Page 8 - Bulletin 11 2007

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The importance of the object for which they have wrought is fully
commensurate with the difficulty of its achievement, and the result is one of which
they may well be proud.
I have much pleasure in declaring the dock open.

After the Ceremony
________

A luncheon party was given at Admiralty House, at which 20 guests were
present comprising the Royal party, the Governor-General and Lady Gladstone,
Lord Methuen, General Scobell, and the Archbishop and Mrs Carter. The Union
Ministry was represented by General Smuts, in the absence of General Botha and
Mrs Botha, who were prevented by the Premier’s illness from attending.
About 200 people attended the luncheon at the new Dockyard, given by Sir
John Jackson, whose health was proposed by Sir John Buchanan.
A garden party was held this afternoon at Admiralty House, for which 1,500
invitations had been issued. Music was provided by the bands of H.M.S. Defence
and Hermes.
The survey ship, Mutine, entered the new Dock during the afternoon.
A magnificent gold casket containing a picture of the new works was
presented to His Royal Highness in the course of the day’s ceremonial.

 During this time, too, the coastal defences of Simon’s Town were strengthened: two
9.2” guns were installed at Noah’s Ark Battery (near Seaforth) and one at Upper

North Battery (towards Glencairn), four 6” guns at Upper North and Queen’s

Batteries; other lighter mobile guns were capable of being moved between Queen’s
and Lower North Batteries. (Bisset, unpub.). None of these was expected to be able

to deal with an attack by German Dreadnought-type battleships whose 12” guns
would enable them to stand offshore and bombard Simon’s Town out of range of

the shore batteries.

 A wireless station capable of long-distance communication with the Royal Navy at

sea was opened at Slangkop in March 1911. Nearby the lighthouse begun in 1913
was completed in 1914 but switched on only in 1919. Construction of the new Cape

Point lighthouse started in April 1914 but it, too, was switched on only in 1919.