Baptized on 8 October 1662 in the Cape of Good Hope, Elsje was a matriarch who outlived her husbands and worked the land until she died.
The Transatlantic Rail from Cape Town Central had a major stop at Elsies River Station.
There was ample water in the Elsies Kraal River to quench thirsty horses and the Arcadia Coffee House served much-needed refreshments for tired travellers.
By 1940 there were an estimated 50,000 coloured people living in the Elsies River area, and in 1942 it was labelled as one of the "black spots" in the Cape Peninsula due to ever-increasing population, sanitation and other health issues, and high infant mortality rates (2 out if every 10 babies dies before age one).
[2][3][4][5][6][7] In 1980 the suburb, at the time restricted to coloured people, became the scene of bloodshed after a demonstration in support of the school boycott[8] became violent.