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Conolly's Guide To Southern Africa
Company's Garden and Government Avenue
By Denis Conolly copyright 1992
Van Riebeeck received very definite instructions from the Lords Seventeen,
his masters of the United East India Company, to build a fort and a garden
and these tasks along with many others he performed creditably. The first
plantings were close to the earthen-walled fort. By 1660 however, the entire
garden lay west of the Fresh River, the river that ran more or less along the
Heerengracht (present day Adderly Street) to the sea. The garden fronted
seaward on Tuin Street (now Church Street) extending toward the mountain. With
the choosing of sites for the church and graveyard, the hospital and the slave
lodge, the garden was encroached upon from time to time until it finally
became established approximately on either side of where the avenue is today.
In the early days of the settlement the garden was used exclusively for the
supply of vegetables and fruit for the needs of ships visiting Table Bay. With
the changes brought about after the arrival Simon van der Stel in 1679, such
as availability of produce from the free burghers and the company's garden at
Newlands, the importance of the town gardengradually receded until Simon van
der Stel had its converted into a botanical garden. The early botonists (then
called master gardeners) Heinrich Oldenland (1692-1697), Jan Hartog (1689-
1715) and Johan Auge (1747-1785) assisted in the creation of a botanical
garden varied with indigenous and exotic species, sufficient to arouse
nternational attention.
Simon van der Stel built a summer-house in the garden on the site of the State
President's present day residence, Tuynhuys, and during the term of his son
Willem Adriaan van der Stel, a zoo was established at the top of the garden.
These were the first of many structures to make their inroads upon the
Company's Garden. It is now a national monument and the future conservation of
the area is protected.
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Photography by 
