C.A.W. CAVADINO

HISTORY

As early as 1863 (you could say 1861 when he arrived) the Cavadino family was represented in the Asian region by our managing-director's great-grandfather Conrad Alexander Willem Cavadino, who was born in Doesburg, The Netherlands September 5th, 1832,

February 27th, 1861 he left Amsterdam together with 3 other passengers on sailing goods vessel Metalen Kruis (Metal Cross) to arrive in Batavia around April 15th 1861, A treacherous trip in those days around the Cape of South Africa (the Suez canal did not open until November 1869) and indeed the vessel had sprung a leak when arriving in Batavia.

Before starting his business he became the innkeeper; a most respectable and profitable position, at the Concordia Military Society located on the Waterlooplein (not the one in Amsterdam but in Batavia; now called Lapangan Banteng - "Bull Field").
In 1862 he was selling cookies, bonbons and sweets as CAW Cavadino - Confiseur Patissier Cuisinier from the address of Concordia Society.

At the age of 29, Conrad is married "with the glove" (in his absence by proxy; his bride being in The Netherlands) in Arnhem on June 25th, 1862 to Anna Johanna Gerarda Versteeg; then 21 years old before she took the same treacherous crossing to Batavia on board the sailing goods vessel Hollands Trouw (Dutch Loyalty) for up to 1.5 months. She would undertake this journey married as Mrs AJG Cavadino-Versteeg (Mrs Cavadino) to join her husband, while chaperoned by one of Conrad's brothers. They arrived in Batavia around January 28th, 1863. In 1868 this vessel actually burned down in the middle of the high seas when taking coal to Batavia with the loss of all 10 people on board.

From 1863 Conrad was the treasurer of the official body who was charged with managing the property of the Catholic Church in Batavia.

In February 1863 an ad in the newspaper mentions that "The house of Mr Munder at Rijswijk across the Grote Sluis (large Lock) is for sale. In the newspapers in June 1863 it is announced the house of Mr Munder is sold and that CAW Cavadino - Confiseur Cuisinier will, per July 1st, move into the house of Mr Munder.

On June 31st, 1863 he resigns from his position at the Concordia Military Society.

In August 1863 he officially opens as CAW Cavadino - Confiseur & Cuisinier with a Bakery and Shop selling bakes and sweets and "generously stocked with business related goods and exquisite drinks and provisions" at the corner of Rijswijk (Jalan Veteran) and Citadelweg (Jalan Veteran I); in the then high-class neighbourhood of Weltevreden (Dutch for "very content") in Batavia; now known as Sawah Besar - "Big Rice Field", centre of Jakarta, on the Island of Java in Indonesia.
From September 1st, 1863 he is renting out rooms in the main building. This was a so-called "commensalenhuis", which were long-stay lodgings or what we nowadays would call serviced apartments.
At a later date pavilions (multiple-room lodgings) were also for rent behind the main building along the Citadelweg and rooms in the hotel would be rented on a daily basis.

By 1866 the main building was called Hotel Cavadino and the outbuilding in front Toko Cavadino.

In October 1865 (Java Bode 1/11/1865) he buys from Jan Hendrik Meijer (who died in Batavia on July 20, 1862) at auction premises at Rijswijk (Hotel der Nederlanden - one of three of the finest hotels at that time; two doors down from his current place), valued at 50.000 Guilders, for the then considerable sum of 67,600 Dutch Guilders (equivalent now to about 600.000 Euro).

In February 1866 it is announced that the Hotel der Nederlanden will re-open on March 1st after extensive renovations and improvements.  "The spacious airy rooms, marble floors, crystal gas-lights throughout the main building, marble bathrooms with showers, fresh interiors and excellent kitchen make further promotion of the hotel unnecessary". Announcements are signed by CAW Cavadino and after the opening ads by "owner" C. van Santen; the husband of the older sister of Conrad's wife, who runs the hotel until April 1879 when it is taken over by Mr J Polleman.
An ad found in a Dutch newspaper in December 1878 mentions: "Looking for couple to run Hotel der Nederlanden; first class and very lucrative. Capital not required but optional. Hotel could be taken over if the price is favourable. Respond to CAW Cavadino, Huize Schoonzigt, Zutphen (Netherlands)." No sales or ownership records have been found as yet; as such it is unclear when, to whom and for what amount Conrad sold the property.

It is most likely that his endeavours so far were financed partially by loans (debentures or bonds which he seems to have used a lot to raise money at least in later life) from family or friends but it is not until January 1st 1870 that the firm Cavadino & Co is officially registered with active partner Mr CAW Cavadino and silent investing (the co) partners Mr Carl Eduard Willem Rummel and Mr Jacobus Johannes van Trist for an initial term of 2 years.

Conrad then returns to the Netherlands with his wife and 4 children in March 1870.