Onrust's past reflected in its dirty waters

By Iman Novan Santosa and Pandaya

Onrust, one of the Seribu Islands in Jakarta Bay, has come under media scrutiny lately in connection with the government's plan to develop the island in order to attract tourists. Following is the 42nd article on historical sites in Jakarta, focussing on Onrust's plight.

ONRUST ISLAND (JP): Archeological signs abound suggesting this tiny island was once a Dutch major shipyard and a bustling business port.

From a mile away, lush green areas are dotted with a few buildings, the ruins of a fortress and anchored motorboats.

Foul smelling odors, plastic refuse and garbage litter the island the government earmarked as a legally protected "historical site" in 1972.

Well-known as a research haven for archeologists and historians, Onrust is only one of scores of islets in Jakarta Bay. The heavy pollution, which is a result of unchecked dumping of waste from the land and sea, has earned the bay the nickname "Jakarta's toilet".

Apart from the odors and garbage, Onrust boasts invaluable artifacts, a legacy of the colonialist Dutch between the 17th and 18th century. Remains of fortresses, a dockyard, graveyard, prison and an old mansion which was once a hospital are some of the major historical sites.

The government's neglect is well-known. Residents familiar with Onrust and other islands say that until it was declared a protected historical site, it was practically "no man's land". Thefts of antique building materials and artifacts were common.

But although the government has provided billions of rupiah to save historical sites, Onrust remains high and dry.

Onrust, a Dutch word meaning "always busy" and the three neighboring islands, Bidadari, Kelor and Cipir, served as the Dutch East India Company's (VOC) front line to defend Batavia, which is now Jakarta.

Onrust was believed to be one of the largest shipyards in Southeast Asia. The island provided defense and basic services for the Dutch naval ships.

Pleasure island

Archeologist Chandrian Attahiyat says in his book Onrust Island that before being occupied by the Dutch, it was a leisure island of the Banten sultanate.

In the course of time, ownership of the island was disputed by the Sultan of Banten and the Prince of Jayakarta. The Dutch sided with the prince, and granted him permission to build a shipyard there in 1613, three years after the cooperation agreement.

"Dutch governor general Jan Pieterszoon Coen wanted the island to be populated so he sent Chinese families there with enough facilities, including ample supplies of fresh water from the mainland," Chandrian says.

Chandrian notes that By 1695, there were 148 employees and 200 slaves, making it a strong defense and logistics depot.

Historian Adolf Heuken in his book Tempat-tempat Bersejarah di Jakarta (Historical Sites in Jakarta), says British adventurer James Cook, who "discovered" Australia, was among those who benefited from the shipyard facility. Cook complimented the workers of Onrust's shipyard as the best in the entire eastern part of the world at the time.

Cook had his ship HMS Endeavor repaired at the shipyard in 1770 on his voyage around the world, according to the book.

As threats from Banten and British colonial forces increased, Coen fortified the island to provide better protection.

The first fortress was built in 1656 in a rectangular form with two bastions. In 1671, it was expanded into a pentagon- shaped fortress with a bastion at each corner. Work continued in stages, until 1691, covering two-thirds of the island's surface.

In order to speed up ship-repairing activities, a windmill was erected in 1674 and another in 1691 to power sawmills.

According to Heuken, by 1775 there were 1,200 residents on the small island, along with 300 slaves and 600 'leased' slaves working there.

"The workers were only allowed to go to the mainland every six months, for three days. They spent most of their earnings during their days off," he says.

Onrust suffered heavy damage following repeated attacks by Banten-British forces alliance attacks. A British fleet under the command of H.L. Ball blocked Batavia in 1800. He laid sieged to the four islands and practically destroyed every building on them.

The Dutch rebuilt the island in 1803 but the British launched another attack, lead by Admiral Edward Pellow, just after the rebuilding was completed in 1806. Another attack was launched in 1810 and the British took control of the island until 1816.

The Dutch navy built a naval base between 1823 and 1840. New facilities such as watch towers were erected to strengthen the defense system.

The naval base, however, was destroyed in 1883 by a tidal wave triggered by the famous eruption of Krakatau Volcano in the Sunda strait.

Onrust was deserted in 1883 when the Tanjung Priok seaport was constructed.

In 1911, the island became a quarantine for haj pilgrims bound for and returning from Mecca. It could accommodate up to 3,500 pilgrims at a time.

Some of the historical remains on the badly eroded island serve as a reminder of its stormy colonial past.

On its northern edge is a long house, used as a prison. The building lost its original looks after it was renovated and leased as a hostel for visitors.

The house was said to have been used to detain sailors and officers of the 'de Zeven Provincien' warship for their involvement in a failed mutiny.

According to Ensiklopedia Nasional Indonesia, the mutiny took place on Feb. 5, 1933, off coast Sumatra and ended five days later in the waters north off the coast of Java.

The Dutch bombarded the warship to end the mutiny, killing 23 mutineers who were buried on Onrust.

The mutiny was sparked by the discontentment over the colonial administration's decision to cut the wages of all officials by 17 percent due to the world recession.

Graveyard

Near the prison is a graveyard, which retains its original tombs but has been left untended. Tombstones are cracked and worn by time. Two graves retain Dutch inscriptions. They belong to Maria van Veldeslyk and Anna Adriana Duran. Maria's age is not known but she was said to have died in 1693, while Anna died young; born in 1763, she passed away in 1772.

The building formerly used as a hospital now serves as a museum where pictures and artifacts are on display: an iron shoe, old anchors, fragments of china and bricks of both local and Dutch origin.

The cash-strapped city administration is struggling to save Onrust and other islands from abrasion.

"For example, we have allocated Rp 1 billion for keeping Kelor island intact by constructing breakwaters. But the project is certainly not enough (to stop abrasion)," said assistant to the City Secretary for Development Affairs Ongky Sukasah.

The administration plans to share the financial burden with the private sector to develop the islets while keeping their archeological heritage in order to attract more tourists.