Transcription: "Value of Land at the Cape of Good Hope"
VALUE OF LAND AT THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.—A sale by auction took place lately at the Auction Mart of a farm for sheep at the Cape of Good Hope, comprising about 24,000 English acres of land. It was situated on the east side of the river Hope, and on the north, south, and west was bounded by Government land, being in the southern part of the division of Beaufort, called Van Rooyens Kreel, at Shoorstein. It was held under the crown at a quit rent of £1 6s. per annum. The auctioneer stated that the Cape wools were nearly on a par with the best Australasian crops, and that that value the property was worth £2,400. It was a district well known to all those who have been at the Cape, and favourable to those who desire to emigrate. The first offer was £250. The biddings went on at £10, and the property was disposed of for £500.
Description & Historical Analysis
This original 19th-century newspaper clipping documents a major colonial land transaction in South Africa's
Cape Colony. It highlights a public auction held in London (likely at the famous
Tokenhouse Yard Auction Mart) selling off a massive
24,000-acre sheep farm located in the
Beaufort West district Wikipedia.
During this era, the British government aggressively promoted migration to the eastern and interior karoo areas of the Cape to expand global wool production, directly competing with Australian markets. The text mentions key historical markers such as the crown's
quitrent system (a form of perpetual land tax) and references local geographical names derived from early Dutch settlers, including the
Van Rooyen family lineage
Van Rooyen Origins.
Determining the Location Today
The historical details provided in the text allow us to trace the precise footprint of this property:
- Historical Division: Beaufort (Modern-day Beaufort West, Western Cape, South Africa).
- Historical Name: Van Rooyens Kreel (historically spelled Van Rooyens Kraal or Van Royens Kraal) at Shoorstein (historically known as Schoorstein or Schoorsteenberg).
- River Boundary: Flanked by the Groot Karoo water systems (historically translated or locally referred to as branches feeding into the Gamka/Hope river systems).
Modern Coordinates & Address
- Geographical Region: Central Karoo District Municipality, Western Cape, South Africa.
- Modern Property Grouping: The farm boundaries encompass parts of the historic Schoorsteenberg mountains and surrounding agricultural plots south-southeast of Beaufort West town.
- Modern Address: Schoorsteenberg Farm Area, R61 Route, Beaufort West Rural, 6970, South Africa.
- Postal Code: 6970 (Beaufort West regional zone code).
Regional Evolution: Past vs. Present
| Feature | 19th-Century Colonial Era | Modern Era (Present Day) |
|---|
| Land Use | Wild, unfenced, open-range sheep farming focused on raw wool export to English textile mills. | Highly regulated, solar-powered commercial livestock farming (Karoo Lamb), game reserves, and emerging eco-tourism/heritage trails. |
| Infrastructure | Accessible only by ox-wagon trails; completely remote and surrounded entirely by undeveloped Crown land. | Intersected by regional routes like the R61 and N1 highway, featuring modern fencing, borehole systems, and cell towers. |
| Value & Economy | Sold for a mere £500 at auction with a yearly crown quitrent tax of £1 6s. | Worth millions of South African Rand (ZAR) due to extensive groundwater rights, environmental conservation status, and large-scale farming infrastructure. |