Jan van Riebeeck

Timeline

1. 1639–1651Batavia · Dutch East IndiesAfter joining the Dutch East India Company he served in various places in Asia, accumulating experience in navigation, trade, and administration in preparation for later overseeing the Cape of Good Hope supply station.
2. 1652–1662Table Bay (Cape Town) · Cape of Good HopeOrdered to establish a supply station at Table Bay, he built a castle, cleared farms, and negotiated with the local Khoikhoi; the 1650s were the crucial decade in the formation of the Cape settlement, marking the starting point of South African colonial history.
3. 1662–1677Malacca · MalayaAfter leaving the Cape he was transferred to Malaya, Batavia, and elsewhere, continuing to serve the company's trade and administration until his death of illness in Batavia in 1677.