Pieter van Breda was born in Sas-van-Gent in Zeeland, part of
Flanders in 1696. He arrived in SA in 1719 on the ship "Spieringh".
In 1731, Pieter acquired the Oranjezicht ("Orange View") estate in
Cape Town, which was to remain in his family for almost 2
centuries. He died aged 63 at Oranjezigt in 1759.
Oranjezicht, which is now an affluent residential suburb on the
slopes of Table Mountain above the Molteno Reservoir, was probably
so called either because it overlooked the Oranje bastion of the
Castle, or due to the sight of abundant orange trees growing in
Table Valley. Gradually enlarging their possessions was a policy
the van Bredas continued to follow until the estate covered the
largest part of Table Valley, 213 morgen in the 18th century (182
hectares). Terraces were made for the cultivation of vines, but the
main income came from the sale of vegetables and fruit. 300 Slaves
were eventually employed on the farm.
The van Bredas were known for their great hospitality and many
important visitors to the Colony were entertained on the estate on
a lavish scale. Pieter even had his own house orchestra of 30 flute
and violin players, in uniform. They performed in one of the many
gardens, on a raised bandstand with white-painted stone facing and
low stone walls, surrounded by a circle of trees.
The Oranjezicht house was unique in that it was a double storey,
with a wood-floor balcony in front supported on 6 columns. Inside
were large cool rooms with large windows, superb furnishings and a
graceful staircase. It was an antique collector's paradise. Seven
steps led from the paved pathway to the stoep entrance. An
outbuilding dating back to about 1790 still remains, it has been
used by boy scouts since the middle of the last century. This is
your first station at S 33° 56.536 E 018° 24.855
How many round holes are there on the bayside of the
building? The Answer is A.
Behind the house, tier after tier of terraced fields with
stonework fronts stretched towards the mountain. Pathways were
lined with pine trees. On the east side were several water springs.
In front of the house was a large circular fishpond surrounded by a
cobbled courtyard. A wide oak-lined avenue of trees formed the main
entrance to the homestead.
There were also 2 slave bells, the main one hanging suspended
between two pillars. Sounded daily at set hours or in case of
emergency, it could be heard from Signal Hill to Woodstock. This
Bell-tower dating back to 1775 is your second station at S
33° 56.520 E 018° 24.858. The bell itself is apparently on
exhibition in Koopman de Wet's House in Strand Street, but the
tower is still there. Look at its pillars. At its broadest
side, how many bricks is each tower wide- if you take the bricks
lengthwise? The answer is B.
On sale days the bell sounded and a flag was hoisted, the signal
for ship's officers, burghers, and their wives and children to wend
their way to the estate to wander through the spacious gardens and
fill their carts with fresh fruit and vegetables. Produce was
brought to a tree in the cobbled yard where it was weighed on a
scale hanging from an oak tree. Look at the oak tree between the
bell tower and the house. The hooks are still there! With exotic
flowers adding colour and kilometres of shady walks alongside
burbling brooks, it was a pleasureable occasion for all.
The demise of Oranjezicht started in 1877 when, in spite of
being entailed, the Purchase Act enabled the Municipality to buy
more than 12 morgen on which to construct water reservoirs (today's
Molteno Reservoir and de Waal park). Five years later another act
released further portions of the estate and the municipality also
acquired rights to impound the water from the many springs on the
estate. Without water the farm became quite useless, and the owners
were forced to pay urban rates and taxes too. These springs called
Stadsfontein, once essential to the city's water supply and also
feeding the Hurling Swaai just further down, still give water
today! You can hear the water gushing at Station 3 - S 33°
56.502 E 018° 24.882 Look east across the field and count
the white concrete or brick structures with which these natural
springs have been encased. How many white structures do you
see from this point? The answer is C
From there, walk back up the main path, past the bell tower,
towards the building. How many steps are there along the
path? The answer is D (if you struggle with this one, it
is the same amount as there are kiddie swings in the park)
Members of the family continued to live there well into the 20th
century, but gradually more and more land was sold until ultimately
there was little left except the double-storey house in Sidmouth
Ave. Its interior was a veritable museum, since the van Bredas
brought lovely furniture, silverware and art treasures from Europe
to their home. The house was eventually also purchased by the City
Council in 1947, supposedly to be turned into a civic museum. That
never happened and the antiques were auctioned off. At one stage it
became the residence of the conductor of the Cape Town Municipal
Orchestra. In 1955 the homestead was demolished to make way for a
sports club and lawns. Now only the name of the suburb remains of
the proud van Breda possessions.
I have posted two pictures of the original Oranjezicht Homestead
on the internet, find the address in the final cache!
The final cache is at
33° 56.ABD E 018° 24.D7C