[3] Van Quaelberg began his career in the service of the Dutch East India Company in 1639 when he was appointed as assistant to the Coromandel Coast.
[5] In 1666 he was appointed as Commander of the Cape Colony where he landed at Table Bay on 25 August 1666 and assumed duty two days later.
As the Dutch Republic and England were at war at this time, not much happened during his tenure, except for some additions to the Castle.
[4] He was dismissed from the service of the VOC in 1668 after lending help to a French fleet which he did not know was an enemy because news of the outbreak of war spread slowly.
[citation needed] He then went to Batavia and succeeded in convincing the authorities of his innocence and was re-employed in 1670.