FS0001

Did You Know?

The Navigasie vlag (navigation flag) site at Port Beaufort dates to 1865, when a flag signal system was established to guide ships entering the Breede River. The system used a flagpole anchored by four iron pins, which remain visible today. Port Beaufort, located at the mouth of the Breede River in the Western Cape, was a key 19th-century harbour for the export of agricultural produce from the surrounding region, particularly wool and wheat. The flag signal would have indicated safe passage conditions, such as water depth and tidal status, to vessels navigating the river's shifting sandbar. The site is a rare surviving example of pre-modern river navigation infrastructure in South Africa.

AI-assisted · may contain inaccuracies