Slangkop Lighthouse, Noordhoek, Cape Town

Slangkop Point lighthouse, part of the Marine Protected Area of Table Mountain National Park, is a 34m-high giant of a lighthouse that has become the icon of Kommetjie. Visitors walking the 8km stretch of Noordhoek Beach often climb up to the top of the lighthouse for stunning coastal views.

The tallest tower on the South African coast was established after the lighthouse commission of 1906, but it wasn't until 1913 that tenders were invited for the supply of a cast-iron tower, lantern, optical apparatus etc. It had been intended to be put up by 1914, but the Great War intervened and though the lighthouse was built by that year it had to wait five years to be commissioned.

The cost of the original installation was 14 358.9.1. pounds.

The lighthouse is now fully automatic but a senior lightkeeper is retained on the premises for security reasons.

In 1914 the Senior Lightkeeper was J C Luxton, T F Addison taking over about 1918. Others in the earlier years were J Piper, A Small, H C Grieve, R W Gardiner.

J F Hannabus (see other posts on this lightkeeping family) was First Lightkeeper at Slangkop from 1963 - 1965, and C H Hannabus preceded him from 1929 - 1930. Other surnames associated with this lighthouse include: Bissel, Andreason, Linden, Stewart, Bruyns, Harty, and van Rensburg (F, 1970-1975).

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! 

Lighthouse: Slangkop Poinr, Noordhoek, Cape Town

Slangkop Point lighthouse, part of the Marine Protected Area of Table Mountain National Park, is a 34m-high giant of a lighthouse that has become the icon of Kommetjie. Visitors walking the 8km stretch of Noordhoek Beach often climb up to the top of the lighthouse for stunning coastal views.

The tallest tower on the South African coast was established after the lighthouse commission of 1906, but it wasn't until 1913 that tenders were invited for the supply of a cast-iron tower, lantern, optical apparatus etc. It had been intended to be put up by 1914, but the Great War intervened and though the lighthouse was built by that year it had to wait five years to be commissioned.

The cost of the original installation was 14 358.9.1. pounds.

The lighthouse is now fully automatic but a senior lightkeeper is retained on the premises for security reasons.

In 1914 the Senior Lightkeeper was J C Luxton, T F Addison taking over about 1918. Others in the earlier years were J Piper, A Small, H C Grieve, R W Gardiner.

J F Hannabus (see other posts on this lightkeepeing family) was First Lightkeeper at Slangkop from 1963 - 1965, and C H Hannabus preceded him from 1929 - 1930. Other surnames associated with this lighthouse include: Bissel, Andreason, Linden, Stewart, Bruyns, Harty, and van Rensburg (F, 1970-1975).

.

Slangkop Point lighthouse near Kommetjie

At sunset, with low visibility, the captain mi

That was not the end of the Kakapo, howe

The Last of the South African Lighthouse Keepers: Hannabus family

The strong Bird Island lens, with a view of the keeper's house to the right of the lens

  

 A series by Suzanne-Jo Leff Patterson - 2015

As we continue this series, recognition is paid to the Hannabus family.  Their history of three generations in the lighthouse service, illustrated below, is a continuous contribution to providing safety to the numerous ships and their precious cargoes of passengers and crews which plied the long and rugged South African coastline.

At various periods of their careers, all of the Hannabus dynasty were Senior Keepers of the Light:

(a)   A.E (Bill) Hannabus (1906 – 1945)  Bird Island, Hood Point, Cape St, Blaize, Cape Point, Dassen Island, Cape Recife, Robben Island, Port Nolloth.

(b)   C.H. Hannabus (1929 – 1970)  Slangkop, Cape Point, Danger Point, Green Point,  The Hill, Cape St Lucia, Cape Hermes, The Bluff Cooper Light, Bird Island, Port Nolloth, M’bashe Point, Great Fish River, Hood Point.

(c)   J.F Hannabus (1946 – 1974)  Green Point, The Bluff Cooper Light, Cape Agulhas, Diaz Point, Danger Point, Slangkop, Cape St Lucia, M’bashe Point.

(d)   P-J Hannabus (1972 – 1975) M’bashe Point, Danger Point, Cape St Blaize, Slangkop, Dassen Island, Robben Island. (1975-1990) Radio Technician - Robben Island, M’bashe Point and  Hood Point Lighthouses.

Bird Island with the guano collectors 

  

Our earlier story began with Bird Island, which was one of the most remote Lighthouses along the coast and it has a history of unusual mysteries.

From Colin Urquhart’s book, ‘East to the Isles’, P-J Hannabus brings us this captivating story, which involved his uncle, Lighthouse Keeper, Charlie Hannabus.

The story begins, when, Lighthouse Keeper, C.C. Hansen was stationed on Bird Island in 1908. The isolation depressed his wife Mrs Hansen in the extreme and one day she was found drowned in Newtons well near the Lighthouse.  As time went by, rumours circulated and questions were raised as to whether it was suicide or something more sinister and Keepers and Guano staff believed that Mrs Hansen’s spirit haunted the island!

When he was stationed there, Charlie Hannabus claimed the double-storey house on the island, just NW of the tower, was haunted!

On certain nights it was said that "Mrs. Hansen" would run through the house as well as walk the island.  Charlie claimed that whilst he was there in 1930, sleeping in the kitchen one night for warmth, he suddenly woke up to find himself being dragged by his ankles across the floor by, he was sure, "Mrs. Hansen!”  The next night nothing would induce Charlie to sleep in the kitchen again and he slept upstairs with the door firmly bolted!

Shortly after this episode on one moonlit night, Head Lighthouse Keeper, Fred Ball, with thirteen years spent on the island and his Assistant Edwards, clearly saw Hannabus stumble 200m, across the island from the house to the flag room - but when they checked on him, Charlie Hannabus was in his bed!  Was that a ghost the two keepers had seen?  What explanation could there be?

Keeper Fred Ball said that Hannabus then recounted a similar incident some years earlier, when, on a stormy night, thought he had seen the Guano Headman strolling outside, but when the Keepers checked, the Headman was in bed ….. fast asleep!

Once again, on a stormy night, some twenty five years later on, while Tommy was on duty, Mrs Addison, wife of Head Keeper Tommy Addison, heard footsteps come up those stairs!  Terrified, Mrs Addison ducked under the blankets and heard the ‘ghost’ next to her bed, even to the extent of hearing the tick, tick, tick of a watch!  Later, when she questioned Tommy, he assured her that he had been on duty in the tower all night and did not come home at all!

The belief still exists today, that Bird Island remains haunted.  After the house was torn down, burnt and replaced in 1979, it seems that ‘Mrs Hansen’ was never seen again.  Even then, lighthouse maintenance crews did not like staying over, claiming that blankets have been pulled off beds as the crew slept and cold draughts blew through the rooms even when windows were tightly shut ……….

I’m sure that many readers will be sceptical, but the question has to be posed – If you are a sceptic, would you be comfortable spending the night in the house on the island on a stormy night?

A E Hannabus (Bill) the Patriarch L/H Keeper 

Left to Right:  J.F. Hannabus (Babsie), Mr Slattery (Charlie’s father-in-law) and C.H. Hannabus (Charlie) at Danger Point Lighthouse 1961  

P-J Hannabus, J.F Hannabus (Babsie) and C.H. Hannabus (Charlie)  Christmas 1981

For Part 1 of this series go to:

molegenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-last-of-south-african-lighthouse.html



www.keri-harvey.com/2014/06/lighthouse-keeping-nostalgic-job/#comment-357