SiteRecordings

This property, being the remains of one of the first Table Valley "tuine" has had a long and interesting history. The original grant of 8 morgen was made by Simon van der Stel in 1692 to Cornelis Johannes Simons the Independent Fiscal. From 1694 it belonged to a succession of owners, the name "Belvidere" being first recorded in 1757 . In 1760 it was bought by Michiel Smuts and during almost 100 years of Smuts ownership the property was enlarged considerably and became a prestigious landholding and residence.

In 1855 Belvidere was transferred to Hendrik Johannes Hofmeyr on his marriage to the widow of the current Smuts owner. In 1856 a transfer to the Colonial government was necessary in order that are-grant (also 1856 on which the name "Bellevue appears for the first time) consolidating the various additional land acquisitions and establishing the line of Kloof Street could be issued. From this time onwards, subdivisions and sales of land occurred so that, by the time the remaining ground including the homestead and out buildings was purchased by St John's Hostel in 1921, the property was only 5 morgen in extent. This has since been reduced to 2 morgen.

The house and gable in their present very fine "Georgian Cape Dutch" form probably date from the Hofmeyr ownership post 1855 and represents an alteration, possibly after a fire, to the house probably built by Michiel Smuts c1760 and sketched by S Daniell c1800 and by Thomas Bowler in 1844. These drawings show a typical Cape Dutch house with a hipped thatch roof and gable with two windows. The present gable with its flanking classical pilasters still has a similar segmental capping. There were three windows flanking the front door on each side while now there are only two. The present thatched roof is covered with corrugated iron but the underlying early roof timbers are in good condition.

Additional buildings of considerable interest were built in the early years of hostel occupation. These include a long colonnaded double storey structure and a chapel (with pews from the old St George's Cathedral) together with an interesting granite amphitheatre. The property also includes two modern hostels.