The original owner of the farm Doornkraal was Hermanus Egbertus Steyn. He was the great-grandson of master builder Douwe Gerbrandt Steyn, who in 1668 arrived from Leeuwarden in Friesland, to build the Castle of Good Hope, today one of Cape Town's main tourist attractions.
The first expedition to the Riversdale region was led by Hieronymous Cruse in 1667 to barter for cattle. During the next expedition twenty years later, expedition leader Izak Schryver befriended Goukou, the leader of the Hessequa, after which many barter expeditions followed.