Benteng Fort du Bus
Taking historical tours by visiting sites or places where historical events occurred, or visiting museums is a fun and amazing thing to do. While we are there, we can imagine what humans at that time did in their daily life, what they did for fun, what they ate, how they dressed and how they interacted and communicated each other, and how they travel to other places. As a country that has a long history, Indonesians can find various kinds of relics, even because Indonesia has a history of being a colony of other countries, we can also find their legacy.
These historical relics can be found in various forms, from tools, knowledge, bridges to buildings. Even today, we can still find Dutch heritage buildings that are still well preserved and are still in use even though their function may have changed, such as government buildings that have been converted into school buildings. Here the author will introduce you to a Dutch heritage building that will be a a knowledge for those of you who are history lovers or who like to explore a place, the name is Fort Du Bus.
Fort Du Bus is a fort that was built and inaugurated on August 24, 1828 which coincided with the anniversary of the Dutch King Willem III's birthday by the Dutch East Indies government with the aim of preventing any interference from British colonial troops from the south to be precisely from Australia. The fort is located in Triton Bay on the southwest coast of New Guinea which was the name for the province of Papua in Indonesia at that time. Even though it is known as Benteng Fort Du Bus, the word fort actually means fort in Dutch, while du bus was taken from the name of the Governor General of the Dutch East Indies who was in power at that time, namely L.P.J. Burggraaf du Bus de Gisignies.
If you want to visit the fort du bus fort then you can find its location in Lobo Village, Triton Bay area, Kaimana Regency, West Papua. A little trivia about Triton Bay, it is said to be named after the Triton corvette ship that first discovered the bay by the Dutch but actually the bay already has a name known to the indigenous people, namely Uru Lengguru. It is said that Fort Du Bus continued to operate until around 1835, the fort was finally emptied and abandoned due to the outbreak of the residents there with various diseases, especially malaria which resulted in the death of most of the population and the number of attacks carried out by tribes from Seram and Goram. The fort is thought to have been standing until around February 1836, when the fortress, according to historians, was then destroyed and what is currently a sign that there was once a fort at that location is through a monument that still stands today.
In the former location of the building, it can be said that not much can be seen from the rest of the fort itself, although you may still find some of the foundations of the fort that have been excavated by archaeologists. But if you like historical things you can come and see the place where once witnessed the Dutch who gradually instilled their power in Indonesian land until they were finally abandoned and left in ruins in history.
In addition to the historical location, you can also enjoy the scenery and the air around, where green trees thrive and refresh your eyes and mind, accompanied by cool air that you can enjoy, especially after getting used to the hustle and bustle and pollution in crowded cities. This location is also close to Triton Bay which provides beautiful views so once you visit you can travel to two different places and can experience a different travel experience from a part of history in Indonesia to the natural beauty of the earth.
Fort Du Bus Fort is also one of the oldest forts in Indonesia, along with Fort Rotterdam (Fort Rotterdam), Ujung Pandang. 1545, Buton Palace Fortress, Bau Bau. 1597, Fort Pendem Cilacap. 1861, Fort De Kock, Bukittinggi. 1825, Fort Victoria, Ambon. 1775, Fort Vastenberg, Solo. 1745, Fort Malborough, Bengkulu. 1713, Fort Portuguese, Jepara. 1632, and Fort Belgica, P. Banda, 1611.
How to get there?
To visit Benteng du Bus, of course, visitors must reach Triton Bay. To reach Triton Bay, you can fly or ship with a certain schedule to Kaimana then to Triton Bay, the only means of transportation available is sea transportation from Kaimana. A ship belonging to the local government in Kaimana which transits in several Teluk Triton villages on its way to Etna Bay. Or take a longboat or chartered speedboat to go to Triton Bay. From Port Kaimana, it will take about three hours by long boat and about one and a half hours by speedboat to Triton Bay.
