The Voortrekker Museum - Pmbhistory.co.za

The Voortrekker
Museum
Ivor Pols
The continuous hardships and fear which marked the
journey of the Great Trek were provisionally brought to a
close at Blood River where King Dingane's might was
finally broken. For the Voortrekkers, this victory heralded
the start of a 'new life'; or at least the opportunity of being
able to settle down to a relatively peaceful existence at
Pietermartizburg, where the Trekker Council decided, on
23 October 1838, to develop their first town.
Arriving from Blood River, the Voortrekkers soon
constructed temporary buildings out of wood and thatch to
serve them as a place of worship and a school. Although no
permanent church existed at the time, this nevertheless is
seen as the first parish formed to the north of the Great
River; a development which is akin to the growth of the
City of Pietermaritzburg.
Mindful of the Vow which they made before Blood River
- should they be successful in breaking the Zulu power -
that the day of victory would be regarded by them and
their descendants as a day of thanksgiving and as a
sabbath, the Voortrekkers during 1839 expressed the wish
for a church to be built. For this purpose subscription lists
were issued by the Volksraad and building commenced on
the modest Church of the Vow, with construction of
yellowwood and shale walls two feet thick, enclosing an
area 50ft. by 30R. On 15 March 1840, the consecration took
place and the Revd Erasmus Smit who accompanied the
Great Trek was installed as its &st minister.
In 1861 the building ceased to be used as a place of
worship aRer a new church had been built adjoining the
old one. It then became a school and was sold in 1874. On
the instigation of Dr G. M. Pellissier, a commission was
appointed in 1908 by the council of the Dutch Reformed
Church, to investigate means whereby the church could be
rescued from desecration, bought back for the people of
South Africa and made into a permanent memorial. This
was brought about and on the 16 December 1912 it was
taken into use as a Voortrekker Museum.
The most impressive and interesting celebration of the
Day of the Covenant which has ever been held at
Pietermaritzburg was that which took place that day.
From country and town Natalians of both language groups
assembled to show their appreciation of the Voortrekkers
who had held it a sacred duty to fulfil their pledge. On the
platform a seat had been given to Aia Jana, an old
'coloured' woman who had accompanied her mistress on
the Great Trek, and who was evidently much affected by
the proceedings.
The church, completed in 1841, has been remarkably
preserved. The building was restored subsequent to its
repurchase in 1910, when a front gable and porch were
added. The exhibits displayed in the Museum represent
various aspects of Voortrekker life. Taking pride of place in
the old Church of the Vow stands the pulpit which was
prized by the first Dutch Reformed community. It had been
removed to the new church in 1861, and thereafter was in
regular use until 1955. It is itself a historical monument
and is an exquisite piece of workmanship.
The Voortrekkers had advanced with rifle in hand and
this aspect of Trekker life has a leading place in the
Museum. There is a muzzle-loading elephant gun which
had been found in Dingaanstad in December 1838 by
Jacobus Phillipus Moolman and which had obviously
belonged to one of the Retief party killed by Dingane on 6
February 1838; a flintlock pistol and a powder flask, silver
mounted and with gold inscriptions, which had been the
property of Trekker Paulus Maree, ancestor of the Maree
family of Greytown; a muzzle-loading gun used at the
Battle of Blood River, a powder horn, bullet moulds,
trimmers and actual bullets.
Voortrekker transport is represented by a wagon chest,
among others, which had belonged to Jacobus Odendaal,
who had brought it from the Cape in 1836; a tar bucket,
originally the property of Voortrekker J. B. Rudolph,
which was hung below the wagon and contained tar for
greasing the wooden axles; a wagonslipper, used as a
break, originally the property of Coenraad Lukas Pieterse
who is mentioned in the diary of Erasmus Smit.
Also represented is the Voortrekker at work. In this
group is a collection of miscellaneous articles: a square
made of stinkwood by Trekker L. Robbertse in 1816;
handmade nails used in the construction of the Church of
the Vow; a ploughshare made by P. W. Jordaan,
blacksmith among the Trekkers in 1852; an old hammer
and pointless screws.
Not forgotten is the Trekker woman at work. Here there
is a Trekker coffeepot, there an old copper kettle (the
property of Jan Tllomas Martens); a porcelain meatdish
which had been brought from Klaasvoogds River,
Robertson district, in 1836 by Mrs Martha Maria Bruwer;
a calabash for storing tea-leaves; a meat mincer; an old
work-box complete with secret drawer, which was made by
Trekker Rautenbach while on his way to Natal; and a
workbasket made by Elsie Hendrina Nel, the wife of
Jeremias Nel.
The Voortrekkers were a highly religious community.
Although it is somewhat difficult to arrive at the true state
of their literary attainments, some light can be shed on
this by a study of the literature in their possession at the
time of the Great Trek, a considerable amount of which
has fortunately been preserved and is now housed in the
Voortrekker Museum. The impression generally held that
their literature was limited to the Bible, the Book of
Psalms and Hymnal, is not valid. The books in their
possession would appear to have included: biblical
commentaries, homilies, religious meditations, anthems
and an occasional literary work. A book which the
Voortrekker housewife would have consulted regularly
was the seventeenth-century recipe book De Volmaakte
Hollandsche Keukenmeid written by 'Eene Voorname
Mevrouwe' (an Important Woman). Many examples of
the literature read by the Voortrekker children are
preserved in the museum, for instance De Kleine
Printbybel, which uses lively illustrations to explain a
Bible text.
Varying views are held with regard to the fashions of
the Voortrekkers. There is a tendency to lay down hard
and fast rules. Like modern women the Voortrekker
mothers and their daughters also exhibited a taste for
dainty clothing and pretty colours and usually selected

material with attractive floral designs. The dress
material of the early days shows marked superiority in
quality if compared with that of the present day. This is
evident if we look at the present state of dresses and
material of the period in the Voortrekker Museum.
Pieces of bright coloured taffeta and satin frocks and
shawls of the same material dating more than a hundred
years back are still in a state of good preservation. The
dress worn by the first Voortrekker woman who arrived
in Natal is on exhibit.
Dresses for daily use were made of floral, checked or
striped cotton material, with silk, satin, velvet and brocade
being kept for best. Closely connected with the dresses
were the aprons which were worn on all occasions. The
Voortrekker women were passionately fond of neckerchiefs
and scarves which served as the only decoration of these
frocks of simple cut. They were pinned together with a
gold, silver or ivory brooch. The Voortrekker bonnet,
although simple in itself, ranks amongst the most
picturesque and artistic items of Voortrekker dress. The
bonnets still remain as evidence of the skill and artistic
taste of the past generation. No photograph or description
is capable of doing justice to the art displayed in them.
The Voortrekker men were also fond of fine clothes and
of soft, becoming material. The type of trousers worn was
known as flaptrouser. Felt hats with broad brims and flat
crowns were usually worn. Waistcoats worn on special
occasions were made of rich satin, silk, velvet and satin
brocade and so on. The Voortrekker Museum has the
wedding waistcoats of Sarel Cilliers, Pieter Lafras Uys and
Commandant-General Andries Pretorius. Their ordinary
working clothes were of coarser material, such as tweed
and moleskin. The men, as well as the women, wore
handmade leather shoes.
The Voortrekker Museum was proclaimed an historical
monument in 1937. During the past six years the
Voortrekker Museum has undergone vast changes and
greatly expanded.
Under the auspices of the Voortrekker Museum, many
projects have been undertaken to preserve the Voortrekker
heritage in Pietermaritzburg and its environs. The house
of Andries Pretorius, first double-storey built outside the
Cape Colony, was situated on the farm Welverdiend some
20 kilometres from the City. This house has been
reconstructed adjacent to the Museum, using as much of
the original building material as possible. With Museum
funds and help from many private firms, this project was
completed in 1981.
Voortrekker House was another addition to the
Voortrekker Museum complex. Situated at 333 Boom
Street, this is the oldest double-storey Voortrekker house
in Pietermaritzburg, and was probably the first dwelling in
the City to be painted in colour inside (light blue on the
ground floor and pink upstairs). The old house, a declared
national monument, was purchased by the Museum and
completely restored.
The complex was extended in 1984 by the erection in the
courtyard of Andries Pretorius House of a double-storey
building to house a workshop, library and offices. In
addition, negotiations have just been concluded to
incorporate the huge property of Longmarket Street Girls'
School. A project being planned at the moment is the
restoration of the historical portion of the Voortrekker
farm Zaaylager on the outskirts of Escourt, which was
saved at the eleventh hour by private citizens.
The Voortrekker Museum was the first in southern
Africa to receive the full accreditation of the South African
Museum Association.