HB0083

Did You Know?

The ‘Houtschuur’ in Plettenberg Bay is a historical building dating back to 1788. It was originally constructed as a timber shed (houtschuur in Dutch) by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) to store and process timber harvested from the surrounding forests. Plettenberg Bay was a key location for the VOC’s timber trade, as the area’s indigenous forests provided valuable hardwoods like stinkwood and yellowwood, used for shipbuilding and furniture. The building is one of the oldest surviving structures in the region, reflecting the colonial era’s economic reliance on natural resources. Today, it is a provincial heritage site and serves as a museum, offering insights into the early timber industry and the history of the town.

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