1966 Admiralty Chart (No 1920) of Table Bay

Admiralty Chart No. 1920, Table Bay, originally surveyed in 1933 by Lieut-Commander J. Dalgleish, R.N., aboard the South African Survey Ship “Africana”, and first published at the Admiralty on 28 August 1936 (with large corrections in 1951 and 1966), provides a detailed hydrographic representation of Table Bay and the approaches to Cape Town’s harbour. The chart covers Robben Island, Green Point, Woodstock, and Paarden Eiland, showing the harbour basins, dredged channels, moorings, and anchorages, with depths in fathoms and dense soundings across the bay. Navigational aids such as the Green Point and Robben Island lighthouses, buoys, and leading lines illustrate the precision required to enter the expanding port safely. By the time of the 1966 corrections, Table Bay had been transformed through mid-20th-century engineering works — including the Duncan Dock and Sturrock Graving Dock, as well as major foreshore reclamation that reshaped Cape Town’s waterfront. Issued during a period when the bay served as one of the busiest Allied ports of WWII and a vital refuel and repair hub on global trade routes, the chart captures Table Bay at its industrial and strategic peak — a pre-containerisation harbour serving conventional cargo and naval vessels.

This map is a reproduction of a historical map that is now in the public domain. It has been selected for its aesthetic appeal and historical interest and carefully restored and reproduced to preserve its original detail and character.  There may be marks and fold lines visible which add to the authentic look.  The map is printed on 230gsm heavyweight coated paper with a matte finish.  Most old maps were printed on uncoated rag or wood pulp papers and therefore a matte finish best represents the original map.