| Arniston | |
| Pushpin Map: | South Africa Western Cape#South Africa |
| Coordinates: | -34.6667°N 20.2306°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | South Africa |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | Western Cape |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name2: | Overberg |
| Subdivision Type3: | Municipality |
| Subdivision Name3: | Cape Agulhas |
| Subdivision Type4: | Main Place |
| Established Title: | Established |
| Leader Title: | Councillor |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 3.95 |
| Population Total: | 1267 |
| Population As Of: | 2011 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Demographics Type1: | Racial makeup (2011) |
| Demographics1 Title1: | Black African |
| Demographics1 Info1: | 2.4% |
| Demographics1 Title2: | Coloured |
| Demographics1 Info2: | 87.9% |
| Demographics1 Title3: | Indian/Asian |
| Demographics1 Info3: | 0.2% |
| Demographics1 Title4: | White |
| Demographics1 Info4: | 9.6% |
| Demographics1 Title5: | Other |
| Demographics Type2: | First languages (2011) |
| Demographics2 Title1: | Afrikaans |
| Demographics2 Info1: | 86.1% |
| Demographics2 Title2: | Tswana |
| Demographics2 Info2: | 5.7% |
| Demographics2 Title3: | English |
| Demographics2 Info3: | 4.8% |
| Demographics2 Title5: | Other |
| Demographics2 Info5: | 3.4% |
| Timezone1: | SAST |
| Utc Offset1: | +2 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code (street) |
| Postal2 Code Type: | PO box |
| Postal2 Code: | 7280 |
| Area Code Type: | Area code |
Arniston is a small seaside settlement on the coast of the Overberg region of South Africa, close to Cape Agulhas, the southernmost tip of Africa. Prior to the wreck of, it is also known as Waenhuiskrans, an Afrikaans name meaning literally "Wagon house cliff", after a local sea cave large enough to accommodate a wagon and a span of oxen.
See main article: Arniston (ship). In May 1815, a British East Indiaman, Arniston, was rounding the Cape in convoy on a journey to repatriate wounded British soldiers from Ceylon. The ship lacked a chronometer — an expensive instrument at the time — and consequently had to rely on other ships in the fleet to calculate the longitude of the group. After being separated from the convoy in heavy seas, the captain of Arniston was obliged to rely solely on dead reckoning to navigate. Thinking incorrectly that he was west of the Cape of Good Hope because of lack of headway, led to an incorrect assumption that Cape Agulhas was Cape Point. Consequently, Arniston was wrecked when her captain headed north for St Helena, operating on the incorrect belief the ship had already passed Cape Point, the master steered north for St Helena and ran the ship onto the rocks at Waenhuiskrans. Only six of the 378 people on board survived the wrecking.[2]
The survivors spent several days on the beach before being discovered by a farmer's son.[3] A memorial, a replica of which can be seen today, was erected on the beach by the wife of Colonel Andrew Geils (here spelled "Giels"), whose four unaccompanied children were lost in the tragedy. The memorial bears the following inscription:
Over the years, the name of the wreck has become synonymous with the name of the location and today the labels 'Arniston' and 'Waenhuiskrans' are used interchangeably.
At first only a fishing community, Arniston has become a holiday destination and its hinterland a region for viticulture. The fishing village, characterized by its lime-washed and thatched houses, remains unspoiled and has been declared a national monument in its entirety. Fishermen still go to sea in boats of the style that would have been familiar to locals in the early nineteenth century, although now under contract to larger commercial enterprises. Whale watching is a popular tourist activity. The Arniston Hotel is a popular tourist destination that looks out over the ocean. The closest major town is Bredasdorp, 24km (15miles) to the north. The Overberg Test Range is situated adjacent to the town.
Remembering Arniston: A Bicentenary Picture Book in Commemoration of the Wreck of the HMS Arniston, South Africa, 30 May 1815 Paperback