Though they left no historical writings of their own, records from other sources in the early 19th century refer to the Bakwena tribe, also known as the Crocodile people, who lived in the area.

Bertie was first in the line of the Irene-born van der Byls, and who are now in their fifth generation, which has now sold the Dairy farm to a Chinese Business Consortium as of September 2024.

The family has been responsible for building up the herd of dairy cows on the farm, as well as planting many hundreds of trees, something they began long before the current level of environmental consciousness.

He paid £300 for the wood and iron building which had served as the officers' mess of the British forces in Middelburg during the Anglo-Boer War, and transported it to the site at Doornkloof.

Today, the Smuts House Museum on the site illustrates the life-style and multi-faceted career of one of South Africa's most prominent historical figures.

During the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the United States men's national soccer team based its training camp in the township and were stationed at the Irene Country Lodge.