The Passage

The passage acts as a picture gallery of Robertsonians from the mid 1800's.

Immediately on one's left are the photographs of Dr William Robertson, Dutch Reformed Minister of Swellendam and his wife Eliza Truter. He was responsible for holding quarterly services in the 1840's for the farming community of Over Het Roode Zand as this district was named.
When the town was established in 1853 the community expressed their appreciation for all he had done on their behalf, calling the town Robertson in his honour.
These photographs were donated by his grand-daughter, Miss Hettie McGregor in 1953 on the occasion of the town's centenary, as was the photograph of her father the Rev Andrew McGregor who had married Rev Robertson's eldest daughter Elizabeth Augusta just before he was inducted as Dominee of the Robertson Congregation in 1862.
He and his wife served Robertson and Lady Grey (later to be renamed McGregor in his honour) until 1902 when he retired.

Below this photograph is one of Mrs McGregor and her Sunday School Class circa 1880.

The large hand-painted photographs are of Mr and Mrs G J Erasmus of Wansbek.

The remaining photographs on the right show the first Public School's opening day in 1893, members of the Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club established in 1888, the Brass Band of 1925 and the Robertson Voluntary Rifles 1890, the matric class of 1908, the school board of 1925 and several photos of rugby teams as well as photos of many individuals who have played their part in Robertson's history.

The photograph of a group of young men with an 18 ^th Century small cannon in the foreground is interesting.
The cannon was found at Struisbaai in the 1880's, brought to Robertson and placed on Muiskraalskop, the small hill south of the town. Thereafter it was fired annually on Queen Victoria's birthday in May, a custom that continued many years after her death, till 1936.
In 1953, on the occasion of the town's centenary, Major C R Wolhuter and his son George brought the cannon down and mounted it on the iron base which supports it. The cannon can now be seen at the entrance to the annex in the museum grounds.