South Africa

South Africa used an extraordinary range of time signals, including the first shuttered lamp in 1823, one of the earliest time balls and a wide range of subsequent types. A time gun, later a precision signal, was introduced in 1807. The 1836 time ball at the Cape Observatory was constructed locally and supplemented by a repeater ball in 1853. The Observatory ball was replaced in 1863 and a time ball at Alred Docks became the principal signal for Table Bay in 1873. A time ball at Simon’s Bay was added in 1857, later replaced by a disc and then by another time ball in 1898. Additional time signals were provided at Port Elizabeth, Port Alfred and East London. The first 1873 time ball at the Docks was replaced in 1894. A time ball at Durban in Natal was established in 1883 and relocated in 1904. All were ultimately controlled from the Cape Observatory. The Docks time ball was restored in 1997.