Not every day that we see the old wagons meticulously restored.
The 24th of September is the official Heritage Day in South Africa. So, in order to honor the day, I will show you this museum.
At first, I will show you 5 photos at the right-hand side of the hall.
The most unique stories you will find in the museum is that of the 1838 meteor fall, known for its unique scientific significance and considered one of the most extraordinary meteorites worldwide, the 1969 earthquake which had a huge impact on the community of Ceres and surrounding area, Galant rebellion, the second biggest slave up rise in the Cape Colony, the Transport Riders and the significant influence that the they had on the development of Ceres.
Other exhibits include the first inhabitants and their lifestyle, a collection of wagons, the forced removals during the 1960’s that look at the policies of apartheid and their impact on the community. and the Jewish Community, exploring their significant contributions to the cultural, economic, and social development of the town.
If you browse the Source link, it will show you much more than I have in here. We only had time to visit the transport hall, but there is so much more to see in the link.
Togryers mean Transport riders.
How's this below then for a bus?. 4-6 oxen in the engine :)
And now let me shift your attention towards the left-hand side of the hall.
Amazing how this side was laid out, as at first, they show some luxury carts, and then towards the end they have placed the morbid wagons. By morbid, I mean you will even see some hearses on show.
The Spider was clad in leather, and it was equal to the modern sports cars of today. About 2 horse power :)
As stated, this below is the morbid section. Interestingly the common person's hearse was placed at the left, and the fancy limo for the wealthy was placed at the right.
I think that this below was an upmarket hearse for the wealthy.
Oh, I forgot to tell you that one has to pay a museum entry fee.
We were on our way to a town called Tulbagh, and we decided to pay a quick visit to the museum before we departed Ceres. One can see the great care that the local people take at the museum, and it was really well laid out. There were even some modern touch screens to tell visitors some stories. It really was one of the highlights of our visit to Ceres, and a pity that we didn't have more time to explore the earthquake side and the slave uprising side of the museum. All this took place long ago, but the people remember it as it is a part of the town, its forefathers, and its cultures. Who knows, maybe sometime in the future we will be able to explore the other parts of the museum.
In the meantime, I hope that you have enjoyed the pictures and the story.
Photos by Zac Smith-All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon PowershotSX70HS Bridge camera.
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