W A (Wac) Campbell, the patriarch of Natal Sugar Estates, and a foundation member of the newly constituted National Parks Board, bout Mala Mala, Eyrefield and Marthly in this reserve, and subsequently acquired several other adjacent farms.

The portion lying to the west of the Park, between the Sabie River in the south and the Oliphant’s River in the north, was the first area where the concept of private nature reserves was born.

The portion lying to the west of the Park, between the Sabie River in the south and the Oliphant’s River in the north, was the first area where the concept of private nature reserves was born.

As a result of his love and appreciation of wildlife, Mostert, using pack donkeys, went over the farms Nederland, Peru, Ceylon, and Rothsay, eventually deciding to buy Nederland, at five shillings per morgen. Mostert built a road from the Acornhoek-Orpen road to Nederland. He maintained this road for eighteen years.

For the control of many aspects of wildlife, but the continued development of the province, coupled with modern methods of transport and hunting, increased the danger of over hunting and the ordinance soon became obsolete.

When the Transvaal Game Ordinance (No 23 of 1949) was changed, people were allowed to form private reserves under certain conditions, and Mostert proposed that the property owners form a mutual game reserve.

Due to Col J D Pretorius' enthusiasm for the Game Ordinance, the 'Umbabat Private Nature Reserve', named after the Umbabat River, became a reality. When the river was later given its original Xitsonga name 'Timbavati', form 'ku bava', meaning 'bitter or brackish water', the name of the reserve was changed accordingly.