More than 300 years ago Jan Cornelis Mostert bought a piece of land along the Eerste River.
Mostertsdrift was one of Stellenbosch's first farms – a piece of fertile land along the Eerste River.
At the time Stellenbosch was little more than a farmer's community – in the first year eight families moved in and two years later another 15 or 16 burghers. Within 6 years most of the well-known farms along the Eerste River (like Coetzenburg, Libertas, Vredenburg, Kromme Rivier, Nietvoorbij, Idasvallei and Welgevallen) were founded.
Contemporary of Adam Tas
Jan Cornelis Mostert was one of the well known figures in Stellenbosch pioneers' history, a contemporary of Jan Jurgen Grimpe (Oude Libertas), Johannes Mulder (Muldersvlei) and Henning Hüsing (Meerlust). Most of these men were at one stage part of the home council (heemraad), and many of them belonged to the local militia (burgerwag).
When Simon van der Stel visited Stellenbosch on his birthday in 1686, Jan Mostert was appointed the standard-bearer (vaandeldraer) of the kompanjie infantry. Gerrit van der Bijl was the captain and Henning Hüsing the lieutenant. (To read how Hüsing and Adam Tas led the revolt against governor Willem Adriaan van der Stel)
The first wine bottled at Mostertsdrift
Before the end of the 17th century, the first wine was bottled on Mostertsdrift. The size of the farm was 45 Morgen when Jan Mostert bought it, i.e. around 38.5 hectares.
Like most of the farms in this time, the land changed hands a few times. The old manor house was built by Johannes Gerhardus Delport, who bought the farm in 1818. Later Abraham Marais, the older brother of Jannie Marais, bought the farm. The descendants of the Marais family lived here until the late 1900’s.
Through the years Stellenbosch developed a lot, and the farms in the town centre had to make room for development. On the map op 1905 a number of houses are shown in the Mostertsdrift area.
The land along the two parallel roads, Jonkershoekweg and Van der Stel Street, is still one of the most popular places to stay in town.
US restores the old farm house
The remaining Mostertsdrift land was bought by the university in 1990 and the farm house restored and refurnished. Today Mostertsdrift is used as offices for STIAS (Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study).
A few years ago (2008), STIAS decided to use the part of the remaining Mostertsdrift land to plant a vineyard, a unique ‘town vineyard’ celebrating the heritage of the area. They explain:
The aim of the vineyard on the corner of Marais Street and Jonkershoek road, is to remind people that Mostertsdrift was initially a wine farm, but it also points to new thinking and innovation.
This unique piece of vineyard was planted in honour of Prof A.I. Perold, who developed the South African cultivar, Pinotage.
Read more about STIAS here.
For the story of Karindal, click here
Article and photographs by Y Coetsee 2016 Sources: Stellenbosch Drie Eeue (1979) www.stias.ac.za