The Coachman’s Cottage Museum as custodian of local history and culture of

schools and communities in the Helderberg region.

History of the Helderberg region

• Firgrove, Macassar, Somerset West, Strand, Gordon’s Bay and Sir Lowry’s pass

• Peggy Heap’s book: The Story of the Hottentots Holland (1977)

• Lack of written local history especially of mission stations and people of colour

Harold Herman’s work in this area since the 1980’s

• The Methodist Mission Stations of: Raithby, Somerset West and Sir Lowry’s pass

• The two museums in the Helderberg region: the Coachman’s Cottage Museum and the Lwandle Migrant History Museum

• The establishment of the Coachman’s cottage Museum in 2007

• The Coachman’s Cottage museum collection and it’s role in documenting the history of slave descendants, churches and schools in the region

• Ex of slaves and missionary history:- Raithby, Somerset West and Sir Lowry’s pass established

by first Methodist church missionary, rev. Barnabas Shaw – copies of Harold Herman’s papers available

- The newly published book on the history of the Katts family of Somerset West written by Mercia and Lionel Smith – copies available for sale

CAPS Guidelines for Heritage Assignment for Grade 10

• Local, regional or national focus• Three-stage process• Include oral history• Include ideologies and debates around

heritage• Include research• Include a Key Question

Key Question

• ‘How is colonial heritage memorialised and conserved in the historic core of Somerset West?’

NG Kerk

Eufees memorial

Methodist Church

Coachman’s Cottage

Learners’ Comments

• I did not know the Church was there until I did this project

• The gravel road that leads to the (NG) Church must be the only piece of untarred road in S.W.

• Die Kerkplein kom in ‘n arm gebied voor...dus is die terrein nie aantreklik vir toeriste nie

• I wondered why the birthplace or heart of S.W. was so abandoned and uncared for

More Learner Comments

• Aangesien Suid-Afrika eers onlangs apartheid afgeskaf het..., sukkel mense om die koloniale erfenis in ‘n positiewe lig te sien

• I think that this cottage (Cottage Museum) is the best looked after Heritage Site I have seen in Somerset West. Nobody visits – why?

Ideology and Debate: The issue of Dissonant Heritage

• How is colonial (minority) heritage in conflict with the values of post-colonial majority rule, within the historical core?

• Who are the Custodians? Who should pay for conservation of colonial minority heritage sites?

• How is S.A. Missions Heritage in conflict with the assumptions of urban development within the historic core?