Ever wondered why this landmark in the city centre of Bloemfontein is called Naval Hill?
Bloemfontein does not have a naval base, nor is it close to the ocean. The origin of the name is steeped in the history of the town.
Naval Hill, one of the best-known landmarks in Bloemfontein, was named after the British Naval Brigade stationed there during the Anglo Boer War.
On 18 May 2019 the National Museum opened up some of its collections to the public for a behind the scenes visit. This was done to celebrate International Museum Day; a day organised by the International Council of Museums (ICOM) to raise awareness on the importance of museums and the roles they play in the development of society and culture. This day has been celebrated since 1977. The theme set for 2019 was “Museums as Cultural Hubs: The future of tradition.”
Date: 9 April 2019, Bloemfontein
The National Museum, Bloemfontein today unveiled the complete skull and skeleton of Tapinocaninus, which was a 3-metre long dinocephalian, an ancient ancestor of mammals.
The specimen is the most complete dinocephalian yet discovered and has been beautifully prepared by the University of the Witwatersrand. The fossil was loaned to the University as several blocks of rocks 29 years ago. It has now been returned to the National Museum as a fully prepared specimen, which will soon be placed on exhibit. A month ago, Bruce Rubidge, Romalo Govender and Marco Romano published the full skeletal description of Tapinocaninus in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology.
Lucky Madlo Sibiya was born in 1942 in Vryheid, KwaZulu-Natal and was known to be one of South Africa’s most renowned painters, printmakers and sculptors. The Umabatha series was part of the Pelmama Permanent Art Collection, and was donated to Oliewenhuis Art Museum by the Haenggi Foundation in 2006.