The Old Hatchery

A Brief History

The Old Hatchery was originally part of the farm Dunira which was owned by John Fell who sold it to Michael McDougall in 1940. In 1948 an agreement was reached between McDougall and the Natal Parks Board whereby a site was made available on Tretower, part of Dunira, for the setting up of a trout rearing station. In those days the Parks Board were very involved in stocking private waters (originally free of charge) to areas they considered likely to produce good fishing.

Leslie Acutt, Fisheries Inspector in Underberg since 1946, was responsible for the setting up and running of the hatchery and built a small hatching house and two circular rearing ponds. He also had to patrol the rivers for poachers. In 1950 the Parks Board bought the eight acres of land and the hatchery functioned until 1987 when the operation was discontinued.

The history for the next few years is a bit hazy (any old time Underbergers with the knowledge to help?) but we know that the restaurant was built in 2010 and was a wonderful edition as now those who stayed at the accommodation didn’t have to drive somewhere else for a warm meal. The Old Hatchery continues to be a mainstay of the Underberg district providing a range of quality accommodation options along with a restaurant that prides itself in its tranquility and wonderful view of the Drakensberg mountains.