Our History
1699-1704
Hazendal’s history begins when German settler Christoffel Hazenwinkel made his way to South Africa’s Cape.
The history of Hazendal dates back to 1699, when the German settler Christoffel Hazenwinkel arrived in the new Dutch colony at the southern tip of Africa.
Working as a beadle (officer) of the court, and as messenger for the Governor Willem Adriaan van der Stel, Hazenwinkel was granted 60 hectares of land in the Bottelary Hills region of Stellenbosch. Noting the abundance of Cape hares in the area, and no doubt looking to inscribe his own name into history, Hazenwinkel called his new home Hazendal, or ‘Valley of the Hares’ in Dutch. More than three centuries later, this evocative name endures.
1729-1790
Hazendal changed hands quite often until it was bought by Willem van As in 1729.
In 1728 Hazenwinkel sold the farm, and it changed hands twice more before being purchased in 1729 by Willem van As.
The energy and work ethic of van As, together with his son Joost, left an indelible mark on the estate.
Most notably the father and son introduced the iconic Cape Dutch architectural style to the farm. In 1781 they built the farm’s first residence – the ‘Jonkershuis’ – which today houses the Marvol Gallery. The Jonkershuis was followed in 1790 by The Homestead, which still stands on the southern edge of the werf precinct, and is notable for its striking Rococo-style gable.
1780-1781
The Kraal, was originally a
shelter for oxen.
Modern-day Hazendal is filled with architectural reminders of the estate’s rich agricultural history.
The white-washed walls of The Kraal date back to circa-1780 and were built by Joost van As. Originally used to keep livestock safe from the predators that roamed these hills, today it is home to our lively beer garden.
Across the lawns of the werf, the Threshing Circle dates back to the early-1800s. Here teams of oxen, horses or donkeys would thresh wheat from the farm, trampling the sheaves to separate the grain from the chaff, ready for winnowing. Today the space hosts al fresco tables for The Deli, which surround a sculpture by acclaimed artist Angus Taylor celebrating this piece of our farming heritage.
1813-1814
The Van As family owned the farm until 1813 when it was sold to Hermanus Vermaak
The van As family owned Hazendal until 1813, when the farm was sold to Hermanus Vermaak. In 1814 he built the gateposts – still standing today – that sparked a rather acrimonious fight between neighbours.
At the time the main wagenpad (wagon road) linking Stellenbosch to Cape Town passed through the heart of Hazendal, and Vermaak decided to lock the gates to the farm at night. He claimed that wagon drivers might set the thatch roof of the Jonkershuis alight with embers from their pipes, or woo the women in the slave quarters. Perhaps more likely is that Vermaak hoped to encourage travellers to stop for the night at the rooms he offered for rent!
Vermaak’s neighbour, Peter Fischer, took the matter to court in 1815 demanding that the road be opened at night. Vermaak lost the case and the gate was removed, but, luckily for us, the original gateposts have remained in place ever since.
1831
In 1831 the farm was bought by Izaak Bosman and was owned by the Bosman family for five generation.
In 1831 the farm was bought by Izaak Bosman, and was owned by the Bosman family for five generations.
During the time of the Bosman family the farm was transformed into a wine-producing estate, and Hazendal’s first wine cellar was built. Jacobus Petrus Bosman, the farm’s owner at the end of the 19th-century, renovated the Homestead into a Victorian ‘villa’, only for it to be converted back to the Cape Dutch style in 1947 by his grandson, Pieter Bosman.
The Bosman family also introduced the visage of Bacchus, the Roman god of wine, to Hazendal as a symbol of their commitment to producing quality wines. Today you will find Bacchus immortalised in bronze on the front door of The Homestead. He also features on the Hazendal logo, in honour of our continued tradition of winemaking excellence.
1978
The Bell Tower is a wonderful
architectural structure of heritage value.
The Bell Tower is a wonderful architectural structure of heritage value.
While many visitors imagine the Bell Tower dates to the early days of the colony, as a ‘slave bell’ for summoning labourers, it was in fact only added by the Bosman family in 1978 and commemorates the 1979 Simon van der Stel Tercentenary celebrations. Since then it has stayed almost completely intact, and can today be seen gracing the edge of the Hazendal’s werf lawns.
PRESENT
At present Hazendal is owned by a Family Foundation.
Since 1994 Hazendal has been owned by a family foundation, which is passionately committed to the ongoing preservation and sensitive development of the estate.