In the early 1500's Spanish, Portuguese, French and English fishermen crossed the Atlantic Ocean to catch the abundant
cod in the cold waters around Avalon.
For their seasonal camps they preferred natural harbours and soon
Basque fishermen found the ideal place, a secluded bay behind protective hills and with a narrow entrance.
They called
the place after St John and the location first shows up on a Portuguese map from 1519.
In the 17th century a permanent English
community was set up at St Johns and the population slowly grew to become the largest in Newfoundland.
The entrance, aptly
called the Narrows, proved ideal to protect against attacks from pirates, the Dutch and later the French.
Canons
were deployed on Signal Hill to the north, and at Fort Amherst to the south.
These defensives remained active throughout the
Second Worldwar, when the harbour was used by the Allies as an anti-submarine naval base.
Signal Hill and Fort Amherst
still show the remnants of this interesting but violent military history.
A bit to the south is Cape Spear, Newfoundland's
most easterly point. Apart from the 19th century lighthouse there are also the ruins of a WWII gun battery that protected the allied
convoys to and from St Johns.
