for themselves. Britain made do with Saint Helena, the French with Mauritius and the Portuguese with Ibo.

At first, it did not seem that inequitable because the Dutch enjoyed the extra business and were happy to service any ship coming their way. The American War of Independence then changed everything. The Dutch found themselves at war with Britain, their traditional allies. For the next thirty years, on five occasions, the Cape fell under the control of other countries.

The VOC (the Dutch East India company) was aware that the only way it could hold onto the Cape was to occupy and develop it. For this reason, the DEIC appointed Baron van Reede van Oudtshoorn as Governor and Joachim van Plettenberg became his deputy.

Van Oudtshoorn, however, died on the ship and van Plettenberg stepped into his shoes on 18 May 1774.

He was reputed to be an excellent host, a wit and a connoisseur of wine. He spoke several languages and could discuss history, law and philosophy with ‘insight’. He was not, however, in tune with the discontented and disgruntled colonists.

He was made aware of the potential of the Cape from early explorers and his own staff, particularly Captain (later Colonel) Robert Gordon, who as Commander of the Garrison at the Cape, did more valuable exploratory travel in the interior than any other. Incidentally, he claimed to have named this bay after his boss a year before the governor even saw it. Van Plettenberg knew of La Vailiant’s reports and of the charts and maps prepared by Duminy, Frederici and other charters.

Van Plettenberg could easily have gone by ship to Baia Formosa but he knew that he needed to see the hinterland for himself and to investigate the complaints of the burgers first hand.

He made meticulous preparations for escorts along the way, with relays of horses and cattle on demand. Finally, on 3 September 1778, van Plettenberg and several companions set off in a carriage drawn by eight splendid horses, which was accompanied by a further carriage and five ox-wagons.

The route he took is what today is roughly the N7 to get around the Picketberg and back down to what is, near enough, the N1to Colesberg. From there, van Plettenberg went down to the Fish River and on to Baia Algoa. Then he turned back towards Cape Town, travelling through Humansdorp and down the Langkloof. He chose to cross the Outeniqua Mountains at Duiwels Kop Pass in the George district, the safest way in those days, but that meant that they had to turn sharply east-wards to Knysna. Van Plettenberg arrived at Stephanus Esias Terblanche’s farm, Melkhout Kraal, on the east bank of the Knysna River on Thursday, 5 November, at about noon, in time for lunch. (It may be of interest to know that this was that farm was bought by George Rex a century later.)

Van Plettenberg could not have spent much time with Terblanche because they arrived at Cornelis Botha’s farm on the Piesang River the same night at 7 o’clock. Early the next day, van Plettenberg was out on his horse to inspect the bay, noting  ‘the outstanding point’ (Robberg ) which enclosed it. Jacob Joubert’s wagon was pressed into service to carry the heavy slate Possessional Stone to a high stoney hill in the middle of the bay where it was planted and has remained for over 250 years.

Later, the original stone was relocated to the Cultural History Museum in Cape Town and a copy stands in its place.

The Beacon

The Coat of Arms of the United Provinces (the Lion of Flanders) is on one side of the beacon and on the other side is the monogram of the Dutch East India Company, the governor’s own coat of arms and an inscription which reads, “ Deese steen is opgeregt door Mynheer Joachim Baron van Plettenberg. Raad van Nederlandisch Indien en Governeur van Cabo de Goede Hoop, en den Ressorte van dien etc Anno 1778”.

(This stone is erected by Joachim, Baron van Plettenberg, of the council of the Dutch East Indies and Governor of the Cape of Good Hope and adjoining territories. Year

1778.) From then on, it was known as Plettenberg’s Bay.

The stone must have been prepared before van Plettenberg and his party left on this journey and transported in one of the wagons or delivered by sea. It certainly could not have been made overnight, particularly as there are no slate deposits of that sort in the district.

The next morning, the governor and his party left at first light. Their trip home was relatively problem free, and they arrived home on 26 November 1778. van Plettenberg hoped to show that he was the governor who cared for his people, even those who lived in the most remote districts. This however, backfired in some quarters where he met pockets of insurrection.

After this truly momentous trip, van Plettenberg seemed to have lost interest in what he had discovered and did nothing about the timber industry or Plettenberg’s Bay. La Vailant wrote scathingly about him.

In 1785, he was replaced by Cornelis De Graaf who immediately put those earlier dreams in motion and by 1788, the first loads of timber were dispatched.

Rod Grosskopff

Storrar, P. 1978. Portrait of Plettenberg Bay. New York: Centaur Publishers.