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 The history of South Africa is reflected in the great number of museums, which focus on local history. These include, Groot Constantia, in the Cape Peninsula, which is one of the finest examples of Cape Dutch architecture, exquisitely furnished with fine antiques and paintings.
At South African Museum in Cape Town, man is depicted from his early stages of development in Africa through the Stone Age and up to the first white settlement in the cape. The museum is especially notable for displays of ethnic groups.
The Alexander McGregor Memorial Museum, Kimberly, has an exceptional collection of San skeletons, weapons and implements. Displays include items relating to South Africa’s natural history, geology and prehistory.
Situated next to the Big Hole, the open-air Kimberley Mine museum depicts Kimberley in its Victorian heyday during the diamond rush.
Muckleneuk, in Durban, houses three important Africana collections, including arte-facts relating to tribal culture, and furniture brought by early English settlers.
Also, in Durban, the Local History Museum sheds light on the history of the early settlers. Bloemfontein’s War Museum of the Boer Republics focuses on the Boer forces, which participated in the Anglo Boer war. The research library contains a fine collection of
Africana.
Gold Reef City, Johannesburg, is a reconstruction of Johannesburg during the gold rush, built around a gold down an old mine shaft.
Melrose House, Pretoria (a beautiful example of Victorian architecture), contains lovely period furniture. Antique and collectable fares are held regularly.
One of the finest examples of a living museum, the village of Pilgrim’s Rest in Mpumalanga, is a replica of the early gold mining town in the 1870s.
On May 18, International Museum day, museums throughout the country present special programs.
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