Port Nolloth, a quaint town in the Northern Cape of South Africa, holds a significant place in the country's maritime and mining history. Once a bustling port and mining hub, it has transformed over the centuries into a serene fishing village with a rich past.
Historical Significance and Discovery. Port Nolloth's history is intertwined with the legendary Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias. During his monumental voyage around the Cape of Good Hope in 1487, Dias marked the bay, known to the Namaqua people as Aukwatowa, meaning "Where the water took away the old man". This location was the last landfall Dias sighted before a fierce storm blew his ship off course for an astonishing 30 days.
The region remained largely untouched until 1852, when James Alexander discovered copper at Okiep, 160 kilometers inland. This discovery prompted the Cape Colony administration to survey the coastline, leading to the selection of Aukwatowa bay for a port in 1854 due to its shelter from offshore winds.
Development and Expansion. In 1855, a rudimentary quay was constructed to accommodate horse-drawn wagons carrying copper ore from Okiep. This burgeoning service town was named Port Nolloth in honor of the surveyor Captain M.S. Nolloth by Cape Colony Governor Sir George Grey.
By 1874, the Namaqualand Railway replaced the wagons, linking the mine and port over a 154-kilometer stretch. Despite these advancements, the port faced navigational challenges due to the increasing size of ore carriers and a coastal reef across the channel, leading to several shipwrecks.
Diamond Boom and Decline. The port saw a revival in 1926 with the discovery of alluvial diamonds along the coast. This diamond rush turned Port Nolloth into a significant service center, continuing even after copper shipments ceased in 1944. However, the port's inability to accommodate larger vessels led to numerous shipwrecks, including the South African freighter Border in 1947 and the Bechuana in 1950.
Efforts to improve access by blasting the coastal reef were only partially successful, and the decline in diamond exports in the 1970s further reduced the port's significance.
Contemporary Port Nolloth. Today, the diamonds in Port Nolloth are nearly depleted, with divers struggling to make substantial earnings. The town now relies primarily on the crayfishing industry and small-scale diamond recovery. The only large-scale shipping vessel, the Oranjemund, was withdrawn in 2006 due to the economic infeasibility of its operations.
The current Port Nolloth is a shadow of its former bustling self, primarily serving minor fishing vessels and recreational boating. The silting of the harbor has further limited access, allowing only the smallest boats to dock at the 67-meter quay.
Port Nolloth's evolution from a strategic mining port to a tranquil fishing village mirrors the broader shifts in South Africa's economic and maritime history. While its days of grandeur may be in the past, the town remains a testament to human tenacity and adaptability in the face of changing times and fortunes.