Ixopo

Dick King

In 1842 European pioneers of Dutch decent (called Boers), who moved from the Cape of Good Hope to the interior of southern Africa, attacked the bay of D'Urban on the east coast of what became the Natal Province. At that time the D'Urban (later spelled Durban) area was settled by the British. The Boers surrounded the British settlement, whose supplies began to run out. The nearest British regiment was in Grahamstown, approximately 800Km away. Dick King and his Zulu companion, Ndongeni, began the long journey on horseback. Ndongeni went as far as near the land of the Pondo, but fearing this tribe, because of the bad blood between the Zulu and Pondo, he did not continue, and Dick King completed the journey alone. King did the journey in 9 days - averaging about 90Km per day. Upon reaching Grahamstown, a ship was sent to Durban.

The British regarded Dick King as the saviour of Durban. When he died in 1871, the Governor of Natal granted a piece of land near Ixopo to King's descendents. His son Francis King farmed here for 20 years.

In 1891 Francis King sold the farm to German Trappist Monks. They had a mission at Mariathal and wanted to use the farm for food supplies for the St Mary’s Seminary. They renamed the farm St Isidor, patron saint of farmers.

For a century priests were trained here. In 1996 the farm was bought by David and Cheryl Biggs who converted the dwellings into a guesthouse, renaming it King's Grant.