It’s December 2019, the time when a decade comes to an end and the world prepares to sing Auld Lang Syne to welcome 2020.
Amidst all the excitement, SNA presents eight historical happenings – from the launching of public transportation to the wrecking of American Whaler and the introduction of Nigerian beetles to the islands – that occurred in Seychelles.
On December 1, 1972
The Coral Strand Hotel at Beau-Vallon was officially opened by Governor Bruce Great Batch. It was the second modern tourist establishment to open after the Reef Hotel earlier that year. In 1972, a total of 15,197 visitors came to Seychelles.
(Salifa Karapetyan, Seychelles News Agency) Photo license: CC-BY
On December 6, 1977
President France Albert Rene inaugurated the Seychelles Public Transport Corporation. The first batch of 30 TATA buses from India arrived in 1979. The corporation imported the first FIAT buses in 1980 to increase its fleet.
(Salifa Karapetyan, Seychelles News Agency) Photo license: CC-BY
On December 9, 1918
An ordinance was enacted by Governor Eustace Fiennes that made it illegal for shops to open on Sundays. This was to discourage excessive drinking. The only establishment allowed to be open until 10 a.m. were bakeries, barbers, butchers, and greengrocers. Fines of $7 to $14 were imposed.
(Salifa Karapetyan, Seychelles News Agency) Photo license: CC-BY
On December 11, 1861
The post office opened in Victoria. And years later in 1899, inland postal service was introduced in the colony by the administrator, Ernest Bickham Sweet- Escott.
(Seychelles News Agency) Photo license: CC-BY
On December 17, 1828
An American whaler, ASP, wrecked on the Blanchisseuse – another vessel – close to port Victoria. The 345-ton ship which arrived at Mahe – the main island – in 1825 was the second whaler after Swan to exploit whales of Seychelles’ waters.
(Spears, John R. Freshwater and Marine Image Bank, Wikipedia) Photo license: CCO
On December 20, 1960
The British India Steamer Kampala, brought a collection of 100 carabid beetles from Nigeria. These were set free on the islands of Praslin and La Digue to feed on the rhinoceros beetles that had infested and destroying the coconut palms.
(Wikipedia) Photo license: CC BY-SA 4.0
On December 24, 1917
The Legislative Council passed an ordinance for the protection of breadfruit and other trees. The penalty for violating this ordinance was a fine not exceeding around $3 for each tree destroyed, in addition to three times the value of each tree. This law presently covers 23 trees including Santol and Takamaka.
(Salifa Karapetyan, Seychelles News Agency) Photo license: CC-BY
On December 27, 1920
Regulations came into force that required persons landing in the Colony to have passports and to restrict the landing in the Colony of undesirable immigrants.
(Seychelles News Agency) Photo license: CC-BY
