Lourensford Estate

Lourensford at the end of Lourensford Road came into being in 1704, when the original Vergelegen farm was divided into four.

A portion or "Vellebereiders Molen" on the west bank of the Lourens River first had the name Lourensford, given to it by the Strangman family who came to the country in 1868 from Waterford County, Ireland. Strangman built a house on the property, called Lourensford House. In 1913 Lourensford was bought by JW Jagger a well-known businessman, educationalist and politician who emigrated from Yorkshire. He demolished and rebuilt Lourensford House. In 1938 Lourensford House together with 50 acres of land on the river were sold and Lourensford House became a Hotel. In the 1960's Dr Anton Rupert, chairman of Rembrandt, purchased the property and its name was changed to Fleur Du Cap. The remainder of Lourensford estate passed on to daughter Jean. Jean was married to Australian immigrant Ward Gant who started the Gants Factory in Strand.

Welgelegen

As we drive up Vergelegen Avenue, Erinvale is on the right. Erinvale together with Lourensford Estate and Fleur du Cap made up the portion northwest of the Lourens River when Vergelegen was divided up in 1704. This ¼ portion was originally owned by MW Theunissen and was then called Welgelegen. This was then the true home of the Theunissen family in South Africa. Marthinus Wilhelmus Theunissen was the first male Theunissen to be born in the Cape Colony. In 1798 he acquired Vergelegen. It was MW Theunissen who with three other farmers was instrumental in the establishment of the Village of Somerset West. The major portion of Welgelegen was sold to Helena Munnik in 1815 and she is thought to have built the homestead.

Gant Family

Welgelegen was then sold to David Buissine who became insolvent after litigation over water rights. It was then bought by Edward Strangman who changed the name to Erinvale. He passed it on to his son and in turn it passed on to his granddaughters Miss D and K Strangman. The property was lately purchased by Transvaal Developers but has subsequently been purchased by the Gant family company. Continue up Vergelegen Avenue until it intersects Hendriksz Road. Turn left into Hendriksz Road and then Second right into Verster Avenue. This suburb is all part of the farm Land-en-Zeezicht and the original homestead can be seen on the left.

This farm was originally part of Morgenster and was purchased from Marthinus Neethling in 1813 by Hendrik Hendriksz of Paardeberg. His wife was the daughter of Helena Munnik (Morkel) of Welgelegen. Hendrik Hendriksz gave the farm its name Land-en-Zeezicht. The farm remained in the Hendriksz family passing to son Johannes Jacobus and in turn to the two bachelor grandsons Daniel and Johannes Hendrik who farmed the area until they were well into their eighties. They were known in the area as the "Two Ooms". Their eldest sister Alida became the first wife of Onze Jan Hofmeyr. Some time after her death Onze Jan married her younger sister Johanna.

The Helderberg Nature Reserve was part of the Hendriksz farm and some of the oaks in the parking area were planted by the Two Ooms as a windbreak. The first farmhouse in Land-en-Zeezicht was turned into a wine cellar. The homestead with its 1834-dated gable has been restored. When the Hendriksz brothers died the farm passed into the hands of their niece Helena Louw. It was later sold to W Marais in 1947. It returned to the Hendriksz family from 1951 to 1971 and was then owned by Count and Countess Zamoyski until Countess Daisy Zamoyski's death in 1989.

Turn into Reservoir road, Somerset West's "youngest" primary school, Beaumont, is in Land-en-Zeezicht with (Mr Schultz) as headmaster. It is named after the beautiful Helderberg mountain, which towers over it. Continue along Reservoir Road until the T-junction with Parel Vallei road. To the right is Spookhill so named after the optical illusion created when driving on that section of the road? Ahead of you is Parel Vallei High School founded in 1986. Continue down Parel Vallei Road passing the Parel Vallei homestead on the right.