14/11/2025
Ever wondered why the little village of Notties appeared in the middle of nowhere?
Itâs a story richer â and far older â than most people realize.
Weâve shared a brief look into those early days below â and for those who want to go deeper, youâll find a detailed article in this link, https://nottingham-road.co.za/history/ packed with local history, family stories, school beginnings, and so much more.
The Early Days
The land that would become Nottingham Road was largely uninhabited until the mid-1800s. It consisted of grassy highlands that flourished in summer but were cold and challenging to farm in winter. Voortrekkers arriving in the 1830s preferred farming further north, closer to markets, leaving this region relatively untouched until the arrival of British settlers under the Byrne Immigration Scheme in the mid-1800s.
Although most Byrne settlers remained near Pietermaritzburg, a few moved further inland in search of larger tracts of farmland. One reason for the areaâs limited early settlement was its distance from markets in Pietermaritzburg, Durban, and Weenen, which made it difficult to earn a living.
Among these pioneers were John King and his wife Janet (nĂŠe Ellis), who arrived in 1849 on the Henry Tanner with their infant son, James, and Janetâs siblings James, Helen, and Elizabeth Ellis. Their daughter Helen was born four months later.
Finding their allotted land unsuitable, they used the Sommerville inheritance of the Ellis siblings to purchase 6,000 acres of the farm Wilde Als Spruit, which they renamed Balgowan and Lynedoch. In 1858, John King acquired the farm Gowrie through the Quit Rent system. These farms, named after Scottish estates, remain part of the Midlands map today.
The Kings established a successful farm at Lynedoch and twice a year transported salted butter, cheese, wool, and preserves to Pietermaritzburg by ox-wagonâa two-day trip.
Early farming, however, was harsh. Settlers faced difficult conditions and, to survive, many turned to deforestationâlogging the towering indigenous yellowwood forests on the south-facing slopes. Timber provided essential income, and through trial and error, farmers gradually transformed the land: liming the soil, fertilising, and planting improved pastures. These efforts laid the foundation for todayâs thriving dairy and beef industry.
Strathearn & the Smythes
A trainee farmer employed by the Kings, Charles Smythe, immigrated from Scotland to Natal in 1872. On his voyage aboard the mail ship Norseman, he shared a cabin with two of Cecil Rhodesâ brothers. After early ventures in sugarcane farming and diamond mining, Smythe met fellow Scot John King and later partnered with Kingâs son, James, to farm Gowrie.
In 1876, Charles married Margaret King, John and Janetâs younger daughterâan accomplished stock farmer in her own right. The King, Ellis, and Smythe families all hailed from the same part of Perthshire, Scotland.
The couple had 14 children and farmed successfully at Strathearn, a property Charles expanded by leasing and eventually purchasing adjoining farmsâHoward, Vaalkop (later Inchbrakie), and Eberberg. Smythe later rose to prominence as Prime Minister of the Natal Colony in 1906.
Today, Strathearn remains in the hands of Smythe descendantsâover 140 years laterâa testament to enduring local heritage.
