Jan van Riebeeck (21 April 1619 - 18 January 1677)
Johan Anthonisz "Jan" van Riebeeck was born on the 21st April 1619 in Culemborg in the Netherlands (his father was a surgeon). He grew up in Schiedam and on the 28th March 1649 he got married there, to Maria de la Quellerie.
In 1639 Van Riebeeck joined the VOC (Dutch East India Company) and sailed to Batavia in April 1639 as an assistant surgeon. From there he went to Japan, and in 1645 Van Riebeeck took charge of the company trading station at Tongking (Tonkin, now in Vietnam). Van Riebeeck was called back from the post in Tongking as it was discovered that he was conducting trade for his own account.
In 1651 he was sent to establish a refreshment post at the Cape of Good Hope. On the 6th of April 1652 Van Riebeeck landed at the Cape with 5 ships (Reijer, Dromedaris, Goede Hoop, Oliphant and Walvisch) and established Fort Duijnhoop (made of mud, clay and timber, with 4 corners). They planted gardens to supply fruit and vegetables to passing ships, and bartered with the Khoikhoi (who they called Goringhaikwa and later Kaapmans) for meat. Van Riebeeck remained leader of the Cape until 1662.
On the 17th December 1652, Van Riebeeck reported the first comet discovered from South Africa, C/1652 Y1.
He died on the island of Java in Batavia (which was since renamed Jakarta) on the 18th January 1677.
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