Prince Albert

The Fransie Pienaar Museum

tel/fax: +27 (0)23 5411 172 e-mail: princealberttourism@intekom.co.za

Exhibits Fransie Pienaar Witblits Hours

Friends of the Museum Cultural Foundation

The cultural history museum in Prince Albert depicts the history of the town and its environment.

The antiques and artifacts were collected largely by Fransie Pienaar, but the collection is still growing, through donations from past and present inhabitants of Prince Albert.

The Museum has a wide variety of displays including

	Information about Queen Victoria's consort, Prince Albert and a book of his speeches presented to the village by Her Majesty.
	A fascinating fossil exhibition based upon Roy Oosthuizen's collection
	An extensive collection of Musical Instruments, Glass, Porcelain, Earthenware and Paintings.
	A delightful Bedroom filled with old fashioned furnishings and a Nursery corner
	A Gunroom with some fascinating weapons
	Details of our Watermill History
	A Medical Section depicting our doctors and the hospital's history
	Displays about the construction of the Swartberg Pass, the history of Gamkaskloof and Meiringspoort and our 1890's Gold Rush
	We have some lovely Victorian clothing, needlework items and a kitchen display to delight young and old alike.
	Local artists, including Gawie Beukes and Outa Lappies are well represented.
	Intricately carved woodwork by Piet Basson, local benefactor.
	Our library/archive includes local diaries and valuable historical records about the Central Karoo and the Swartberg.
	In the grounds we have a horse-drawn hearse, a wagon and several carts, various pieces of farm equipment, a winepress and beautiful gardens.
	Our shop stocks a wide selection of books about the village and the district, olive products and the Museum's own 'witblits'

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Witblits - Moonshine

The Museum has its own distillery where 'witblits' is produced in the time-honoured manner. Hendrick Mostert, our last 'stoker' was born in Gamkaskloof and has written a book, in collaboration with Dr Jan van Elfen, about herbal remedies and the use of witblits in the valley: Herbal and Witblits can be bought at the Museum shop.

Hours

Monday - Friday

09.00- 12.30 & 14.00 - 17.00

Saturday 09.00 – 12.00

Sunday 10.30 - 12.00

Closed: Public Holidays

After hours please phone

lone 023 5411 777 or Jonathan 023 5411 100

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Friends of the Fransie Pienaar Museum

The Friends of the Museum are a group of Prince Albert residents and Friends in other centres who support the activities of the Museum. Some of the local members act as guides at the Museum and have undergone a special training course so that they can show visitors around. Others assist with exhibits and the archives, some established and assist in looking after the gardens.

If you would like to become a member and support the Fransie Pienaar Museum please contact the curator at 023 5411 172.

membership fee: R20 per person per annum.

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Cultural Foundation

The Prince Albert Cultural Foundation offers an outing on the third Saturday of each month.

The topic might be of cultural, historical, pre-historical, geological, musical, culinary, or botanical interest – or a combination of several of the above! Locals can join the Foundation for R20 per person per annum, children under 18 free! Enquiries: Judy Maguire 023 5411 713.

Visitors are most welcome to attend the outings, so if you are in Prince Albert join us to learn more about the village and the surrounding district. A small charge will be made for adults, there is no charge for children. Here are some of the activities which have taken place:

	An outing to Wolwekraal with Sue and Richard Dean to explore the veld and learn more about lithops and vygies.
	An evening of soup and story-telling at Scholtzkloof with The Story Weaver, Ailsa Tudhope
	A trip to Treintjiesrivier farm - to learn more about the geology and explore a pair of Bushman factory sites.
	Tierberg Hills: Patterns in the landscape with Sue Milton : Soil and vegetation generated by geology, animals, water and land use. Walking in the veld.
	An illustrated talk on Digging and diving for diamonds in Angola, followed by a soup and bread supper. John Begg
	The Earliest Inhabitants of the Southern Cape: illustrated talk by Judy Maguire: Fransie Pienaar Museum.
	All-day outing to the mission stations of Amalienstein and Zoar then through Seweweekspoort to picnic on the far side of the Gamkaskloof dam. All day trip with some walking.
	All day in Die Hel: A look at its history, lifestyle, architecture & culture with Helena Marincowitz, Annatjie Joubert, Judy Maguire & Zannie van der Walt. All day trip with walking in the valley.
	A visit to Rooikamp with Denise Ohlsen and Elizabeth Lekay. Elizabeth spent her childhood in 'Rooikamp' and related many fascinating stories about the former residents, their homes and gardens and life there until the forced removals put an end to this vibrant area.
	John Begg led a fascinating trip to the Bushman 'factory' site at Tierberg. This sensitive area has yet to be scientifically surveyed and is only open to special groups. The participants were privileged to see Bushman paintings, sites where ostrich shell beads were made and the 'factory' area with it's stone shards and breathtaking view. A massacre of over 100 Bushman took place here in the 1780's and a sense of the tragedy was graphically evoked in John's narrative. Yet there is also a sense of wonder and timelessness there - almost as if one could turn and see lithe, barefoot figures slipping between the rocks to stalk the game on the plains below.
	Travelling back in time on a trip to the fossil beds near Fraserburg. Local geologist Albert Theron built a picture of the development of the Great Karoo at stops en route to the fossil site.
	A visit to the marine fossil beds on Frisgewagt where Judy Maguire threw light on the various types of fossils and brought it home to us how privileged we were to have seen this "keyhole in time".
	An evening of poetry and stories with story-teller Poem Mooneys at Scholtzkloof.
	The Graveyards ramble/Begraafplaas wandel with Ailsa Tudhope, Mari du Toit & Helena Maricowitz took participants to four of the village's graveyards to hear tales about some of the "residents".

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Fransie Pienaar

The entire collection at the Fransie Pienaar Museum is based upon Fransie’s own collection

Born on Lammerskraal in 1897, Fransie was educated locally and then went to Cape Town to study at the Sullivan College of Music. She returned to the district to marry Giddy Pienaar and when her father died she and Giddy took over Lammerskraal. Fransie was a magpie and she started collecting antiques and odds and ends to the extent that when she and Giddy retired to Prince Albert in 1956 an entire room of their home was dedicated to her collection. Fransie at 18

Being in town gave Fransie more opportunities to acquire “little things” and soon she needed more room! The Dutch Reformed Church lent her a hall in Devenish Street – which gave her more scope, but by 1972 she couldn’t get another thing into the hall. By now one of Fransie’s sons-in-law, Frikkie Allers was the mayor and he persuaded the local council to lend Fransie a house in Kerkstraat to house the collection. On the day of the official opening she gave everything to the people of Prince Albert.

Since then the collection has grown and has moved to its present premises in the Haak family home which served the village as a hospital for some years.

Fransie was the unofficial curator for some years and enjoyed nothing more than showing visitors round the building. She would provide musical entertainment on the harmonium (bought in memory of her brother – who had died on the day Fransie was born) or on her mouth organ. She died at the grand old age of 87 and is gratefully remembered by one and all.

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