The original farm was given to Henning Hussing, a German speaking
Swiss mercenary by the VOC as a land grant upon completion of his
contractual tour of duty in the Cape. He named it Meer Lusthof (German
for idyllic farm by the sea – now Meerlust); describing the sense of
pleasure he obtained from the sea breezes that blew inland from False
Bay.
Hussing took a portion of his enormous farm and gave / sold it to
Jacobus van der Heyden, also a mercenary and to whom he was related.
This portion later became known as Welmoed.