May 2026

Exploring the shipwrecks of Agulhas

On our first full day after we arrived at Arniston Hotel & Spa in Arniston, we had quite a few places we wanted to visit. The first stop was at the Shipwreck Museum in Bredasdorp, which is just 24km/15 miles from Arniston.

The road between Arniston and Bredasdorp

The southernmost coastline is known as a graveyard for ships. A few centuries ago, before modern navigation systems and the lighthouses at Cape Agulhas, ships were especially vulnerable to conditions such as strong winds, unpredictable weather systems, powerful waves, and the confluence of cold and warm ocean currents.

The Shipwreck Museum is a very good place to visit if you want to know how Arniston got its name. Apparently, over 230 shipwrecks are scattered around the South African coast, of which about 23 of these shipwrecks are to be found on the Agulhas coast (the southernmost point of Africa). One of the most notable shipwrecks along the Agulhas coastline is the Arniston, a British transport ship that wrecked on 30 May 1815 north of the village Arniston (named after the ship).

Shipwreck Museum in Bredasdorp

Here in the museum, visitors can read more about some of the more well-known shipwrecks on the Agulhas coast. The displays are well laid out, and we spent about an hour just in one room to watch a video and read about the shipwrecks and human stories connected to the wrecks. There is also an interesting display about the earlier navigation systems.

Exhibition hall in the Shipwreck Museum

Exhibition hall in the Shipwreck Museum

Exhibitions

There are quite a few exhibitions of shipwrecks, such as the:

  • ‘Birkenhead’ (British iron-hulled steamship/frigate that sank in 1852),
  • ‘Queen of the Thames’ (Australian iron screw vessel/sailing ship that sank in 1871),
  • And the more recent ‘Meisho Maru 38’ (fishing vessel/trawler that sank in 1982).
  • However, we wanted to read more about the shipwreck, the ‘Arniston’ – which is a very sad story – although, aren’t most shipwrecks infused with sadness?

Arniston

The Arniston was a British East Indiaman that made eight voyages for the East India Company (EIC). She was underway from Ceylon to England on a journey to repatriate wounded soldiers from the Kandyan Wars. However, during a storm on 30 May 1815 at Waenhuiskrans (as Arniston was known then), she sank with the loss of 372 lives – only six on board survived.

The six men who survived (the ship’s carpenter and five sailors) reached the shore with great difficulty through the high surf. They buried the bodies that had washed up on the beach and for six days they survived on a cask of oatmeal, before being discovered by a farmer’s son and taken to Cape Town.

The Arniston story (and some of the artefacts found)

It was sad to read about the four young brothers who lost their lives during this tragedy. The boys, who were 13, 10, 8, and 7 respectively, had visited their father, Colonel Andrew Geils, in Ceylon and were on their way back to England under the supervision of Lord and Lady Molesworth. A memorial was erected by the wife of Colonel Andrew Geils (and the mother of the four boys) on the beach near the place where the Arniston sank.

Memorial for the four brothers who lost their lives when the Arniston sank

Across from the Arniston Hotel & Spa and near the rocks, we found a replica of this memorial where it has been erected.

Replica of the memorial in Arniston

The navigation display was very interesting. When one looks at these instruments used in previous centuries, it is almost understandable why so many ships sank (and probably more surprising that not more ships were lost).

Navigation display

There is a huge collection of artifacts that were salvaged from all these ships – cannons, figureheads, coins, photos, furniture, and even an entire dining room set.

Salvaged artifacts

Just before we left this hall, we saw a beautiful painting of the Lighthouse at Agulhas. This lighthouse was built in 1848 and is the second oldest working lighthouse in South Africa. But wait, I’m getting ahead of myself now, because we’re going to pay a visit to this lighthouse in our next post.

Painting of the Lighthouse at Agulhas

The museum is housed in a beautifully restored building that was originally an Anglican rectory, built in 1838. One of the adjoining buildings has been transformed into a house, providing a glimpse into the lives of those who lived through these historical events.

Old kitchen

Music room

Dining room with beautiful wallpaper

Another dining room and lovely sideboard with dining room set

This cabinet was on the Arniston that sank in 1815

Bedroom

Suitcase (very practical, but maybe a bit too big to travel with nowadays)

Old sewing machine

From here, we walked through the museum’s garden to two more buildings. In one, items from bygone years are on display, and in the other were a couple of historic vehicles.

Garden at the Shipwreck Museum

Vintage room

Imagine typing a blog post on one of these typewriters

Fire truck and hearse

There is a wonderful tranquillity in the museum’s garden, and it’s also here that we found a prominent tree, surrounded by a collection of old anchors from various ships. This was a good place to just stand quietly for a moment and remember all the old sailors for their bravery in venturing to explore new worlds while having to face the mighty oceans.

Calm stream and bridge in the museum’s garden

Big tree in the museum’s garden

Old ship anchors

Just before we left the garden, we saw a small sign on the ground with the wording: ‘Bredasdorp, the southernmost station in Africa’ (I don’t think trains still run to Bredasdorp – that’s probably why the sign is in the museum).

Whether the trains are running or not – it’s still the southernmost station in Africa

Bredasdorp may be a small town in the Overberg area, but it’s a place you definitely should not miss – especially if you want to see a very interesting shipwreck museum.