Saasveld Forestry College

This led to an unhealthy strain on the indigenous forests of the Southern Cape, which had been exploited since the days of Jan van Riebeeck.

At that stage forestry fell under the Department of Agriculture and was more conservation-oriented than concerned with afforestation; consequently the output of foresters was small at that time.

With the rapid growth of the timber industry, it was decided to relocate Saasveld to its present position on the farm Pampoenkraal, due to its proximity to indigenous forest, open areas suitable for plantations of exotics, sawmills in the vicinity, and drying kilns in George.

Many explorers, naturalists and botanists such as Thunberg, Sparrman, Le Vaillant, Drège, Ecklon and Zeyher had visited the farm in the preceding two centuries.

In 1867, Thomas Bain, road-maker, had surveyed the main road heading east to Knysna and passing through Pampoenkraal.