Historic Review

The Austral PATAGONIC TERRITORY was discovered durant the spring of 1520, by HERNANDO DE MAGALLANES. The 1st of November of the same year, the ilustrious Portuguese entered the interoceanic channel waters that was denominated "Todos los Santos" (All the Saints). The date also noted, historic property, the discoverment of Chile by the South extreme.

The second navigator that passed the channels was fray García Jofré de Loayza in 1526. The following were Simón de Alcazaba in 1535, and Francisco de Camargo in 1540. To this last one the emperator Carlo V asigned the goverment denominated "PROVINCIA DEL ESTRECHO", situated between 36 degree by the North, the Magallanic channel by the South, the two oceans like lateral limits. This is the territory that later on was know as "LA PATAGONIA" (The Patagonian).

An important journey is the Juan Ladrilleros, that took position of the channel and near grounds, in the name of the Chilean governor, don García Hurtado de Mendoza in 1558. From this year on, the navegation in the channel started to be frecuent for spanish ships and inglish marines Drake and Cavendish among the most know.

The first colonisation journey of this region was realized by Pedro de Gamboa, with the intention to settle the channel. He founded two cities: "NOMBRE DE JESUS", in the oriental entrance of the channel the 11th of february, and the "CIUDAD DEL REY DON FELIPE", in Punta Santa Ana, the 25th of March 1584. Later this place was know as "PUERTO DEL HAMBRE", because people died due to coldness and starvation.

The hardship of this settlers were narrated by Tomé Hernández, who was a surviver found in the shore of the channel in 1587.

Inspired by the constant preocupation of don Bernardo O'Higgins, the Chilean government decided to make efective the dominiom of the Patagonian and Tierra del Fuego in 1843. For that he organized an expedition that started in Ancud, in the shooner of the same name, captained by Juan Williams, with 23 persons on board arriving in Punta Santa Ana, the 21st of September of 1843, in the afternoon of that same day, Williams with the solemnity of rigour, took efective possesion of the Magallanic Channel and is territories, establishing FUERTE BULNES (Bulnes Fort), first Chilean town in the Channel, that has its name in honor of general Manuel Bulnes, president of the republic in that epoch.

Before the scarce possibility of development and expansion for this first national town, and the incapacity for farming and breeding of animals, the governor José de los Santos Mardones decided to transfer the establishment to a place ubicated 60 kilometers North over the same coast of the Brunswick peninsula. This place was the area of PUNTA ARENAS, neighboor to the rio el Carbon, that had some advantages for the town. This from the spring of 1848, was the begining of the construction of the town and at the same time the transfer of people from Fuerte Bulnes (Bulnes Fort).

Finally the 18th of December of 1848, the governor was definitely placed, in that way pointing the begining of PUNTA ARENAS.