Wikipedia:WikiAfrica/Stubs/Wellington Museum,South Africa

Wellington Museum - is situated in the picturesque time of Wellington in the heart of the Boland

WikiAfrica/Stubs/Wellington Museum,South Africa

Education and Religion

Education is one of the main themes of the Museum. This dates from the early Stucki and Groenberg schools - tiny farm schools; the foundation of the Huguenot Seminary and Huguenot University College with its many offshoots, to the present Cape Peninsula University of Technology : Wellington Campus, the Huguenot College and the many schools in Wellington. A substantial part of the Museum is dedicated to Andrew Murray and his vision. His far-sighted and pioneering approach to higher Christian education for girls, based on the Mount Holyoke principle of head, hand and heart, made him immortal. A further reason for this was his holistic and, at the time, radical approach to education. His vision for providing tertiary education for girls laid the foundation for many schools throughout the Boland and the Eastern Cape. Through his influence Wellington became a well-known centre for education. His vision for winning Africa for Christ also led him beyond the borders of Wellington. He was the minister at the Dutch Reformed Church of Wellington from 1871 to 1906, and lived here until his death in 1917.

The Bains Kloof Pass

A temporary resident of Wellington, but one whose name became indelibly linked with the town, was Andrew Geddes Bain. The first man to attempt to build a road across the Limiet Mountains, the main barrier between the Cape Settlement and the interior.

Lady Loch Bridge

In September 1853, on the same day on which Bain’s Kloof Pass was opened, the first wooden bridge across the Berg River, giving access to Cape Town, the Swartland and Paarl was opened . In 1891 the bridge was rebuilt and named after the governor’s wife, Lady Loch. In 1910 the wooden bridge was replaced by an iron bridge, the first of its kind in South Africa.

Egyptian Collection

In 1948 this unique collection of Egyptian antiquities came into the possession of the Huguenot University College at Wellington through the generous bequest of Miss E. Armstead of England to her friend, Miss S Stafford, principal of the Huguenot University College from 1933-1936.

Industries

Vine cuttings : The French Huguenots came from the wine regions of France and therefore had a marked influence on the development of viticulture in the Valley. Vine cuttings: Wellington is famous for the cultivation of vine cuttings. This industry, which was contribute greatly to the prosperity of the farming community, provides 90- to 95% of Southern Africa’s total production- about 35 million cuttings per annum.

See Also

• Wellington, Western Cape

Category:Museums in South Africa

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