The Sitting Room

Furnished in the Victorian style the walls are papered in a design created by William Morris of the Arts and Crafts Movement in the late 1860's. Above the mahogany sideboard are the naive paintings by an anonymous artist of Mr William Gregan 1819 - 1875 and his wife Elizabeth Johanna Margaretha Cruywagen 1816-1856.

Mr Gregan was Secretary and Town^- Clerk to the Board of Municipal Commissioners in 1857, receiving a salary of ₤17.0.0 (R200.00) a year. These portraits were presented by their great grand children, Justus, Magnus, Tertuis de Wet and their sister Jeanne Giliam. The walnut piano was donated by the Groenewald family and tradition has it that it was purchased at Rev and Mrs McGregor's sale when they left Robertson in 1902. There are also photographs of the De Wet family of Orange Grove, Mr and Mrs Malherbe and family of Vrolikheid and Mr and Mrs J D Preiss and their 13 children.

Pride of place goes to the mid-Victorian spoon-backed papier mache chair, painted and inlaid with mother of pearl which formerly belonged to Dr William Robertson. The purchase of this chair and its subsequent restoration was made possible due to the generosity of the Schachat family of Johannesburg in 1996. Mockie and Riley Schachat retained a warm regard for the town of their birth and have been generous benefactors of the museum for many years.

In addition the room contains a black lacquer and gilt sewing table, two display cabinets filled with interesting items and a large amount of bric-a-brac of the period. The bamboo hanging shelves and table are typical of the Victorian era and to the lover of antiques there is much in the room to be examined and appreciated.