Simonstown

Town and naval base in Western Cape province, South Africa, situated on False Bay, 37 km/23 mi south of Cape Town; population (1991) 58,300. There are extensive dry-docks and harbour works.

The town derives its name from Simon Van der Stel, an early governor of the Cape of Good Hope. In 1741 it was occupied by the Netherlands government as a naval and military base. In 1814 the British Admiralty made Simonstown the main base for the South Atlantic Naval Squadron, and thus the most important strategic British naval base in the southern hemisphere at the time. The naval facility was transferred to South Africa in 1955.