Oude Kerk Volksmuseum

On 29 September 1969 at 22:05, an earthquake, measuring 6, 5 on the Richter scale hit the small town of Tulbagh in the Breede River Valley. Aftershocks were felt throughout the night and in the morning a blanket of dust and smoke concealed it consequences, The quake brought devastation to the town, killing people and shaking the towns foundations and completely demolishing the "Waveren te huis" overnight. The beautiful old NG Church, the school, the old Town Hall and many other buildings had to be demolished.

The earthquake provided the perfect opportunity to restore an entire, historically important street to a condition it had been in prior to its senseless but gradual demise, Kerkstraat (Church Street). In the restoration process the buildings were stripped to their original architecture over the following 5 years and rebuilt under the supervision of architect Gabriel Fagan.

The old Dutch Reformed church built in 1743, is now a museum containing excelent examples of Cape furniture and other colonial artefacts, and attached to the museum are 3 houses in Church Street.
No. 4 Church Street displays historical and geological collections.
No. 14 Church Street is a Victorian house built in 1892 and is furnished in the style of the period.
No. 22 Church Street is a typical Cape Dutch house, complete with a herb garden.

Operating Hours:
Monday to Friday: 09:00 to 17:00
Saturday: 09:00 to 16:00
Sunday: 11:00 to 16:00

For more information contact the curator, Marthinus Potgieter on
Tel: +27-23-6301041