THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE ORANGE RIVER 



COLONY. 



Bv B. O. Kellner, M.D. 



The National Museum has now been in existence for the last 

 32 years. In July, 1877, a number of leading citizens of Bloem- 

 fontein met, at the instance of the late Mr. Attorney Voigt, to 

 discuss the desirability of starting a small Museum at Bloem- 

 fontein. Mr. Voigt informed the meeting that, in case this 

 project should be carried out, Mr. C. S. Orpen, of Smithfield, 

 had expressed his willingness to contribute a number of geo- 

 logical and other specimens, collected by him at different times. 

 as a nucleus for this purpose. 



This idea met with general approval, and it was decided to 

 call a meeting of citizens so as to lay the matter before the pub- 

 lic at large. This meeting took place on the 20th July, 1877, 

 under the chairmanship of Chief Justice Reitz, when, upon the 

 motion of Bishop Webb, the establishment of a National 

 Museum for the Orange Free State was decided on and a Com- 

 mittee of seven gentlemen, namely, Chief Justice Reitz, Mr. 

 Leviseur, Dr. Exton, Dr. Brill, Rev. McKenzie, Rev. Brebner 

 and Justice Buchanan was elected. Dr. Exton, who at all times 

 took a great interest in natural history, was requested to act as 

 Hon. Curator of the Museum. This Committee was charged 

 with the duties of drawing up rules and regulations and of 

 taking steps to obtain the necessary funds; for the latter pur- 

 pose the Municipality of Bloemfontein was to be approached 

 for a yearly subsidy of £50. This numerously attended meeting" 

 found grace in some part of our public press, which thought 

 that 



"everyone went away with the conviction that progress had made one more 

 stride in the land of the Springbuck." 



An application to the Municipality for the £50 was less 

 favourably commented upon by The Friend; that paper opposed 

 this grant under the pretext that 



" the precedent would be a bad one, as next year'the ratepayers may possibly 

 be asked to subsidise the Library, the Bloemfontein Literary and Scientific 

 Society, the Cricket Club, the Rifle Association and the Home for Houseless 

 Dogs, that certain philanthropists may be agonising to establish." 



Yet, fortunately for us, the grant passed, with a very small 

 majority, at a meeting of ratepayers. I mention this to show 

 under what circumstances we were living in those days. Private 

 subscriptions helped to swell this amount, so that a beginning- 

 could be made. 



The only building obtainable for our purpose was the old 

 Convention House, and the Government, not having any need 

 for it at that time, granted the use of it to the Committee. This 

 building has been occupied by the Museum ever since, and 



