“West Cape” whispers a name from a bygone era. This is Tanjung Barat. We stand on ground once part of the private domain Tandjong West. Its story echoes through the centuries.
Tanjung Barat’s history is tied to a Dutch colonial manor house Landhuis Tandjong West. Imagine it a grand 18th-century estate. Jan Andries Duurkoop bought it sometime between 1760 and 1780. He transformed it into a thriving farmland.
Duurkoop’s estate was known for its cattle. Five thousand strong they supplied milk and meat to Batavia. Transport to Batavia took six hours downstream. Upstream it took two days. People nicknamed Tanjung Barat “Oostvriesland”. This was after a milk-producing region in northern Europe.
Picture Landhuis Tandjong West a majestic sight. A 25-meter high tower gate stood in Baroque style. Vast gardens surrounded the main building. Detached wings likely served as guesthouses. This was typical of Old Indies architecture.
In 1816 Captain Quirijn Maurits Rudolph Ver Huell saw Landhuis Tandjong West. He viewed it from across the Ciliwung River. He described it as “standing across the high banks of the river”. He noted its forest of coconut trees. A lovely green meadow lay at its foot. Cattle grazed peacefully. Tamarind trees dotted the landscape.
The Ciliwung River played a vital role. But Daendels initiated changes in the 19th century. He sought to optimize land use. A dam was built in Tanjung Barat to create Situ Babakan. This dam irrigated the land north of it. Lenteng Agung and Tanjung Barat flourished.
The Batavia-Buitenzorg rail line opened in 1873. This shifted transport from river to rail. Tanjung Barat adapted to the changing times.
In the early 20th century N. V. Landbouw Maatschappij Tandjong West owned the private domain. Tan Liok Tiauw was the landlord.
By 1932 the manor house and its tower gate were gone. The landscape however remained. Today the government of Jakarta owns the land. It is used for the Pusling Tanjung Barat a mobile health center.
No traces of Landhuis Tandjong West remain. The farmland has vanished. Yet Tanjung Barat’s story endures. It speaks of Dutch colonial estates. It whispers of cattle farms and river journeys. It reminds us that even without visible relics history lives on. It lives on in the very ground beneath our feet.