Johann Georg Rathfelder was born in Stuttgart in 1811 and emigrated to the Cape in 1835. Following his marriage in the colony, he inherited a halfway-house near Wynberg, on the Cape Town-Simonstown road. Rathfelder's Inn, as it soon became known, was famous for its hospitality and in the 1840's became the headquarters of the Cape Hunt. It also became a popular destination for Cape Town day-trippers.
The site, which was officially known as Halfway House, Simonstown Road, was also a mail-coach halt, and thus became the obvious location for a post office. Consequently when one was opened there on 7 September 1854, Rathfelder was appointed its first postmaster. When the inn was sold to WH Coghill in 1861, these duties were passed on to the new owner. Today the buildings house the Eaton Convalescent Home. In 1858 the name of the village was changed to Diep River. The Cape Town-Wynberg suburban railway was extended to Diep River on 15 December 1882.
Diep River has a River of the same name running through it, lies wedged in between Plumstead, Heathfield and The Vines. On the whole the little suburb is not well known and, possibly because of this, has pockets hidden deep in the area that are particularly beautiful, with effortless gardens and homes. Closer to the Main Road and the Railway Line lies the Industrial area, give a false impression of Diep River as less than savoury.