The Property was purchased in 1940 by a Dutch diamond trader known as Messias, who had a House erected upon it. During WWII Italian prisoners of war were used to build Improvements on the estate. One of which, a windmill, was built in accordance with a magazine illustration. The windmill was functional and was used to pump water into irrigation furrows so that all the chicken runs had a fresh supply of water daily. Italian labour was also responsible for the sunken garden alongside the windmill. It was declared a National Monument under old NMC legislation on 10 February 1989.
The Township of Olivedale - part of 'Olievenshoutpoort; - was Developed on the Amsterdam Estate which was established in 1943 by Mr. H. Messias, a diamond dealer who emigrated from Holland, before the Second World War. He established a free range chicken Farm and planted an Orchard of 50,000 Peach Trees. His house and surrounding Structures where Built by Italian prisoners of war who were obtained from Zonderwater, Prisoner of War Camp.
Irrigation was established for the peach trees from a Borehole which required a source of Power. What could be more appropriate to a native of Holland, than a Dutch Windmill. The Italians Constructed the Windmill using a Magazine Picture, as their guide. This Windmill was declared a National Monument in 1989 and is located a few Kilometres from the Retirement Village.
The actual Ground where the Olivedale Retirement Village has been Built was Inherited in the mid-sixties by Margaret Constance Matthews, a New Zealander by Birth, from her sister, Mrs Thurlow. Margaret lived by herself and Farmed a small herd of cattle and a quantity of chickens. The Cowsheds and Milking Parlour where situated where Today stands the Guard Control Room at the Village entrance. Milk was supplied to Douglasdale Dairy which was Owned by one of her four sons, Brian. She began Restoration of many old Houses that were on the Property, which were later lived in by Family Members. Margaret constructed a scenic Dam to attract birds to the Area.
Margaret Matthews died in 1993 and is Buried next to a family member Claire who dies at the age of six. They are buried in a small Cemetery located just outside the Main Entrance the Retirement Village. The developers of Olivedale Retirement Village Purchased the Land from the Matthews family in 2010 and began Construction of the Retirement Village in 2013.
