Page 96 - Bulletin 20 2016

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Moving eastward again, the farms of Partrys Valley and Bon Attente had by this time been
consolidated. Now known collectively as Partrys Valley this farm was owned in equal shares
by Albert Harry Day and David Isaacs. With the death of Mr. Day in 1964 his estate and
David Isaacs sold the portion of their farm south of Plateau Road to the Divisional Council in
1964 for R12,800 (128) .

Then lastly, the farm Modderdam – the southernmost section of the original farm
th
Wildschutsbrand and first granted to Barend Muller in Perpetual Quitrent on February 15
1815: this southernmost ‘Portion 1’ was subsequently purchased by David Gabriels Malherbe
on February 16, 1885 to become the farm Modderdam Cape Farm 1000/1. The Malherbe’s
appear to have prospered from farming this area and came to own an even greater portion of
the farm Wildschutsbrand over time. Thus in 1965, Mrs Jacoba Johanna Malherbe, was able
to sell the portion of Modderdam she owned west of Plateau Road, as well as a section of
Wildschutsbrand immediately north of this - which also lay west of Plateau Road - to the
Divisional Council for R5,500. The section of Wildschutsbrand became the present day
Wildschutsbrand picnic site while the section of Modderdam farm to the south was
incorporated into the greater Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve (129) (Fig. 2.18.)

Developing the Nature Reserve

As these properties were being added to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve work
continued apace in the areas already incorporated. This included additions to the network of
roads in the Reserve branching off from the main Cape Point road to now more formalized
picnic sites at Platboom and Buffels Bay and other places of interest. With the addition of
Blaauberg Vlei in 1941 and the granting of the Crown land to the immediate north of
Buffelsfontein in 1942 the decision was also taken to fence this southernmost section of the
Nature Reserve, even in the light of recent and pending purchases of land to the north. This
fence followed the northern boundary of Blaauberg Vlei and the Crown land to the east and
then, rather than turning north, was taken further east to the sea cliffs just to the north of
Paulsberg where game animals could not pass. This created essentially a one paddock system
within which it was believed persistent poaching activity could be better controlled, and
where existing and soon to be introduced game animals could grow in number for anticipated

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