John Mackintosh Square
Encyclopedia
John Mackintosh Square is a main square
in the British overseas territory
of Gibraltar
. It has been the centre of city life since the 14th century and takes its name from John Mackintosh, a local philanthropist
. Notable buildings on John Mackintosh Square include the Parliament Building and the City Hall
.
(Main Square) (according to Alonso Hernández del Portillo
in his work titled Historia de la Muy Noble y Más Leal Ciudad de Gibraltar −History of the Very Noble and Most Loyal City of Gibraltar) or Gran Plaza (Great Square) and afterwards as the Alameda
(Spanish
for an avenue
lined with poplars, not to be confused with the Alameda Gardens), it opened out from the west of the Calle Real
(now Main Street
). Two buildings separated it from the Line Wall (Gibraltar's main sea wall during the Spanish period, which run from Landport to the foot of the South Mole): a large rectangular building to the west of the Square, and a smaller lower building to the south of it, the hospital and chapel of La Santa Misericordia (The Holy Mercy).
During the first century of the British period, the square was used for military parades by the garrison and therefore known as the Parade or Grand Parade. In 1704, after the city's capture by an Anglo-Dutch fleet
, the British
converted the hospital and chapel of La Santa Misericordia into a debtors' prison. In 1753, a survey of Gibraltar went on showing a prison at the western end of the square. After the Great Siege
, a colonnaded
Georgian guardhouse
was built on the southern side of the square. It was the Main Guard, the place from which all the sentries in Gibraltar were posted each evening. Some years later it hosted the Fire Brigade. After the move of the brigade to the new fire station at Victoria Battery in 1938, it became the Rates Office. Today the guardhouse houses the Gibraltar Heritage Trust.
The square was also where military punishment in the form of flogging
s took place.
The look of the square changed very much during the second decade of the 19th century, when its two most prominent buildings were constructed. In 1817 local merchants raised money by public subscription to construct a building to house the Exchange and Commercial Library. In 1807, Gibraltar merchants had founded a library in Bedlam Court, as they were denied membership of the Garrison Library
, it being available only to members of the British garrison in the city (the Garrison Library functioned not only as a library
, but as a club
, owned and run by and for military officers; civilians were excluded, regardless of their prominence). Ten years later, in 1817, they built themselves a new building on the east side of the square, thus separating it from Main Street. It housed, not only a library
, but also an auction
room and became the meeting place of local merchants. In 1951, the building was refurbished to host the Legislative Council, which in 1969 become the House of Assembly
. Since 2006, the building hosts the Gibraltar Parliament.
About the same time, in 1819, on the opposite side of the square, Aaron Cardozo, a prosperous merchant of Jewish Portuguese
descent, built the grandest private mansion
ever seen in Gibraltar. The three-storey
house dominated the square. It was erected on the site of the old hospital and chapel of La Santa Misericordia and later prison. As a non Protestant, Cardozo was not legally allowed to own property in Gibraltar. However, as he had been a close friend of Horatio Nelson and had supplied his fleet, he was eventually granted a site to build a house in the Alameda on the condition that it be "an ornament" to the square. Its cost was about £
40,000. After his death in 1834, his mansion was rented out as a hotel, the Club House Hotel. It was bought in 1874 by Pablo Antonio Larios, a wealthy businessman and banker, Gibraltarian
-born and member of a Spanish
family, who completely refurbished the building. In 1922, his son Pablo Larios, Marquis of Marzales, sold the building to the Gibraltar colonial authorities, which intended to turn it into a post office
. However, it eventually became the premises of the newly formed Gibraltar City Hall
which now houses the Mayor
's Parlour. The building later underwent multiple modifications (such as the addition of a new storey and an extension to the north) that altered the original symmetry of the building.
In the mid 19th century the name of the square was changed to Commercial Square, being the site of a daily flea market
and regular public auction
s, as a result of which a Spanish name, Plazuela del Martillo, or more colloquially, El Martillo, was coined ("martillo" being the Spanish word for a gavel
). Another popular name at the time was Jews Market. These epithets fell out of usage and the square is typically referred to as The Piazza
, an Italian
name created following the construction of a paved area in the centre of the square, probably introduced by Gibraltar's Genoese settlers
. The name "John Mackintosh Square" was officially adopted in 1940.
was built to channel drinking water
from the Red Sands in the south district to the city. A fountain
at the northwest corner of the square (the steps now called Fountain Ramp, known in Spanish as Callejón de la Fuente, to the north of where the City Hall is today) was supplied by this aqueduct. Although the aqueduct fell into disuse some years later, with the fountain drying up, the fountain head was refurbished in 1694. It was moved to Castle Street in 1887 and remained there until the 1960s. It was eventually re-erected on the Line Wall against Zoca Flank some 20 metres (65.6 ft) to the northwest of its original location (four lion-headed vents were carved in the low part of the fountain, representing war, pestilence, death and peace).
In 1869, a new fountain was erected by the Sanitary Commission, fed from wells in the isthmus that links The Rock
with Spain
to supply drinking water. It was inaugurated on 8 December by Lady Airey, wife of Governor
Sir Richard Airey
. However, the "Airey Fountain" became dry very soon and was replaced in 1879 by an ornamental fountain constructed to commemorate the Duke of Connaught
— third son of Queen Victoria — stay in Gibraltar. It was dismantled during World War II
.
under John Mackintosh Square. These excavations revealed no prior building foundations, suggesting the Square has been an open plaza for its entire 600+ year history. Today, part of the underground shelter houses the square's public toilets.
a decision was made to enforce a mass evacuation
from Gibraltar in order to increase the strength of The Rock as a fortress with increased military
and naval
personnel. This meant that only those civilians with essential jobs were allowed to stay.
In early June 1940, about 13,500 evacuees were shipped to Casablanca
in French Morocco
. However, following the capitulation of the French to the German armies in June 1940 and the destruction of the French fleet at Mers el-Kebir by the British fleet, the new Pro-German French Vichy Government asked for all Gibraltarians to be removed. An opportunity for their removal soon arose when 15 British cargo vessels
arrived at Casablanca under Commodore Crichton, repatriating French servicemen rescued from Dunkirk
. Once they had disembarked, the ships were interned until they agreed to take on all the evacuees. Although Crichton could not clean and restock his ships (and contrary to British Admiralty
orders which forbade the taking on of evacuees), he eventually agreed to do so. However, when the evacuees arrived in Gibraltar, the Governor
, Sir Clive Liddel
, did not allow them to land, fearing that once the evacuees were back on The Rock, it would be virtually impossible to re-evacuate them. Crowds gathered at John Mackintosh Square as the news of the orders not to land broke, speeches were made and two City Councilors accompanied by the Acting President of the Exchange and Commercial Library went to see the Governor Liddell to ask that the evacuees be allowed to land. After receiving instructions from London
, a landing was allowed as long as the evacuees returned when other ships arrived, and by 13 July the re-evacuation had been completed.
Joshua Hassan
, and Leader of the Opposition Peter Isola
, travelled to New York
to intervene before the United Nations Decolonisation Committee
as "petitioners" from Gibraltar. Crowds filled John Mackintosh Square as they gathered to wish them well and then again to welcome them back. Their homecoming took place on 24 September 1963 and was commemorated in the painting The Triumphal Welcome depicting the scene at John Mackintosh Square, authored by local artist Ambrose Avellano.
, Joe Bossano
, to celebrate the first Gibraltar National Day
. This National Day is celebrated annually on 10 September to commemorate Gibraltar's first sovereignty referendum of 1967, in which Gibraltarian
voters were asked whether they wished to either pass under Spanish
sovereignty
, or remain under British
sovereignty, with institutions of self-government
, overwhelmingly opting to remain British. However, the first National Day was so successful that the avalanche of people that turned up could not fit into John Mackintosh Square. Therefore, in 1993 the venue was changed to the larger Grand Casemates Square. This remained the main venue almost continuously until 2008 when the official celebrations were returned to John Mackintosh Square, with the Mayor conducting the main event and presenting the Gibraltar Medallion of Honour
from the balcony of the City Hall. The Gibraltar National Day Declaration is also read, and a symbolic release of 30,000 red and white balloons from the roof of the Parliament Building follows.
2009, Kaiane Aldorino
, made history on 12 December 2009 as she was crowned Miss World
in Johannesburg
, South Africa
, becoming the first ever Miss Gibraltar to achieve this. Chief Minister Peter Caruana
hailed her win as a "wonderful achievement for her and for Gibraltar" and promised a "homecoming fit for a queen". Consequently, the Government of Gibraltar announced she would be flown into Gibraltar from London
on a private jet and issued a press release in which it detailed the events that would take place upon Kaiane's arrival. These included a public greeting at Gibraltar Airport
, a parade through Main Street, where Kaiane would ride in the same open-top car as Princess Diana
and Prince Charles
during their honeymoon
visit to Gibraltar. On 17 December 2009, Gibraltar came to a standstill as she paraded down Main Street preceded by the band of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment
and then appeared at the City Hall balcony where she greeted the crowds at John Mackintosh square. This was followed by a press conference and reception at the Rock Hotel. The celebrations culminated with a fireworks display from Gibraltar Harbour.
Town square
A town square is an open public space commonly found in the heart of a traditional town used for community gatherings. Other names for town square are civic center, city square, urban square, market square, public square, and town green.Most town squares are hardscapes suitable for open markets,...
in the British overseas territory
British overseas territories
The British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories of the United Kingdom which, although they do not form part of the United Kingdom itself, fall under its jurisdiction. They are remnants of the British Empire that have not acquired independence or have voted to remain British territories...
of Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
. It has been the centre of city life since the 14th century and takes its name from John Mackintosh, a local philanthropist
Philanthropy
Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...
. Notable buildings on John Mackintosh Square include the Parliament Building and the City Hall
Gibraltar City Hall
The Gibraltar City Hall is the city hall for Gibraltar, centrally located within the city at the west end of John Mackintosh Square. It is the official residence of the Mayor of Gibraltar.-History:...
.
History
Originally known during the Spanish period as Plaza MayorPlaza
Plaza is a Spanish word related to "field" which describes an open urban public space, such as a city square. All through Spanish America, the plaza mayor of each center of administration held three closely related institutions: the cathedral, the cabildo or administrative center, which might be...
(Main Square) (according to Alonso Hernández del Portillo
Alonso Hernández del Portillo
Alonso Hernández del Portillo was a Spanish local politician and historian, remembered for being the first chronicler of the city of Gibraltar.- Biography :Hernández del Portillo was born in Gibraltar during the Spanish period...
in his work titled Historia de la Muy Noble y Más Leal Ciudad de Gibraltar −History of the Very Noble and Most Loyal City of Gibraltar) or Gran Plaza (Great Square) and afterwards as the Alameda
Alameda
Alameda is a Spanish word that means "A place full of poplars", and may refer to:-Colleges and universities:* College of Alameda, a two-year community college located in Alameda, California, in the United States-Music:...
(Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
for an avenue
Avenue (landscape)
__notoc__In landscaping, an avenue or allée is traditionally a straight route with a line of trees or large shrubs running along each, which is used, as its French source venir indicates, to emphasize the "coming to," or arrival at a landscape or architectural feature...
lined with poplars, not to be confused with the Alameda Gardens), it opened out from the west of the Calle Real
Calle Real
Calle Real is Spanish for Royal Street, sometimes associated with El Camino Real .Calle Real may refer to:*Calle Real , an 1983 album by Andalusian flamenco singer Camarón de la Isla...
(now Main Street
Main Street, Gibraltar
Main Street is the main arterial street in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar.Main Street is recognised today as Gibraltar’s main commercial and shopping district...
). Two buildings separated it from the Line Wall (Gibraltar's main sea wall during the Spanish period, which run from Landport to the foot of the South Mole): a large rectangular building to the west of the Square, and a smaller lower building to the south of it, the hospital and chapel of La Santa Misericordia (The Holy Mercy).
During the first century of the British period, the square was used for military parades by the garrison and therefore known as the Parade or Grand Parade. In 1704, after the city's capture by an Anglo-Dutch fleet
Capture of Gibraltar
The Capture of Gibraltar by the Anglo-Dutch forces of the Grand Alliance occurred between 1–3 August 1704 during the War of the Spanish Succession. Since the beginning of the war the Allies had been looking for a harbour in the Iberian Peninsula to control the Strait of Gibraltar and facilitate...
, the British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
converted the hospital and chapel of La Santa Misericordia into a debtors' prison. In 1753, a survey of Gibraltar went on showing a prison at the western end of the square. After the Great Siege
Great Siege of Gibraltar
The Great Siege of Gibraltar was an unsuccessful attempt by Spain and France to capture Gibraltar from the British during the American War of Independence. This was the largest action fought during the war in terms of numbers, particularly the Grand Assault of 18 September 1782...
, a colonnaded
Column
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a vertical structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. For the purpose of wind or earthquake engineering, columns may be designed to resist lateral forces...
Georgian guardhouse
Guardhouse
A guardhouse is a building used to house personnel and security equipment...
was built on the southern side of the square. It was the Main Guard, the place from which all the sentries in Gibraltar were posted each evening. Some years later it hosted the Fire Brigade. After the move of the brigade to the new fire station at Victoria Battery in 1938, it became the Rates Office. Today the guardhouse houses the Gibraltar Heritage Trust.
The square was also where military punishment in the form of flogging
Flagellation
Flagellation or flogging is the act of methodically beating or whipping the human body. Specialised implements for it include rods, switches, the cat o' nine tails and the sjambok...
s took place.
The look of the square changed very much during the second decade of the 19th century, when its two most prominent buildings were constructed. In 1817 local merchants raised money by public subscription to construct a building to house the Exchange and Commercial Library. In 1807, Gibraltar merchants had founded a library in Bedlam Court, as they were denied membership of the Garrison Library
Garrison Library
The Garrison Library was founded in Gibraltar in 1793 by Colonel John Drinkwater Bethune and officially opened in 1804 by the Duke of Kent. The library served as the headquarters and archive service of the Gibraltar Chronicle, the world's second oldest English language newspaper...
, it being available only to members of the British garrison in the city (the Garrison Library functioned not only as a library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
, but as a club
Club
A club is an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal. A service club, for example, exists for voluntary or charitable activities; there are clubs devoted to hobbies and sports, social activities clubs, political and religious clubs, and so forth.- History...
, owned and run by and for military officers; civilians were excluded, regardless of their prominence). Ten years later, in 1817, they built themselves a new building on the east side of the square, thus separating it from Main Street. It housed, not only a library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
, but also an auction
Auction
An auction is a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder...
room and became the meeting place of local merchants. In 1951, the building was refurbished to host the Legislative Council, which in 1969 become the House of Assembly
House of Assembly
House of Assembly is a name given to the legislature or lower house of a bicameral parliament. In some countries this may be at a subnational level....
. Since 2006, the building hosts the Gibraltar Parliament.
About the same time, in 1819, on the opposite side of the square, Aaron Cardozo, a prosperous merchant of Jewish Portuguese
Spanish and Portuguese Jews
Spanish and Portuguese Jews are a distinctive sub-group of Sephardim who have their main ethnic origins within the Jewish communities of the Iberian peninsula and who shaped communities mainly in Western Europe and the Americas from the late 16th century on...
descent, built the grandest private mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
ever seen in Gibraltar. The three-storey
Storey
A storey or story is any level part of a building that could be used by people...
house dominated the square. It was erected on the site of the old hospital and chapel of La Santa Misericordia and later prison. As a non Protestant, Cardozo was not legally allowed to own property in Gibraltar. However, as he had been a close friend of Horatio Nelson and had supplied his fleet, he was eventually granted a site to build a house in the Alameda on the condition that it be "an ornament" to the square. Its cost was about £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
40,000. After his death in 1834, his mansion was rented out as a hotel, the Club House Hotel. It was bought in 1874 by Pablo Antonio Larios, a wealthy businessman and banker, Gibraltarian
Gibraltarian people
The Gibraltarians are a cultural group native to Gibraltar, a British overseas territory located near the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance to the Mediterranean sea.- Origins :...
-born and member of a Spanish
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
family, who completely refurbished the building. In 1922, his son Pablo Larios, Marquis of Marzales, sold the building to the Gibraltar colonial authorities, which intended to turn it into a post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
. However, it eventually became the premises of the newly formed Gibraltar City Hall
Gibraltar City Hall
The Gibraltar City Hall is the city hall for Gibraltar, centrally located within the city at the west end of John Mackintosh Square. It is the official residence of the Mayor of Gibraltar.-History:...
which now houses the Mayor
Mayor of Gibraltar
His or Her Worship, the Mayor of Gibraltar, is currently the ceremonial official of the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. The Mayor is appointed by the elected Members of Parliament and takes residency in the City Hall...
's Parlour. The building later underwent multiple modifications (such as the addition of a new storey and an extension to the north) that altered the original symmetry of the building.
In the mid 19th century the name of the square was changed to Commercial Square, being the site of a daily flea market
Flea market
A flea market or swap meet is a type of bazaar where inexpensive or secondhand goods are sold or bartered. It may be indoors, such as in a warehouse or school gymnasium; or it may be outdoors, such as in a field or under a tent...
and regular public auction
Public auction
A public auction is an auction held on behalf of a government in which the property to be auctioned is either property owned by the government, or property which is sold under the authority of a court of law or a government agency with similar authority....
s, as a result of which a Spanish name, Plazuela del Martillo, or more colloquially, El Martillo, was coined ("martillo" being the Spanish word for a gavel
Gavel
A gavel is a small ceremonial mallet commonly made of hardwood, typically fashioned with a handle and often struck against a sound block to enhance its sounding qualities. It is a symbol of the authority and right to act officially in the capacity of a chair or presiding officer. It is used to call...
). Another popular name at the time was Jews Market. These epithets fell out of usage and the square is typically referred to as The Piazza
Piazza
A piazza is a city square in Italy, Malta, along the Dalmatian coast and in surrounding regions. The term is roughly equivalent to the Spanish plaza...
, an Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
name created following the construction of a paved area in the centre of the square, probably introduced by Gibraltar's Genoese settlers
History of the Genoese in Gibraltar
A Genoese community has existed in Gibraltar since the 16th century and later became an important part of the population.-History:There is much evidence of a community of emigrants from Genoa, who moved to Gibraltar in the 16th century and that were more than a third of the Gibraltar population in...
. The name "John Mackintosh Square" was officially adopted in 1940.
Fountains
In 1571, an aqueductAqueduct
An aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....
was built to channel drinking water
Drinking water
Drinking water or potable water is water pure enough to be consumed or used with low risk of immediate or long term harm. In most developed countries, the water supplied to households, commerce and industry is all of drinking water standard, even though only a very small proportion is actually...
from the Red Sands in the south district to the city. A fountain
Fountain
A fountain is a piece of architecture which pours water into a basin or jets it into the air either to supply drinking water or for decorative or dramatic effect....
at the northwest corner of the square (the steps now called Fountain Ramp, known in Spanish as Callejón de la Fuente, to the north of where the City Hall is today) was supplied by this aqueduct. Although the aqueduct fell into disuse some years later, with the fountain drying up, the fountain head was refurbished in 1694. It was moved to Castle Street in 1887 and remained there until the 1960s. It was eventually re-erected on the Line Wall against Zoca Flank some 20 metres (65.6 ft) to the northwest of its original location (four lion-headed vents were carved in the low part of the fountain, representing war, pestilence, death and peace).
In 1869, a new fountain was erected by the Sanitary Commission, fed from wells in the isthmus that links The Rock
Rock of Gibraltar
The Rock of Gibraltar is a monolithic limestone promontory located in Gibraltar, off the southwestern tip of Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. It is high...
with Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
to supply drinking water. It was inaugurated on 8 December by Lady Airey, wife of Governor
Governor of Gibraltar
The Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Gibraltar is the representative of the British monarch in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. The Governor is appointed by the British Monarch on the advice of the British Government...
Sir Richard Airey
Richard Airey, 1st Baron Airey
General Richard Airey, 1st Baron Airey GCB , known as Sir Richard Airey between 1855 and 1876, was a British general.-Background:...
. However, the "Airey Fountain" became dry very soon and was replaced in 1879 by an ornamental fountain constructed to commemorate the Duke of Connaught
Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn
Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn was a member of the shared British and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha royal family who served as the Governor General of Canada, the 10th since Canadian Confederation.Born the seventh child and third son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and...
— third son of Queen Victoria — stay in Gibraltar. It was dismantled during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Air-raid shelter
In 1939 excavations were carried out for the construction of an air-raid shelterAir-raid shelter
Air-raid shelters, also known as bomb shelters, are structures for the protection of the civil population as well as military personnel against enemy attacks from the air...
under John Mackintosh Square. These excavations revealed no prior building foundations, suggesting the Square has been an open plaza for its entire 600+ year history. Today, part of the underground shelter houses the square's public toilets.
Evacuation of the Gibraltarian civilian population during World War II
After the breakout of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
a decision was made to enforce a mass evacuation
Emergency evacuation
Emergency evacuation is the immediate and rapid movement of people away from the threat or actual occurrence of a hazard. Examples range from the small scale evacuation of a building due to a bomb threat or fire to the large scale evacuation of a district because of a flood, bombardment or...
from Gibraltar in order to increase the strength of The Rock as a fortress with increased military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
and naval
Navy
A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
personnel. This meant that only those civilians with essential jobs were allowed to stay.
In early June 1940, about 13,500 evacuees were shipped to Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
in French Morocco
French Morocco
French Protectorate of Morocco was a French protectorate in Morocco, established by the Treaty of Fez. French Morocco did not include the north of the country, which was a Spanish protectorate...
. However, following the capitulation of the French to the German armies in June 1940 and the destruction of the French fleet at Mers el-Kebir by the British fleet, the new Pro-German French Vichy Government asked for all Gibraltarians to be removed. An opportunity for their removal soon arose when 15 British cargo vessels
Cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
arrived at Casablanca under Commodore Crichton, repatriating French servicemen rescued from Dunkirk
Battle of Dunkirk
The Battle of Dunkirk was a battle in the Second World War between the Allies and Germany. A part of the Battle of France on the Western Front, the Battle of Dunkirk was the defence and evacuation of British and allied forces in Europe from 26 May–4 June 1940.After the Phoney War, the Battle of...
. Once they had disembarked, the ships were interned until they agreed to take on all the evacuees. Although Crichton could not clean and restock his ships (and contrary to British Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
orders which forbade the taking on of evacuees), he eventually agreed to do so. However, when the evacuees arrived in Gibraltar, the Governor
Governor of Gibraltar
The Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Gibraltar is the representative of the British monarch in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. The Governor is appointed by the British Monarch on the advice of the British Government...
, Sir Clive Liddel
Clive Gerard Liddell
General Sir Clive Gerard Liddell KCB CMG CBE DSO was Adjutant-General to the Forces of the British Army.-Military career:Clive Liddell joined the British Army in 1902. He was an Adjutant from 1908 to 1911 and then became Staff Captain at 6th District of Northern Command in 1912...
, did not allow them to land, fearing that once the evacuees were back on The Rock, it would be virtually impossible to re-evacuate them. Crowds gathered at John Mackintosh Square as the news of the orders not to land broke, speeches were made and two City Councilors accompanied by the Acting President of the Exchange and Commercial Library went to see the Governor Liddell to ask that the evacuees be allowed to land. After receiving instructions from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, a landing was allowed as long as the evacuees returned when other ships arrived, and by 13 July the re-evacuation had been completed.
Intervention of Joshua Hassan and Peter Isola before the United Nations
In September 1963, Chief MinisterChief Minister of Gibraltar
The Chief Minister of Gibraltar is the leader of the largest party elected to the Gibraltar Parliament, and is formally appointed by the Governor of Gibraltar, representative of the British Crown.-List of Chief Ministers:...
Joshua Hassan
Joshua Hassan
Sir Joshua Abraham Hassan, GBE, KCMG, LVO, QC , nicknamed "Salvador" , was a Gibraltarian politician, and first Mayor and Chief Minister of Gibraltar, serving two terms as Chief Minister for a total of 17 years...
, and Leader of the Opposition Peter Isola
Peter Isola
Peter Joseph Isola, OBE, GMH , was a Gibraltarian politician and lawyer. He succeeded Maurice Xiberras as leader of the Democratic Party of British Gibraltar , a political party in Gibraltar.-Early life and career:...
, travelled to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to intervene before the United Nations Decolonisation Committee
Special Committee on Decolonization
The Special Committee on Decolonization was created in 1961 by the General Assembly of the United Nations with the purpose of monitoring implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples...
as "petitioners" from Gibraltar. Crowds filled John Mackintosh Square as they gathered to wish them well and then again to welcome them back. Their homecoming took place on 24 September 1963 and was commemorated in the painting The Triumphal Welcome depicting the scene at John Mackintosh Square, authored by local artist Ambrose Avellano.
Gibraltar National Day
In 1992, John Mackintosh Square was the venue chosen by the then Chief Minister of GibraltarChief Minister of Gibraltar
The Chief Minister of Gibraltar is the leader of the largest party elected to the Gibraltar Parliament, and is formally appointed by the Governor of Gibraltar, representative of the British Crown.-List of Chief Ministers:...
, Joe Bossano
Joe Bossano
Joseph "Joe" John Bossano is a Gibraltarian politician, and the former leader of the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party. He was Chief Minister of Gibraltar from 25 March 1988 to 17 May 1996. He served as the Leader of the Opposition in the Gibraltar Parliament from its founding in 1978 until April...
, to celebrate the first Gibraltar National Day
Gibraltar National Day
Gibraltar National Day, celebrated annually on 10 September, is the official national day of the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. The day commemorates Gibraltar's first sovereignty referendum of 1967, in which Gibraltarian voters were asked whether they wished to either pass under Spanish...
. This National Day is celebrated annually on 10 September to commemorate Gibraltar's first sovereignty referendum of 1967, in which Gibraltarian
Gibraltarian people
The Gibraltarians are a cultural group native to Gibraltar, a British overseas territory located near the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance to the Mediterranean sea.- Origins :...
voters were asked whether they wished to either pass under Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
sovereignty
Sovereignty
Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...
, or remain under British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
sovereignty, with institutions of self-government
Self-governance
Self-governance is an abstract concept that refers to several scales of organization.It may refer to personal conduct or family units but more commonly refers to larger scale activities, i.e., professions, industry bodies, religions and political units , up to and including autonomous regions and...
, overwhelmingly opting to remain British. However, the first National Day was so successful that the avalanche of people that turned up could not fit into John Mackintosh Square. Therefore, in 1993 the venue was changed to the larger Grand Casemates Square. This remained the main venue almost continuously until 2008 when the official celebrations were returned to John Mackintosh Square, with the Mayor conducting the main event and presenting the Gibraltar Medallion of Honour
Gibraltar Medallion of Honour
The Gibraltar Medallion of Honour is a civil award scheme established by the Government of the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. Its creation was announced in July 2008 by Chief Minister of Gibraltar, Peter Caruana...
from the balcony of the City Hall. The Gibraltar National Day Declaration is also read, and a symbolic release of 30,000 red and white balloons from the roof of the Parliament Building follows.
Miss World 2009 homecoming
Miss GibraltarMiss Gibraltar
Miss Gibraltar is a the main annual beauty pageant of Gibraltar that selects the official representative to the Miss World pageant. The incumbent Miss Gibraltar is Michelle Gillingwater Pedersen, who was crowned on 25 June 2011 at a program held at the Alameda Open-Air Theatre.-History:The first...
2009, Kaiane Aldorino
Kaiane Aldorino
Kaiane Aldorino, GMH is a Gibraltarian beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Gibraltar 2009 and Miss World the same year in Johannesburg, South Africa. She was the first Miss Gibraltar ever to reach the semifinals of the Miss World beauty pageant.-Personal life:Aldorino was born in...
, made history on 12 December 2009 as she was crowned Miss World
Miss World
The Miss World pageant is the oldest surviving major international beauty pageant. It was created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951...
in Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, becoming the first ever Miss Gibraltar to achieve this. Chief Minister Peter Caruana
Peter Caruana
Peter Richard Caruana, QC is a Gibraltarian politician, and has been Chief Minister of Gibraltar since 1996, when his party, the Gibraltar Social Democrats , first came to power. His party was re-elected to office in 2000, 2003 and 2007...
hailed her win as a "wonderful achievement for her and for Gibraltar" and promised a "homecoming fit for a queen". Consequently, the Government of Gibraltar announced she would be flown into Gibraltar from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on a private jet and issued a press release in which it detailed the events that would take place upon Kaiane's arrival. These included a public greeting at Gibraltar Airport
Gibraltar Airport
Gibraltar Airport or North Front Airport is the civilian airport that serves the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. It is owned by the Ministry of Defence for use by the Royal Air Force as RAF Gibraltar. Civilian operators use the airport; currently the only scheduled flights operate to the...
, a parade through Main Street, where Kaiane would ride in the same open-top car as Princess Diana
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
and Prince Charles
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
during their honeymoon
Honeymoon
-History:One early reference to a honeymoon is in Deuteronomy 24:5 “When a man is newly wed, he need not go out on a military expedition, nor shall any public duty be imposed on him...
visit to Gibraltar. On 17 December 2009, Gibraltar came to a standstill as she paraded down Main Street preceded by the band of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment
Royal Gibraltar Regiment
The Royal Gibraltar Regiment is the home defence unit for the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. It was formed in 1958 from the Gibraltar Defence Force as an infantry unit, with an integrated artillery troop.-Formation:...
and then appeared at the City Hall balcony where she greeted the crowds at John Mackintosh square. This was followed by a press conference and reception at the Rock Hotel. The celebrations culminated with a fireworks display from Gibraltar Harbour.