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History: This black slate stone beacon with the inscription G VOC chiselled thereon was presumably erected in 1785 by Governor Cornelis Jacobus van der Graaff to indicate the western boundary of the Cape District.

The farm Geelbek, earlier called Geelbekefontein, is situated at the southern end of Saldanha Lagoon. Already in 1666 the French reported that the best and only really fresh water at Saldanha Bay was to be found at Geelbeksfontein where there was a group of fountains bubbling up. In 1669 the Dutch at Cape Town sent soldiers to occupy the fountains to prevent the French from using them. The Dutch survey of the Saldanha area in 1729 reported that the only fresh water was found at Oude Post and Geelbek. Swellengrebel, son of the Governor, visited Geelbek in 1776. On Elphinsone’s map of Saldanha Bay 1795 (based on an earlier map) two buildings are shown at Geelbek,
Visual Description: About 500 m north-east of the farmhouse and not far from the shore of the la goon there stands in the grassy veld about 35 steps from a row of gumtrees, a beacon of blue-black Malmesbury shale with the inscription G \VOC (Geoktrooieerde Verenigde Oos-Indiese Kompanjie). The beacon is about 75 cm high, 40 cm wide and 20 cm deep. It is thought that it was placed there in 1785 by Governor van der Graaf to mark the northern boundary of the Cape District. In the farmhouse there is (or was) an old sketch of the beacon with the 6 VOC, the coat of arms of Governor Cornelis Jacob van der Graaf and the following inscription:
Deese Baak/ is opgerigt/ Door den Wel/ Edel! Gest /Heer Gouver/ Neur Cornee/ Lis Jacob Van/ De Graaf/ Ano 1785.
The V.O.C. beacon on the farm Geelbek, near Langebaan was declared a national monument in May 1981."
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Construction Date: 1785
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