Jan van Riebeeck, the first Dutch governor of the Cape Colony, dies

Portrait of Jan van Riebeeck

Date: 18 Jan 1677
Updated: 17 Jan 2020

Johan Anthonisz “Jan” van Riebeeck died on 18 January 1677 at the age of 57 in Batavia, now Jakarta, Indonesia, in the former Dutch East Indies. He landed at the Cape in April 1652 to establish a refreshment station for ships travelling to the East on behalf of the Dutch East India Company. Van Riebeek landed in three ships, with 82 men and 8 women, including his wife Maria de la Quellerie.

He landed two ships (The Drommedaris and Goede Hoope) at the future Cape Town site on 6 April 1652 and the Reijger on 7 April 1652 and then commenced to fortify it as a way station for the Dutch East India Company trade route between the Netherlands and the East Indies. The primary purpose of this way station was to provide fresh provisions for the their fleets sailing between the Dutch Republic and Batavia, as deaths en route were very high.

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01South Africa.to ‘Jan van Riebeeck (21 April 1619 - 18 January 1677)’ from South Africa.to [online] Available at: www.southafrica.to [Accessed on 12 December 2011]
02Kapstadt.org ‘Jan van Riebeeck ”“ Founder of Cape Town ”“ Cape Town ”“ South Africa’ from Kapstadt.org [online] Available at: www.kapstadt.org [Accessed on 12 December 2011]

Last updated · 17 Jan 2020

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2012, January 13). Jan van Riebeeck, the first Dutch governor of the Cape Colony, dies . South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0072401

South African History Online (2012) 'Jan van Riebeeck, the first Dutch governor of the Cape Colony, dies ', South African History Online, 13 January. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0072401 (Accessed: 21 July 2026).

South African History Online, Jan van Riebeeck, the first Dutch governor of the Cape Colony, dies [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0072401, (accessed 21 July 2026).

"Jan van Riebeeck, the first Dutch governor of the Cape Colony, dies ." South African History Online, 13 Jan. 2012, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0072401. Accessed 21 July 2026.

South African History Online. "Jan van Riebeeck, the first Dutch governor of the Cape Colony, dies ." South African History Online. January 13, 2012. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0072401.