Winterton Museum
The Natal Drakensberg is one of South Africa’s most outstanding attractions, which draws hundreds of thousands of visitors annually to its scenic beauty, crisp mountain air and crystal clear waters.
Winterton Museum
Midst this beautiful area lies the Winterton Museum. It was officially opened in 1993 by Mrs Sheila Henderson and is certainly worth a visit. This is a community museum and represents living history, telling the story of the people in the area, both past and present.
Everyone is there. The guys from the early and late stone age, the early and late iron age, the guys who fled from Shaka’s invading armies during the Mfecane, the first white fellows; the San, the Voortrekkers and the early English settlers. Part of the joy of this museum is that you can walk out into the street and meet a descendant of one of the folk whose photographs you saw inside.
Local people of the Ngwane tribe built genuine grass huts next to the museum, using materials they have collected themselves the way their ancestors did. There is a collection of photos of San rock art on display, along with old farm implements donated by local farmers.
Winterton Museum Display
Mr Carel Hollenbach donated an outstanding private collection of Boer war books. If you are planning on a visit to the battlefields while you’re in the area, make use of the reading room to brush up on some facts. Many battlefield guides have used the books.
Farming Equipment on display
Then there is the blacksmith shop, complete with tools and equipment and the one thing the Winterton Museum is renowned for is the Weston Caravan. Maximillian John Ludwich Weston designed many electrical and mechanical devices for which he held world patent rights and wrote several books. Assisted by his cousin he put the first electric lights into the Paris Opera House and became the first man in South Africa to build a powered flying machine. For the caravan on display he bought a truch chassis, a 1918 model commerce and commerce and built the caravan onto it. The family toured from Cape Town, through Africa, Europe, including Italy, Bulgaria, Chechoslovakia and Greece before settling in the area in 1933.
A museum display
History is alive and well in Winterton.
This small museum is well worth a visit and has fascinating displays on the history of farming in the area, the early inhabitants, a reconstructed Zulu beehive kraal, gallery of Bushman paintings as well as displays on the Boer War Battles of Spionkop and Vaalkrans.
Open Mon-Fri 08h00-15h00 Sat 09h00-12h00
Churh Rd opposite local school.
email – Tel: 036 488 1885 – Fax: 036 488 1194
Tags: Boer War, bushman paintings, farming, history, museum, zulu culture