Oosterland (1684)
A model of the Oosterland | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Dutch Republic | |
| Name | Oosterland |
| Namesake | Possibly the town of Oosterland |
| Owner |
|
| Completed | 1685 |
| Maiden voyage | Wielingen-Batavia |
| Fate | Wrecked by the Kallendijk on 24 May 1695. |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | East Indiaman |
| Tonnage | 1123 |
| Length | 160 ft (49 m) |
| Depth | 18 ft (5.5 m) |
| Crew | 240-325 men |
The Oosterland was a large 17th-century East Indiaman of the Dutch East India Company (Dutch: Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie; VOC). The VOC was established in 1602. The ship was wrecked along with another ship by the ship the Kallendijk on 24 May 1695. The shipwreck was discovered by amateur divers in 1988 on the South African coast a few hundred metres from the entrance to Milnerton Lagoon at the mouth of the Salt River. Excavation of the wreck started in the early 1990s in combination with the University of Cape Town and was led by Bruno Werz.