that runs along it. The aboriginal inhabitants of the
Kogelberg mountains were the
San hunter-gatherers and the
Khoi herders, whose shell-middens and burial areas can still be found. During the early colonial era, explorers occasionally penetrated the mountains and reported on the area's unusual beauty and teeming wildlife, however no permanent settlements were made, as the landscape was considered far too extreme and inaccessible for farming. The Kogelberg region therefore remained almost pristine. In the early 19th century the whole area was designated "Crown Land" by the government of the
Cape Colony, and over a hundred years later, in 1935, the rugged area finally became accessible, when a road was built. This brought about rapid change, as the Department of Forestry took over the region in 1937 and declared its intention of using the area for state timber plantations. The idea of turning the region into a nature reserve was first brought up by local landowner
Harry Molteno, who put the proposal to his
Cape Tercentenary Foundation board on 18 April 1951. A passionate fynbos enthusiast, he advocated for this vast stretch of mountain range to be returned to its natural state, for which he secured the vital support of the Cape Western Conservancy and Professor Harold Compton of
Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. Later in the decade, his dream was finally realised when his financial grant secured the establishment of the Kogelberg preserve, comprising the land lying south of the N2 and west of the
Palmiet River - with necessary infrastructure, fencing and biological surveys. In 1987, this conservation area was transferred to
Cape Nature Conservation, and formally became a nature reserve by the more specific standards of that body. Later developments include the construction of new visitors facilities in 2012, as well as the steady expansion of the surrounding "biosphere reserve". ==Greater Biosphere Reserve==