Page 22 - Interface December Issue 2024

WHAT’S ON YOUR

DOORSTEP?

Irene Dairy Farm was established as far back as 1895.
It is a popular landmark and is a working dairy farm.

They have a herd of Friesland cows that are milked
twice a day, providing milk for a wide variety of dairy
products.

Johannes Albertus van der Byl (Bertie) came up from
the Cape when the land was up for sale after its
owner passed. The land was owned by Alois Hugo
Nellmapius (Nellmapius), who imported Friesland
cows for dairy production on the farm.

After buying the farm from Nellmapius’s estate,
Bertie built up the dairy herd, improved the property
by constructing several water furrows and dams and
developed the lime works. Ostriches, wildebeest and
several species of antelope and gamebirds were also
kept on this land.

As a fun, intelligent, man full of vitality, Bertie made a
name for himself as an efficient and popular farmer.
Initially his greatest profit came from the lime sold.
His second most profitable sector was the garden
which sold strawberries, fruit, flowers and seedlings
to the Johannesburg and Pretoria markets.

Today, Irene farm is the perfect ‘farm in the city’ for
a family day out, and it’s around the corner from the
estate!

INTERFACEDigimag | December 2024 | 20