Simon van der Stel, who became commander of the Cape on 12 October 1679 and was promoted to governor in 1691, was succeeded by his eldest son, Willem Adriaan van der Stel. Upon his retirement, Simon was one of the largest landowners at the Cape. He settled on his estate Constantia and continued to develop it up to his death in 1712. Adriaan, like his father, believed in the wine industry and planted extensive vineyards on his farm "Vergelegen" near Somerset West. He was also an enthusiastic sheep-farmer. Because of Adriaan's farming activities, a group of influential Cape farmers drew up a petition against him, which they sent to the Council of XVII in the Netherlands.
Wallis, F. (2000). Nuusdagboek: feite en fratse oor 1000 jaar, Kaapstad: Human & Rousseau.|Potgieter, D.J. et al. (eds)(1970). Standard Encyclopaedia of Southern Africa, Cape Town : NASOU, v. 11, pp. 139-142.