WELGEMOED HISTORY

1704 – Welgemoed Farm

1704 Governor Willem Adriaan van der Stel donated the farm Welgemoed (sometimes spelt Welgemoede or Welgemoedt) to Nicolaas Claas Loubser.
1720 Johannes Mostert bought the farm. He was the first farmer to plant vineyards, pressed grapes and distilled brandy on Welgemoed farm.
1704 – 1839 Welgemoed farm had twelve owners during this period. 6000 Vines were planted.
1839 Francois Jean van Helslandt Duminy was the most renowned owner of the Welgemoed Farm.
1881 Two British princes, Albert & George from Wales visited Duminy on the Welgemoed farm. George later became King George V of England and wrote in his diary about the beautiful surroundings of the farm Welgemoed.
Either Mr Le Roux (jnr) or Mr Smuts built the original Welgemoed farmhouse, information is conflicting.

1947 Sanlam planned to relocate their head office and were looking for suitable housing for their employees.
1948 Sanlam bought 2 farms, Welgemoed & Klein Welgemoed in total 300 hectares.
1948 The “Welgemoed Dorpsgebiede (Eiendoms) Beperk” registered as developers of Welgemoed Township.
1951 The Farm was divided into 830 plots; development planned in 6 phases over 20 years.
1st Phase on the side of the Welgemoed Dutch Reformed Church.
2nd Phase where Welgemoed Primary and shopping centre is currently.
3rd Phase was planned for completion adjacent to Door de Kraal border.
4th Phase Welgemoed Ridge bordering Protea Valley.
5th Phase Welgemoed Zicht next to the current Welgedacht Estate.
6th Phase Welgemoed Boven adjacent to the Tygerberg Nature Reserve.
Sites were allocated for shops, a hotel, garage, post office, primary school, high school, church, parks and a golf course and club house. 3 Recreation dams were for freshwater fishing.

1956 Welgemoed is proclaimed as town.
1957 First privately owned home built. Klaas & Ina Loubser moves into Da Gama Street.
Welgemoed did not fall under the jurisdiction of Bellville Municipality, but under Cape Divisional Council. Rates and taxes were much lower.
Only access to Welgemoed was via Lincoln Street in Boston.
Kommissaris and Kommandeur Street were the only tarred roads. The rest were all gravel. Kommissaris Street runs oval shaped, like an egg – all along the green belt.
Welgemoed differs from other towns layout – it runs in the form of an ampitheatre with a parklike golf course in the middle.

No golf course was originally planned, but the developer of Welgemoed discovered that 50% of the allocated land had to provide for public space.
1957 The Welgemoed Golf course began as a modest 9-hole course, designed by Bob Grimsdell.
The first club house was in the original Welgemoed farmhouse and was known as the Welgemoed Club. Welgemoed residence got membership preference.
1969 The club house moved to a new location, near the current dojo.
1981 The course was expanded to a full 18-hole designed by Bill Kerr.
1981 A modern club house was built and the name officially changed from Welgemoed Golf Club to Bellville Golf Club.
1995 Course modernized and improved by architect Mark Muller.
Today a Par +- 72, 6000m course with scenic views of the Hottentots Holland and Boland Mountains.

1965 Welgemoed Primary started with 41 learners & 2 teachers, dual medium schooling for Sub A, Sub B, Grade 1 and Grade 2.
Welgemoed Primary School badge features a Red-knobbed Coot, affectionately known as “Blessie”.
School motto: Prospicimus meaning Look ahead.
1966 Mr ES Malan appointed as the first permanent headmaster.
1971 School anthem was composed & written by 2 teachers.
1972 School building completed after 6 years and 3 months.
Parents were instrumental in choosing the school uniforms. They had to decide between maroon, blue & brown. There were no sport facilities and children had to practice on the gravel roads.
1976 Welgemoed Pre-Primary was established. The purpose was to prepare children for Grade 1. Learners made use of a building in Bellville after 13h00 to attend pre-primary classes.
1977 Building of the Pre-Primary was completed. Architect was Stefan Weyers.
These cornerstones of educational journeys expanded over the years.

1967 Welgemoed Café was the first recognizable business in Welgemoed and was a small corner café that served the growing community. Gregory and Johnny were household names.
Mr Basil Melonas, a long-time resident of Welgemoed, took over the café and developed the iconic Basil’s Sentra Supermarket that operated in the Sanlam Shopping Centre now known as Welgemoed Plaza.
Doctors rooms, offices and retailers were tenants of the Welgemoed Plaza.
1980 Sepp Mayer (Austrian) bought the Mobil garage & workshop. Sepp and his wife Ingrid (she still resides in Welgemoed) sold the business in 1999. During that period Engen took over from Mobil.
1991 De Oude Welgemoed restaurant was established as an elegant dining experience in the historic farmhouse. David Grier was the renowned chef of Welgemoed’s first destination eatery.
2001 Welgemoed Forum was established.
2001 Basil’s becomes Basil’s Pick a Pay family store.

1969 Vredelust Mother Congregation gave permission for the secession of Welgemoed Congregation.
1971 Welgemoed Dutch Reformed Church founded with 501 members and 22 Church Council members.
12 Sept 1971 Gideon Kotze led first service in Welgemoed Primary school hall.
1971 Architect Nic Meyer appointed to design church.
1972 Rev. Lafras Moolman confirmed as first minister.
1973 Due to costs, the architect had to adjust his plans 11 times, before final approval.
1974 The first sod was turned.
1976 The church building was inaugurated.

1657 The Tygerberg Hills were named Luiperts Bergen (Leopards Mountains), because early settlers saw spot like patterns across the hillsides.
1661 the name evolved to Tijgerberghen in Cape Dutch and has changed into modern usage as Tygerberg.
1973 Tygerberg Nature Reserve was set aside to preserve the endangered Swartland Shale Renosterveld.
Spans over 388 hectares and home to 562 plant species, 137 bird species, 24 mammal species, 22 reptile species, 7 types of frogs and numerous butterfly types.
The reserve offers 13km of trails and various picnic spots.
The Kristo Pienaar Environmental Education Centre serves as a resource hub with a library, herbarium and educational programs for scholars.
Named after Prof Kristo Pienaar (1922 – 1995) He was a South African botanist, environmentalist, academic, author, radio & television presenter and an advocate for water wise gardening. Mayor of Bellville.

1974 Two squash courts were built in Welgemoed, next to the old Welgemoed Golf Club house (now the Dojo).
1979 Hennie Bosman established the Welgemoed Dojo. He focused on Kyokushin karate, a discipline known for full contact and character building.
1996 The Welgemoed Tennis club was founded. It boasts several courts along a comfortable club house. It also hosts both social events and competitive league play.
2020 The old “Voortrekker saal” was converted into a Fitbox functional Fitness centre.
2022 Welgemoed Padel as business was registered. Pickleball and Padel were both fast growing racket sports and courts have rapidly been built and tennis courts converted.
2024 The “Vliegtuig Parkie” was transformed to the Sluysken park for everyone to enjoy. This is the first of many to come to upgrade public spaces in Welgemoed.