The Dirkse van Schalkwyk’s bought the farm in 1868, the year it was confirmed that diamonds occurred in South Africa with the finding of the Star of South Africa. Mr le Roux of the Paarl museum commented that the Dirkse van Schalkwyks were something of an aristocratic van Schalkwyk, the addition of the Dirkse being equivalent to an English double barrel.

Nothing was found about what kind of man the first van Schalkwyk was, or how he struggled to replant after Phyloxera was discovered but, if not wealthy, he did become a man of substance, justifying a note in the local paper when he died explaining that he died in Worcester where he had gone to visit. During the visit he took ill and died on the Monday 27^th September 1913.

His son Theunis Gabriel Dirkse van Schalkwyk took over ownership in 1914 and left a substantial estate, recorded in detail in the Archives the most notable items being that on maps of the period  his farm/s  are mentioned as ‘Sanddrift now Paulinas Dal.’ That he left furniture valued at £50 and a motor car valued at £85 left specially to his daughter-in-law Anna Sussana Gertreuda van Schalkwyk. Fixed deposits totalling £1300 As well as a list of shares

Paarl African Trust                                                             £ 30

50 Wine Volkspers Bpk                                                                     £   8 – 19 – 2

20 Shares Franschhoek Coop Vrugteuitvoerders Maatsckappy        £    2 – 18 – 0 Fruit transporters

11 Shares SA Dried Fruit Co.                                                            £    5 – 10 – 0

607 Shares KWV                                                                               £106 – 14 – 6

         Interest                                                                                      £  15 –   3 – 6

(This legacy indicating that the farm had been a success from a financial point of view.)

The picture is of the tea room at Franscchhoek

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