Did You Know?
The Goewermentsjettie, also known as the Nuwe Jettie, is a historic wooden jetty located at Port Beaufort in the Western Cape, at the mouth of the Breede River. It was constructed in 1940 as a government jetty to serve the small harbour, which had been used since the 19th century for exporting wool and other goods from the interior. During World War II, the jetty was strategically important, and two British naval ships anchored alongside it, using the sheltered river mouth as a temporary anchorage. The jetty was restored in 2021, preserving its original timber construction and historical character. Port Beaufort itself was established in the early 1800s as a port for the Overberg region, but its commercial activity declined after the railway reached the area in the early 20th century. Today, the restored jetty stands as a rare surviving example of a wartime-era wooden harbour structure on the South African coast.
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