Wynberg property, one of the most loved and established suburbs in the
Western Cape, is known for its famous Maynardville open-air theatre, its quaint Chelsea Village and its excellent restaurants. Nestling on the southern spine of Table Mountain, this suburb today has the highest concentration of historic buildings in South Africa.
Wynberg had its beginnings when on 1 March 1657, when Jan van Riebeeck, the first Dutch commander of the Cape, distributed land along the Liesbeeck River to nine “Free Burghers”, in order to establish farms. These farmers were to supply produce to the VOC Company so that their trading ships had fresh supplies en route to India and Europe. The local Khoikhoi people who had lived in this area prior to the arrival of the Dutch were forced to retreat or be incorporated forcibly into the economy of the European settlers. Van Riebeeck himself established a vineyard on a prominent hill at the Southeastern end of the
Table Mountainchain, naming it Boschheuvel. In 1683, the first estate in this area passed into private hands when Herman Weeckens took transfer of the land and established the farm called De Oude Wijnbergh (Old Wine Mountain).
A formal winter anchorage was established in Simon’s Bay (during 1743) as the conditions in Table Bay during the windy winter season could cause shipwrecks. A wagon route linking this False Bay settlement, with Cape Town led over the hill adjacent to Oude Wijnbergh which then became a busy refreshment stop on the Cape Town to Simon’s Town route, thereby literally putting Wynberg on the map. Wynberg prospered and grew rapidly over the next three centuries into a vibrant satellite settlement. Read More…
Source: Greeff.co.za
