The Carnarvon Museum

The Carnarvon Museum

Originally built in 1907, the community hall for the Dutch Reformed Church was donated to the Municipality to be used as a museum in 1973. Today the exhibits cover the cultural history of the region including the towns renaming from when it was founded as a Rhenish Mission Station (called Harmsfontein) in the 1860s to Carnarvon, in honour of Henry Herbert, Lord Carnarvon, a British Colonial Secretary in the 1870s. Some of the displays include a variety of antiques that were either donated or are on loan from community members. One of the towns most valued articles which is on show is the old hearse that belonged to the Dutch Reformed Church. The hearse was donated to the museum when it was not longer in use and was in the care of Frans Mans who was also its driver. The corbelled house outside the museum was removed from its original location on the farm Biesiespputs near Carnarvon piece by piece and rebuilt at its present location by Mr Riley, a local tradesman. The house is a perfect example of the many corbelled houses that can be found on farms in the district of Carnarvon. Mr Riley also rebuilt the English fort on Koelkop which dates back to the Anglo-Boer war.

For more information on the Carnarvon Museum, please contact:
Tel: +27- 53-3823685
Or email: plaaspot@gmail.com