Transvaal Museum
Encyclopedia
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The Ditsong National Museum of Natural History, formerly Transvaal Museum, is a natural history
museum
situated in Pretoria
, South Africa
.
It was founded as the Staatsmuseum (Afrikaans
for "State Museum") of the ZAR
on the 1 December 1892, and J. W. B. Gunning
was appointed as first director. The museum was located for the first two years in the Ou Raadsaal
parliament building.
The Transvaal Museum curates large collections of Plio-Pleistocene fossils, (including hominids from Sterkfontein, Swartkrans and Kromdraai in the Cradle of Humankind), as well as late Permian therapsids (mammal-like reptiles from the Karoo). In addition the museum holds very large collections of mammals, birds, reptiles, and invertebrates (especially lepidoptera and coleoptera).
The current Director the Transvaal Museum is Dr Martin Krüger(Acting)While the position for Director is being advertised.
The Transvaal Museum was amalgamated with the Pretoria-based National Cultural History Museum (also called the African Window
) and the South African National Museum for Military History (situated in Johannesburg
) on 1 April 1999 to form the Northern Flagship Institution. The NFI was officially renamed Ditsong Museums of South Africa in April 2010. The Transvaal Museum was renamed Ditsong National Museum of Natural History at the same time. Ditsong is managed by a chief executive officer and a board, which replaced the three separate previous museum boards.
The museum is located on Paul Kruger
Street, between Visagie and Minnaar Streets, opposite the Pretoria City Hall
. It is open from 8:00 to 16:00 seven days a week, except certain public holidays.
File:Mrs Ples Face.jpg|Australopithecus africanus
Mrs.Ples (Sts 5)
File:Australopithèque Cerveau Double.jpg|Australopithecus africanus
(Sts 60)
The Ditsong National Museum of Natural History, formerly Transvaal Museum, is a natural history
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
situated in Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
It was founded as the Staatsmuseum (Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
for "State Museum") of the ZAR
ZAR
ZAR may refer to:* South African rand, ISO 4217 currency code* South African Republic, * Zairean Airlines, Democratic Republic of the Congo ICAO code...
on the 1 December 1892, and J. W. B. Gunning
J. W. B. Gunning
Jan Willem Boudewijn Gunning , was director of the Transvaal Museum and a medical practitioner....
was appointed as first director. The museum was located for the first two years in the Ou Raadsaal
Ou Raadsaal
Ou Raadsaal was the Parliament Building of the Transvaal Republic Government in Pretoria, South Africa. The Volksraad sat session in this building at the end of the 19th century when Paul Kruger was the last President of the old Boer Republic...
parliament building.
The Transvaal Museum curates large collections of Plio-Pleistocene fossils, (including hominids from Sterkfontein, Swartkrans and Kromdraai in the Cradle of Humankind), as well as late Permian therapsids (mammal-like reptiles from the Karoo). In addition the museum holds very large collections of mammals, birds, reptiles, and invertebrates (especially lepidoptera and coleoptera).
The current Director the Transvaal Museum is Dr Martin Krüger(Acting)While the position for Director is being advertised.
The Transvaal Museum was amalgamated with the Pretoria-based National Cultural History Museum (also called the African Window
African Window
The African Window is a building in Pretoria, Gauteng, which houses the Ditsong National Museum of Cultural History of South Africa. The DNMCH was amalgamated with the Pretoria-based Transvaal Museum for Natural History The African Window is a building in Pretoria, Gauteng, which houses the...
) and the South African National Museum for Military History (situated in Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
) on 1 April 1999 to form the Northern Flagship Institution. The NFI was officially renamed Ditsong Museums of South Africa in April 2010. The Transvaal Museum was renamed Ditsong National Museum of Natural History at the same time. Ditsong is managed by a chief executive officer and a board, which replaced the three separate previous museum boards.
The museum is located on Paul Kruger
Paul Kruger
Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger , better known as Paul Kruger and affectionately known as Uncle Paul was State President of the South African Republic...
Street, between Visagie and Minnaar Streets, opposite the Pretoria City Hall
Pretoria City Hall
Pretoria City Hall is a large building in Pretoria city centre which was built in 1931 and inaugurated in 1935. It is located on the Paul Kruger Street south of Church Square and across the street of the Transvaal Museum....
. It is open from 8:00 to 16:00 seven days a week, except certain public holidays.
Gallery from Transvaal Museum
File:Mrs Ples Face.jpg|
Australopithecus africanus
Australopithecus africanus was an early hominid, an australopithecine, who lived between 2–3 million years ago in the Pliocene. In common with the older Australopithecus afarensis, A. africanus was slenderly built, or gracile, and was thought to have been a direct ancestor of modern humans. Fossil...
Mrs.Ples (Sts 5)
File:Australopithèque Cerveau Double.jpg|
Australopithecus africanus
Australopithecus africanus was an early hominid, an australopithecine, who lived between 2–3 million years ago in the Pliocene. In common with the older Australopithecus afarensis, A. africanus was slenderly built, or gracile, and was thought to have been a direct ancestor of modern humans. Fossil...
(Sts 60)