Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Kruger museum ‘lets the ladies speak’
IN THE spirit of the adage “behind every successful man is a strong woman”, Ditsong Kruger Museum this
week hosted a triple treat commemorating Oom Paul’s 197th birthday by presenting a public lecture titled “Let the ladies speak”.
Three guest speakers talked about three prominent women of Victorian Pretoria, when Paul Kruger was the president of the former South African Republic, and Samuel Marks and George Heys were at the height of their business careers.
The talks were illustrated by slideshows of historic photographs to contextualise the time and culture.
The speakers were Melissa Lindeque, Nthabiseng Mokwena and Riana Mulder.
Lindeque, a cultural officer at Melrose House Museum and Fort Klapperkop Heritage Site under the auspices of the City of Tshwane’s Arts, Culture and Heritage Department, spoke about Emma Heys, wife of George Heys and the “Lady of Melrose House”.
Lindeque said Heys always hosted a group of women for lunch on Fridays when her husband went to the old Pretoria club, walking stick in hand.
“Tea and cake was served at 4pm especially to the ladies, and whiskey and soda at 5pm. Guests departed at 6pm, and then it was family time.”
Mokwena, junior curator at Ditsong National Museum of Cultural History, spoke about Sammy Marks’ wife, Bertha, 18 years his junior.
At home, she was very congenial and welcomed guests with tea, coffee and cakes. Unlike the other ladies, she stayed out of the limelight and supervised the proceedings in the Kruger household.
RIANA MULDER
She sketched the social context at the time when Bertha was born, when Victorian women were marginalised and it was considered proper to involve herself with domestic affairs.
Marks quickly learned that Bertha was strong-willed, did not have to say much to get her opinion heard.
Mulder, editor of Pretoria Historia, a free online history magazine, highlighted the life and personality of Aunt Gezina, married to Oom Paul for 55 years.
“At home, she was very congenial and welcomed guests with tea, coffee and cakes. Unlike the other ladies, she stayed out of the limelight and supervised the proceedings in the Kruger household. The only time she left home was to visit her children, when they went to church, their annual holiday at the Warm Baths or when visiting their farms.”
The event concluded with homebaked bread from Ditsong, coffee, tea and a guided tour by the site curator, Jaco Schoonraad.
Pretoria Historia editor