by Annelien Dean
The historic West Dockyard Clock in Simon’s Town has had its voice and its looks restored in an extensive rejuvenation project.
This clock, installed in 1816, is possibly the oldest public turret clock in its original position in the Southern Hemisphere.
Last year, the clock mechanism underwent several major repairs, particularly, to replace a broken spring clutch. The project was led by Roy Burnie, treasurer of the Simon’s Town Historical Society; Harry Croome, retired Warrant Officer in charge of the Naval Museum, member of the Historical Society and Naval Heritage Trust, and Glencairn resident Stewart Neville.
It was no mean feat to find a replacement for the broken spring clutch, Roy says. Stewart approached Thwaites & Reed in England, which had been founded in 1740 and had made the clock in 1816 for the Royal Navy’s installation in Simon’s Town. Having the necessary remanufactured by them would require a few very large adjoining parts being shipped to England, with concomitant risk of loss or damage during transit.
“After extensive research, we found a company in Stellenbosch who specialises in scanning and high-pressure water cutting who would be able to help”, says Roy. But after hearing the tale of the clock’s last chime, Simon Baschiera, owner of Waterjet Extreme, handed a bottle of red wine to Stewart and Roy. “We thought it was a parting gift to go away and find someone else,” recalls Roy. “But then Simon said, ‘Right, this is what we’re going to do’.”
“Simon, being Italian, certainly had the right priorities!” quips Roy.
Understanding that they were volunteers on a tight budget, Simon kindly offered to do the work at cost, which turned out to be a fraction of what it would have cost in the UK with shipping clock parts. The replacement part was made by scanning the original broken part and making an exact replica in high-grade tool steel through high-pressure water cutting equipment.
When Stewart and Roy installed the replacement complex hexagon spring clutch, it fitted like a glove. Once done, Harry activated the pendulum — and the clock started ticking again. It now keeps time to within less than half a minute over the space of a week.
After a Simon’s Town couple heard the clock had been restored to working condition, they made a very generous anonymous donation of R100 000 to the project of restoring the clock tower. The Historical Society was able to donate R15 000 from its side. Harry approached the SA Navy Museum, the custodian of the clock, and received a very grateful go-ahead for the work to be done.
Drone footage was used to survey the damage. There was a gash in the roof, peeling plaster, and extensive corrosion on the clockfaces as well as the hands.
Scaffolding, supplied by West Coast Scaffolding, was installed around the tower for three weeks while CB Services and Classique Painters scraped, repaired and painted away. While up there, the discovery was made that the clock’s seaward-facing hands were so badly corroded they would soon crumble away. With the scaffolding in place for a short period,, there was no time to have hands made elsewhere, so Roy jumped in to make new a set of hands and repair others out of copper and aluminium sheeting.
Harry in turn took it upon himself to ensure that the painting was up to his liking, particularly with the difficult job of painting the wind vane and clock faces, ensuring that the gold paint did not bleed through the lines. During the final removal of the four-storey high scaffolding, he was so engrossed with touching up paintwork eclipsed by scaffolding, he found himself marooned without an escape, clinging to the tower for dear life without any safety railing!
As this building was originally built as a Royal Navy Sail Loft and Mast House, they followed the English tradition of painting church clock faces blue and gold in compliance with a historic decree by Henry the Eighth, influenced by Exodus 39’s instructions on colours for priestly garments.
Roy and Harry have a veritable shopping list of tasks for improvements to the interior of the clock tower next year. Work will focus on the belfry, the clock mechanism, and the waist section, and will also include the restoration of rope to the hour bell, which may be rung at weddings and funerals. To find out more, email Roy Burnie at rbcs@iafrica.com.
Before: The West Dockyard Clock, manufactured in 1816, was in sore need of restoration. A private donor contributed most of the funding for a recent restoration project.
After: History ticks on in handsome new colours.
Bird’s-eye view: Harry Croome, who retired from the SA Navy as the Warrant Officer heading up the SA Navy Musuem, is informally known as the town’s “Mr Fixit”. He could not stay on the ground when the restoration of the West Dockyard Clock was under way and went up with his paint brush to tidy up the lines.
Room with a view: Roy Burnie, treasurer of the Simon’s Town Historical Society, takes in the sights from the top of the West Dockyard Clock tower. He believes the West Dockyard Clock may be the oldest public turret clock in its original position in the Southern Hemisphere and welcomes any engagement on this topic at rbcs@iafrica.com.
Sands of time: The four clockfaces of the tower were in urgent need of repainting, while the hands of the sea-facing clock were near to crumbling. Burnie fashioned a new set of hands and installed these while the clock was ticking on a three-week scaffolding rental.
Rejuvenated: The west-facing clock, looking youthful after its extensive facelift and new hands.
