Murray's Bay Harbour

Murray's Bay Harbour

Immovable Culture Heritage

Murray's Bay Harbour was built during World War 2, to enable transport of defence weapons to the island as part of its status as a millitary station for the Union of South Africa after they declared war on Germany in 1939. Just off the coast, off the tip of Africa, protecting water around this area was important due to its importance to shipping lanes, especially given the turmoil around the Suez Canal. During the war, a degaussing station was also built adjacent to the harbour. This was built because the Germans were using magnetic mines, and ships needed to have the magnetic fields induced on them neutralised. Reportedly, they dealt with thousands of ships during the war. The harbour was expanded in the 1950s, and a high wall was built block the view of Table Bay by prisoners. Today, the harbour is used by ferrys bringing tourists over from the mainland for tours with the Robben Island Museum, the current stewards of the island.

is51102025,robbenisland

1939

ec349@st-andrews.ac.uk

Site

1478

25/04/2025

04/25/2025 11:50:26 pm

https://www.cape-town-heritage.co.za/heritage-site/murray-s-bay-harbour.html, https://www.robben-island.org.za/army-1941-1945/, https://indicatorloops.com/southafrica.htm, https://www.robben-island.org.za/banishment-1939-now/

cm x cm x cm

current,-33.797647709660396,18.376511334718092;

Government of South Africa

Murray's Bay Harbour

TEXT

Building

3949

Robben Island Museum

ec349@st-andrews.ac.uk