Tourist Route – Station 5

Mossel Bay was established and developed by courageous men and women who, despite adversity and hardship, persevered and created a thriving community. We salute all the town’s past contributors who played an immeasurable role in the development of Mossel Bay.

This cemetery is the final resting place of many of the town’s founding members and residents who contributed to shaping and improving the fledgling town: leaders who established social structures, teachers, preachers, tradesmen and fishermen – are all buried here.

Imagine a typical funeral in the late 1800s and early 1900s: flags are flown at half-mast, businesses are closed… and just before the coffin and the procession departs for the church from the house of the mourning family, the church bell is rung ever-so-slowly. Funerals were whole-village events when everybody – all carrying wreaths and followed by the hearse – joined in en masse to not only mourn the deceased, but also to get up to speed with the latest news of the day.

As Mossel Bay’s formal cemetery until the late 1940s, various denominations such as the Dutch Reformed, Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist and the Berlin Missionary Congregation, were allocated parcels of land for the graves of their congregants. Plots were provided at a fee and churches had to manage and maintain their own sections. There is also a section of land for those not aligned to a congregation or who were unable to purchase their plots. Registers of all persons buried in the cemetery were kept up to date by the various denominations. These records still exist.

Proceed north to Station 6 (480 m) down Beach Street to the point where it becomes a walkway and proceed until you are at the shoreline . Turn right to the east and follow the pathway to Station 6 which is located at Beacon Point. You will pass the old signal mast which was used as a beacon to guide ships into the harbour. Enjoy the coastline along the way and be on the lookout for whales, dolphins, seals and other sea life.