The Town of Dannhauser was named after Renier Dannhauser, a German settler, who purchased the Farm: 'Palmietfontein', from the Natal Government, in 1872. The Dannhauser's are an old farming family that lived in that Area. It was proclaimed a Village in 1937. Some of the largest coal-producing Mines surround it.

The Johanna, or Joanna, was a British East Indiaman vessel sailing from Kent, England, to Surat, India, under the command of Captain Robert Brown. She embarked on her journey on 27 February 1682, carrying a crew of 110, 36 guns, European-made trading goods and 70 chests of silver ‘pieces of eight’.  A ‘piece of eight’ is silver or gold ‘coins’ that were worth eight Spanish ‘Reales’ that could be broken or cut into eight pieces and used to trade for goods and services.

Historic shipwrecks are time capsules of their time, they are often untouched for decades, sometimes centuries, until they are discovered. Everything onboard gets frozen in time, which archaeologists can study to understand our history. Ships have had an immeasurable impact on how we live today. These vessels are what opened the seas for trade, travel and communication across continental borders.