The McGregor Museum in Kimberley, South Africa, originally known as the Alexander McGregor Memorial Museum, is a multidisciplinary museum which serves Kimberley and the Northern Cape, established in 1907.

Overview

Housed at first in a purpose-built museum building in Chapel Street, Kimberley, and spreading to occupy further spaces in the city, the museum was, and still is, governed by a Board of Trustees, aided financially by the Kimberley municipality (up to the 1950s), then by the Cape Provincial Administration and, today, by the Northern Cape Administration through the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture. In May 2014 it was declared a Provincial Public Entity, effective from 1 April 2014. Alexander McGregor had been a Mayor of Kimberley, whose wife bequeathed the building to perpetuate his memory. Today the museum has its headquarters at the old Kimberley Sanatorium building in Belgravia, Kimberley, and it has several satellites including the original building in Chapel Street. The museum was founded on 24 September 1907. By coincidence 24 September was chosen as Heritage Day, a public holiday in South Africa post-1994. The McGregor Museum is a primary research institute in and for the Northern Cape (and is anticipated to have a role in articulation with the School of Heritage which is to be a part of the

Sol Plaatje University The Sol Plaatje University, which had provisionally been referred to as the University of the Northern Cape, opened in Kimberley, South Africa, in 2014, accommodating a modest initial intake of 135 students. The student complement is expected to ...

) in fields of natural and cultural history (including

zoology Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the Animal, animal kingdom, including the anatomy, structure, embryology, evolution, Biological clas ...

botany Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek w ...

, general history, South African struggle history,

archaeology Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...

social anthropology Social anthropology is the study of patterns of behaviour in human societies and cultures. It is the dominant constituent of anthropology throughout the United Kingdom and much of Europe, where it is distinguished from cultural anthropology. In t ...

). It curates important collections and archival material (see below) and, on the basis of its collections and research activities, performs educational and outreach functions to the community locally and throughout the province. Research programs include international collaborative projects.

Museum directors

The McGregor Museum operates as a Provincial Public Entity (as of April 2014), governed by a board of trustees. It was originally aided by the Kimberley Municipality,

De Beers De Beers Group is an international corporation that specializes in diamond mining, diamond exploitation, diamond retail, diamond trading and industrial diamond manufacturing sectors. The company is active in open-pit, large-scale alluvial and c ...

and many donors (from 1907); then by the Cape Provincial Administration (from 1958); and, from 1994, as a Province-aided Museum receiving an annual grant from the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture,

Northern Cape Province The Northern Cape is the largest and most sparsely populated province of South Africa. It was created in 1994 when the Cape Province was split up. Its capital is Kimberley. It includes the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, part of the Kgalagadi ...

, which also employed the staff of the museum. Directors of the McGregor Museum have been: *

Maria Wilman Maria Wilman (29 April 1867 – 9 November 1957) was a South African geologist and botanist. She was the first Director of the McGregor Museum in Kimberley, South Africa and the second female South African to attend the University of Cambridg ...

(1908–1946) *

John Hyacinth Power John Hyacinth Power was the second Director of the McGregor Museum in Kimberley, South Africa.Wilson, Beryl 2007. Mr John Hyacinth Power: 1884–1964. In Hart, R. (ed) 2007. ''Chapters from the past: 100 years of the McGregor Museum, 1907–2007 ...

(1947–1958) * Rudolph Carl Bigalke (1958–1964) * Richard Liversidge (1966–1986) * Elizabeth Anne Voigt (1987–1999) * Colin Fortune (2000-2014) * Sunet Swanepoel (2014-2017) (Acting) * Sunet Swanepoel (2017- )

Collections and exhibits

The museum houses major natural history and

cultural history Cultural history combines the approaches of anthropology and history to examine popular cultural traditions and cultural interpretations of historical experience. It examines the records and narrative descriptions of past matter, encompassing the ...

collections including a

botanical Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...

herbarium A herbarium (plural: herbaria) is a collection of preserved plant specimens and associated data used for scientific study. The specimens may be whole plants or plant parts; these will usually be in dried form mounted on a sheet of paper (called ...

collections, a history

archive An archive is an accumulation of historical records or materials – in any medium – or the physical facility in which they are located. Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual or ...

(including documents, photographs and

oral history Oral history is the collection and study of historical information about individuals, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews. These interviews are conducted with people wh ...

recordings),

ethnography Ethnography (from Greek ''ethnos'' "folk, people, nation" and ''grapho'' "I write") is a branch of anthropology and the systematic study of individual cultures. Ethnography explores cultural phenomena from the point of view of the subject o ...

collections,

and

rock art In archaeology, rock art is human-made markings placed on natural surfaces, typically vertical stone surfaces. A high proportion of surviving historic and prehistoric rock art is found in caves or partly enclosed rock shelters; this type also ...

collections,

physical anthropology Biological anthropology, also known as physical anthropology, is a scientific discipline concerned with the biological and behavioral aspects of human beings, their extinct Hominini, hominin ancestors, and related non-human primates, particularly ...

palaeontology Paleontology (), also spelled palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of life that existed prior to, and sometimes including, the start of the Holocene epoch (roughly 11,700 years before present). It includes the study of fossi ...

and geology collections. Most of these fields are represented by professional staff and collection managers, and the collections and associated research programs are reflected in permanent and temporary exhibits in various sections and buildings of the museum as well as in outreach programs in the province and displays in smaller museums.

Expansion to the sanatorium

Outgrowing available space at its buildings in town, the museum's headquarters were moved in 1973 to the former Kimberley Sanatorium (built in 1897), which at one time served also as the Hotel Belgrave (1908–1933) and as the Holy Family Convent School, Kimberley (1933–1971). The new museum headquarters were officially opened on 22 November 1976. For the duration of the

Siege of Kimberley The siege of Kimberley took place during the Second Boer War at Kimberley, Cape Colony (present-day South Africa), when Boer forces from the Orange Free State and the Transvaal besieged the diamond mining town. The Boers moved quickly to try ...

(14 October 1899 – 15 February 1900) during the

Anglo-Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sout ...

Cecil John Rhodes Cecil John Rhodes (5 July 1853 – 26 March 1902) was a British mining magnate and politician in southern Africa who served as Prime Minister of the Cape Colony from 1890 to 1896. An ardent believer in British imperialism, Rhodes and his Brit ...

lodged in rooms at what was then the Sanatorium.

Satellites

Branches of the McGregor Museum today include the original McGregor Memorial Museum in town (city history displays), the

Duggan-Cronin Gallery The Duggan-Cronin Gallery, which is a satellite of the McGregor Museum in Kimberley, South Africa, houses in part the legacy in photographs and ethnographic artefacts of the photographer Alfred Martin Duggan-Cronin. It occupies a former dwelling ...

(photographic and ethnographic museum), two house museums, Dunluce and Rudd House, the Pioneers of Aviation Museum, the Magersfontein Battlefield Museum,

Wonderwerk Cave Wonderwerk Cave is an archaeological site, formed originally as an ancient solution cavity in dolomite rocks of the Kuruman Hills, situated between Danielskuil and Kuruman in the Northern Cape Province, South Africa. It is a National Heritage S ...

near

Kuruman Kuruman is a small town with just over 53,000 inhabitants in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. It is known for its scenic beauty and the Eye of Kuruman, a geological feature that brings water from deep underground. The abundance of water ...

and the

Wildebeest Kuil Rock Art Centre Wildebeest Kuil Rock Art Centre is a rock engraving site with visitor centre on land owned by the !Xun and Khwe San situated about 16 km from Kimberley, Northern Cape, South Africa. It is a declared Provincial Heritage Site managed by the N ...

outside Kimberley.

Some major museum projects and programmes

* Founding of the South African Museums Association in Kimberley in 1936 * Building of Chapwood Building with funds from McGregor Family, 1950s * The Griqualand West Story, 1959 * Rudd House donated to the museum, 1969 * Magersfontein Battlefield Museum development, 1971 (refurbished in 1999 for the

centenary) * Move to the

Sanatorium A sanatorium (from Latin '' sānāre'' 'to heal, make healthy'), also sanitarium or sanitorium, are antiquated names for specialised hospitals, for the treatment of specific diseases, related ailments and convalescence. Sanatoriums are often ...

and building of new displays, 1973–1976 * Dunluce donated to the museum, 1975 * Memorial to the Pioneers of Aviation Museum, 1981 * Nooitgedacht open air displays, 1985 * Restoration and opening of Rudd House, 1988 (restored again in 2008) * Opening of the new Humanities Block, 1991 *

Site Museum opening, 1993 * Displays on the coming of democracy opened by Premier Manne Dipico, 1995 * Through Vuzi's Lens – photographic display *

Sol Plaatje Museum The Sol Plaatje Museum and Library is in Kimberley, Northern Cape, South Africa, in a house where Solomon T. Plaatje lived during his last years at 32 Angel Street, Malay Camp. It was here that Plaatje wrote ''Mhudi ''Mhudi: An Epic of South ...

displays at 32 Angel Street * Frontiers Gallery opened by Khuza Bogacwi, 1998 * Ancestors Gallery opened by MEC Brian Hermanus, 1999 *

Victoria West Victoria West is a town in the central Karoo region of South Africa's Northern Cape province. It is situated on the main N12 route, at an elevation of . It is the seat of the Ubuntu Local Municipality within the Pixley ka Seme District Municipa ...

Museum displays opened * Magersfontein Battlefield Museum refurbished for the centenary, 1999 *

Concert and Ball, 1999, 2000 * Canteen Kopje and Barkly West Museum, 2000 *

public archaeology development, 2001, opened by Premier Manne Dipico and

Cheryl Carolus Cheryl Carolus (born 27 May 1958) is a South African politician. She was born in Silvertown, on the Cape Flats, Cape Town. Carolus became involved in politics while still at school and became an activist after joining the United Democratic Fro ...

* Robben Island project exhibition, opened by

Ahmed Kathrada Ahmed Mohamed Kathrada (21 August 1929 – 28 March 2017), sometimes known by the nickname "Kathy", was a South African politician and anti-apartheid activist. Kathrada's involvement in the anti-apartheid activities of the African National Con ...

, 2001 * Workshop on human remains and publication of Skeletons in the Cupboard, 2001 *

Malay Camp Malay may refer to: Languages * Malay language or Bahasa Melayu, a major Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore ** History of the Malay language#Old Malay, History of the Malay language, the Malay language fro ...

and Greenpoint history projects, 2002 * Finalist in first Provincial Premier's Award, 2003 * Ten Years of Democracy displays, 2004, and a contribution to the "Democracy X" exhibition at

Iziko South African Museum The Iziko South African Museum is a South African national museum located in Cape Town. The museum was founded in 1825, the first in the country. It has been on its present site in the Company's Garden since 1897. The museum houses important ...

in Cape Town, in the same year. * Duggan-Cronin photographic exhibitionat

Museum Africa Museum Africa or MuseuMAfricA (formerly known as the Africana Museum) is an historical museum in Newtown, Johannesburg, South Africa. History The museum was established in 1933, when the Johannesburg Public Library bought a large quantity of ...

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Demo ...

displays opened by Premier

Dipuo Peters Elizabeth Dipuo Peters (born 13 May 1960 in Kimberley, Northern Cape) was the Minister of Transport of the Republic of South Africa from 10 July 2013 until 30 March 2017, in the Zuma administration, and former Minister of Energy from 2009 to 201 ...

, 2006 *

restoration and new displays, 2007 * Thandabantu exhibition, Alfred Martin Duggan-Cronin and Richard Madela – a photographic journey through Southern Africa 1919–1939, at

Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...

, 2007 * McGregor Museum Centenary, 1907–2007 – restoration of the original museum building with new displays *

declared a Provincial Heritage Site, 19 Sep 2008. * Rudd House restored and re-opened, 23 Sep 2008. * Contributed Stow's copies of rock engravings to the "George William Stow Exhibition" at

, November 2008. *

approved as a Grade 1 National Heritage Site, Mar 2009. An international symposium on the site was held at Wonderwerk Cave in June 2009. * A role in the government project entitled 'The History of the Liberation Struggle in the Northern Cape' (2009). "This project will encapsulate our role as a province in the liberation struggle, and will serve as a gift from our veterans to the youth of the province", said Premier

Hazel Jenkins Hazel Gertrude Jenkins is a South African politician and former Premier of the Northern Cape province. She served as Premier from May 2009 until she officially stood down in April 2013, following a stroke. The motion to recognise her stepping ...

in her State of the Province Address, 12 June 2009. The project was launched at the McGregor Museum on Heritage Day 24 September 2009. * The "Sacred Legacy" exhibition combining the "Shared Legacies", namely the photographic works of

Edward Curtis Edward Sherriff Curtis (February 19, 1868 – October 19, 1952) was an American photographer and ethnologist whose work focused on the American West and on Native American people. Sometimes referred to as the "Shadow Catcher", Curtis traveled ...

and

Alfred Martin Duggan-Cronin Alfred Martin Duggan-Cronin was an Irish-born South African photographer who undertook several photographic and collecting expeditions in South Africa and adjacent territories between 1919 and 1939, in the course of which he documented people and r ...

, opened at the Centre for African Studies,

University of Cape Town The University of Cape Town (UCT) ( af, Universiteit van Kaapstad, xh, Yunibesithi ya yaseKapa) is a public research university in Cape Town, South Africa. Established in 1829 as the South African College, it was granted full university statu ...

, 14 October 2009.Documenting Indigenous Peoples
* One of the host museums for the 77th South African Museums Association (SAMA) national conference, October 2013. SAMA having been established in Kimberley in 1936, the museum had helped host the Golden and Diamond Jubilee conferences in 1986 and 1996 respectively.

References

External links

McGregor Museum website

McGregor Museum Kimberley FACEBOOK page

Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport
{{authority control Infrastructure completed in 1897 Museums established in 1907 History museums in South Africa Natural history museums in South Africa Archaeological museums in South Africa Museums in the Northern Cape Biographical museums in South Africa Buildings and structures in Kimberley, Northern Cape Karoo 1907 establishments in Cape Colony South African heritage sites