Chavonnes Battery Museum

On Thursday, we went as a grade to explore the Chavonnes Battery Museum at the Waterfront. It was discovered by Nedbank as they were excavating the site to create a car park. The ruins had been forgotten until archeologists recovered what remained.

To begin the tour we witnessed the many pictures on the top floor, each displaying interesting background information. We were then tasked to create a story depicting one of the images.

After we had voted on a winner for decidedly the best story, we got a brief explanation on the general history of the Cape. This specifically highlighted the relation to the Dutch East India Company as they were the ones who founded the battery. The Dutch East India Company or the VOC was a trading company that intended for their ships to go from Europe to India. Therefore they set up a base in Cape Town for refreshments before continuing their journey.

After that, we were led on a tour around the compound. There were cannonball samples and a variety of artifacts that we were able to see. Through the ruins that remained intact, we were able to decipher the approximate shape of the battlement and there was a model showing the arrangement of the 16 cannons. There was a well that in its own time, whilst still functional, would have supplied fresh water for the battery. To conclude the outing we watched the firing of the noon gun, before taking the bus back to school.

Overall it was an enlightening experience, giving us a valuable insight into our current history topic, South African history.