Friends of Blaauwberg will not have their annual event commemorating the 215th anniversary Battle of Blaauwberg this year due to Covid regulations.
According to Dave Harbour, a member of the Friends of Blaauwberg Conservation Area, their annual walk was suppose to be held on Sunday January 17.
On January 8, 1806 Blauwberg became the battleground between the British army and the Cape Dutch colonists.
“The British forces led by General Sir David Baird made up of 4 500 men from Scotland, Ireland and England had landed at Losperds Baai (Melkbosstrand) on the 6th and 7th January. Lieutenant General Jan Willem Janssens led a group known as Batavian. A mixed group of nations made up of Dutch, French, Austrian/Hungarian, Javanese, Malays and most notably descendants of the Khoina nation and imported slaves from the rest of Africa. After establishing battle order, the British confronted Lieutenant Janssens’ 2 000 assembled troops on the old north road to the east of Blaauwberg Hill. The short battle concluded in a British victory and retreat of the Batavian troops following which Lieutenant Janssens was to finally capitulate the Cape to the British on 18 January 1806,” he said.
Various streets are now named after some of the roleplayers in the battle like General Janssens Street in Bloubergstrand, Sir David Baird Drive also in Bloubergstrand and Batavia Street in Bothasig
