Onrust's past reflected in its dirty waters<\/p>\n
By Iman Novan Santosa and Pandaya<\/p>\n
Onrust, one of the Seribu Islands in Jakarta Bay, has come
\nunder media scrutiny lately in connection with the government's
\nplan to develop the island in order to attract tourists.
\nFollowing is the 42nd article on historical sites in Jakarta,
\nfocussing on Onrust's plight.<\/p>\n
ONRUST ISLAND (JP): Archeological signs abound suggesting this
\ntiny island was once a Dutch major shipyard and a bustling
\nbusiness port.<\/p>\n
From a mile away, lush green areas are dotted with a few
\nbuildings, the ruins of a fortress and anchored motorboats.<\/p>\n
Foul smelling odors, plastic refuse and garbage litter the
\nisland the government earmarked as a legally protected
\n\"historical site\" in 1972.<\/p>\n
Well-known as a research haven for archeologists and
\nhistorians, Onrust is only one of scores of islets in Jakarta
\nBay. The heavy pollution, which is a result of unchecked dumping
\nof waste from the land and sea, has earned the bay the nickname
\n\"Jakarta's toilet\".<\/p>\n
Apart from the odors and garbage, Onrust boasts invaluable
\nartifacts, a legacy of the colonialist Dutch between the 17th and
\n18th century. Remains of fortresses, a dockyard, graveyard,
\nprison and an old mansion which was once a hospital are some of
\nthe major historical sites.<\/p>\n
The government's neglect is well-known. Residents familiar
\nwith Onrust and other islands say that until it was declared a
\nprotected historical site, it was practically \"no man's land\".
\nThefts of antique building materials and artifacts were common.<\/p>\n
But although the government has provided billions of rupiah to
\nsave historical sites, Onrust remains high and dry.<\/p>\n
Onrust, a Dutch word meaning \"always busy\" and the three
\nneighboring islands, Bidadari, Kelor and Cipir, served as the
\nDutch East India Company's (VOC) front line to defend Batavia,
\nwhich is now Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Onrust was believed to be one of the largest shipyards in
\nSoutheast Asia. The island provided defense and basic services
\nfor the Dutch naval ships.<\/p>\n
Pleasure island<\/p>\n
Archeologist Chandrian Attahiyat says in his book Onrust
\nIsland that before being occupied by the Dutch, it was a leisure
\nisland of the Banten sultanate.<\/p>\n
In the course of time, ownership of the island was disputed by
\nthe Sultan of Banten and the Prince of Jayakarta. The Dutch sided
\nwith the prince, and granted him permission to build a shipyard
\nthere in 1613, three years after the cooperation agreement.<\/p>\n
\"Dutch governor general Jan Pieterszoon Coen wanted the island
\nto be populated so he sent Chinese families there with enough
\nfacilities, including ample supplies of fresh water from the
\nmainland,\" Chandrian says.<\/p>\n
Chandrian notes that By 1695, there were 148 employees and 200
\nslaves, making it a strong defense and logistics depot.<\/p>\n
Historian Adolf Heuken in his book Tempat-tempat Bersejarah di
\nJakarta (Historical Sites in Jakarta), says British adventurer
\nJames Cook, who \"discovered\" Australia, was among those who
\nbenefited from the shipyard facility. Cook complimented the
\nworkers of Onrust's shipyard as the best in the entire eastern
\npart of the world at the time.<\/p>\n
Cook had his ship HMS Endeavor repaired at the shipyard in
\n1770 on his voyage around the world, according to the book.<\/p>\n
As threats from Banten and British colonial forces increased,
\nCoen fortified the island to provide better protection.<\/p>\n
The first fortress was built in 1656 in a rectangular form
\nwith two bastions. In 1671, it was expanded into a pentagon-
\nshaped fortress with a bastion at each corner. Work continued in
\nstages, until 1691, covering two-thirds of the island's surface.<\/p>\n
In order to speed up ship-repairing activities, a windmill was
\nerected in 1674 and another in 1691 to power sawmills.<\/p>\n
According to Heuken, by 1775 there were 1,200 residents on the
\nsmall island, along with 300 slaves and 600 'leased' slaves
\nworking there.<\/p>\n
\"The workers were only allowed to go to the mainland every six
\nmonths, for three days. They spent most of their earnings during
\ntheir days off,\" he says.<\/p>\n
Onrust suffered heavy damage following repeated attacks by
\nBanten-British forces alliance attacks. A British fleet under the
\ncommand of H.L. Ball blocked Batavia in 1800. He laid sieged to
\nthe four islands and practically destroyed every building on
\nthem.<\/p>\n
The Dutch rebuilt the island in 1803 but the British launched
\nanother attack, lead by Admiral Edward Pellow, just after the
\nrebuilding was completed in 1806. Another attack was launched in
\n1810 and the British took control of the island until 1816.<\/p>\n
The Dutch navy built a naval base between 1823 and 1840. New
\nfacilities such as watch towers were erected to strengthen the
\ndefense system.<\/p>\n
The naval base, however, was destroyed in 1883 by a tidal wave
\ntriggered by the famous eruption of Krakatau Volcano in the Sunda
\nstrait.<\/p>\n
Onrust was deserted in 1883 when the Tanjung Priok seaport was
\nconstructed.<\/p>\n
In 1911, the island became a quarantine for haj pilgrims bound
\nfor and returning from Mecca. It could accommodate up to 3,500
\npilgrims at a time.<\/p>\n
Some of the historical remains on the badly eroded island
\nserve as a reminder of its stormy colonial past.<\/p>\n
On its northern edge is a long house, used as a prison. The
\nbuilding lost its original looks after it was renovated and
\nleased as a hostel for visitors.<\/p>\n
The house was said to have been used to detain sailors and
\nofficers of the 'de Zeven Provincien' warship for their
\ninvolvement in a failed mutiny.<\/p>\n
According to Ensiklopedia Nasional Indonesia, the mutiny took
\nplace on Feb. 5, 1933, off coast Sumatra and ended five days
\nlater in the waters north off the coast of Java.<\/p>\n
The Dutch bombarded the warship to end the mutiny, killing 23
\nmutineers who were buried on Onrust.<\/p>\n
The mutiny was sparked by the discontentment over the colonial
\nadministration's decision to cut the wages of all officials by 17
\npercent due to the world recession.<\/p>\n
Graveyard<\/p>\n
Near the prison is a graveyard, which retains its original
\ntombs but has been left untended. Tombstones are cracked and worn
\nby time. Two graves retain Dutch inscriptions. They belong to
\nMaria van Veldeslyk and Anna Adriana Duran. Maria's age is not
\nknown but she was said to have died in 1693, while Anna died
\nyoung; born in 1763, she passed away in 1772.<\/p>\n
The building formerly used as a hospital now serves as a
\nmuseum where pictures and artifacts are on display: an iron shoe,
\nold anchors, fragments of china and bricks of both local and
\nDutch origin.<\/p>\n
The cash-strapped city administration is struggling to save
\nOnrust and other islands from abrasion.<\/p>\n
\"For example, we have allocated Rp 1 billion for keeping Kelor
\nisland intact by constructing breakwaters. But the project is
\ncertainly not enough (to stop abrasion),\" said assistant to the
\nCity Secretary for Development Affairs Ongky Sukasah.<\/p>\n
The administration plans to share the financial burden with
\nthe private sector to develop the islets while keeping their
\narcheological heritage in order to attract more tourists.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/onrusts-past-reflected-in-its-dirty-waters-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}