In Memoriam: Jeannette Grobbelaar

 

Jeannette Grobbelaar (left) with Sue Patterson

Jeannette Grobbelaar died in November 2020. 

Lighthouse Authorities recently informed me that Jeannette had passed away. She will be greatly missed.

A solitary figure, she was an amazing lady. Honorary Curator of Cape Agulhas Lighthouse Museum, Author of Cape Agulhas Lighthouse: The First Hundred Years 1849-1949 as well as Golgotha van die Oseane – Skeepsrampe aan die Agulhas-kus. 

She was also a good friend. Jeannette's friends were all like-minded researchers, authors and historians.

...............................................

Along the shore I spy a ship 

As she set out to sea;

She spreads her sails and sniffs the breeze

And slips away from me.

I watch her fading image shrink,

As she moves on and on, Until at last she’s but a speck,

Then someone says, “She’s gone.”

Gone where? Gone only from our sight

And from our farewell cries;

That ship will somewhere reappear to other eager eyes.

Beyond the dim horizon’s rim, resound the welcome drums,

And while we’re crying, There she goes!

They’re shouting, Here she comes!

We’re built to cruise for but a while

Upon the trackless sea

Until one day we sail away into infinity.

John T. Baker

 

The Last of the South African Lighthousekeepers: Spookdraai

‘Spookdraai’ (Ghost’s Corner)

Cape Agulhas (L’Agulhas)

Latitude 34° 49' 42’’ S.

                                                              Longitude 20° 00' 33’’ E.

P-J Hannabus - Retired Lighthouse Keeper

A series by Suzanne-Jo Leff Patterson

Cape Agulhas Lighthouse
Photo by Alan Patterson

The stately and celebrated red and white Cape Agulhas Lighthouse, built in 1848, is fixed to a rocky headland at the southern-most point of Africa. Here, the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet, often with wild fury, launching themselves at one another in stormy conditions. When the cold Benguela current and the Roaring Forties winds come together with the rising, warm Agulhas current, this collision can become extremely treacherous to seafarers.

Notorious for winter storms and enormous rogue waves reaching remarkable heights, this area became well-known to the Portuguese navigators in the 15^th century and drove fear into the heart of every mariner.

Since the days of those early Portuguese sailors, these coastal rocks and reefs where high waves continually batter this windswept, dramatic coastline, have sealed the fates of more than one hundred and fifty ships and many thousands of lives.  It is hardly surprising that numerous wrecks litter this stretch of coast which has earned the nickname The Ships’ Graveyard.

Towards the end of the 15^th century Portuguese explorers named this tip of Africa, 'Cabo das Agulhas' which means 'Cape of Needles,’ not as a result of the treacherous rocks and reefs, but, as their wooden sailing ships rounded the Cape, sailors discovered their compass needles would swing about and they were unable to determine true north from magnetic north.

Just to the north-east of the meeting place of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, stand the little towns of L’Agulhas and Struisbaai. In addition to the strong magnetic and intertidal forces caused by the meeting of the two oceans, other influences exist in this area. At the town entrance to L’Agulhas, along the curve of the road, lies a sheltered bay named Spookdraai (Ghosts Corner!)

It is said that the ghosts of drowned sailors or unfortunate castaways have been seen regularly wandering the coastline. Legend has it that on windswept nights the singing calls of sirens can be heard luring sailors and their ships towards the jagged rocks and foaming seas.

P-J Hannabus tells us an intriguing story of when his father, Lighthouse Keeper, Babsie Hannabus, stationed at Cape Agulhas Lighthouse in 1954, had his own personal experience at Spookdraai.

It was a well known local story that in bygone times a ship had foundered in the bay and only one person, a young woman with beautiful slender hands and the voice of an angel, washed up alive at the bay of Spookdraai. She managed to find her way to a cave in the mountains, but most unfortunately, having survived drowning, later died there.

'My parents, Babsie and Eunice Hannabus, one night in May just before I was born in June, were driving home to the lighthouse from Struisbaai. There is a three metre drop to the beach as one takes that last left hand curve before entering Agulhas, when Dad suddenly swerved and their Ford ended up on the beach and fortunately on its wheels. My sister Nerene said our parents would never entertain any discussion about this incident. Perhaps Dad swerved to avoid the ghost with the beautiful hands and the fact that our parents remained silent, did make us ponder!'

Legend has it that this friendly lady ghost will step out and greet people on Spookdraai when she feels lonely.  It is understood that she sometimes seeks the company of friendly folk overnighting in guesthouses too!

P-J reminds us too of the story of De Hoop Manor House, north east of L'Agulhas, which is one of the historic homesteads dating from 1872. Above the gabled front door, is the shell of an oyster, which relates to the following tragic events.

Misfortune struck a newly-wed couple who had bought the beautiful Manor.  One morning, Mr Cloete brought home from the sea, a large oyster to present to his bride for a special breakfast. Unfortunately, Mrs Cloete choked on the oyster and could not be revived. Mr Cloete absolutely heartbroken and distraught took his own life. Word continues to circulate that Mrs Cloete’s ghost is said to wander around at night, always at low tide, looking for and gathering oysters…….

And of course there is also the story of the headless man who wanders around the Spookdraai area!

P-J Hannabus ends off by saying; 'I'll take my chances with the lady, for sure, but go to bed and lock your doors after sunset in L'Agulhas, especially at full moon!'

Note : Tourists can take a short self-guided Spookdraai Hiking Trail, a   

            circular route, which includes that sharp curve in the road! 

'Their task to Keep the Light ...' 2

Cape Agulhas Lighthouse

I was delighted to read the article written by Peter-John Hannabus.  My father, D M Stewart, was a lighthousekeeper at Cape Agulhas at the time Peter-John was born, and in fact, if I recall correctly, my mother helped with his delivery. The nearest hospital was in Bredasdorp -25 miles of rough gravel road away. In those days (1954), Agulhas was still  pretty remote.

At the time, I attended the Rhenish Girls' High School in Stellenbosch as a boarder and came home on holidays every school quarter That in itself was a whole day's travel by train, and then from Bredasdorp station a road trip by grain truck to Agulhas.

My sister was born at Cape Point, and I was born at Cape St Francis, and  as children we lived around the coasts of Kommetjie, Dassen Island, Danger Point and Cooper Light on the Bluff in Natal. Our school holidays were quite unique and the envy of our school friends. 

While stationed on Dassen Island, we were brought by tug from Cape Town docks to Hout Bay where we anchored and from there, believe it or not, by long boat to the jetty - us still in our navy and white school uniforms and hats, among the food supplies, equipment, spares etc. What wonderful holidays those were. We fished, collected penguin eggs and were never bored for a minute..

As Peter-John so correctly states, it is indeed the end of a great era and how fortunate we were to be part of it.

Helen Pfell

Acknowledgement:
Suzanne Jo-Leff Patterson, researcher