Rhodes Museum: Majestic, historical and cultural site

SO much is known about imposing sites in Nyanga worth visiting such as Nyanga Mountains, World’s View, Troutbeck Inn, Mutarazi Falls, Nyangombe Falls and Gairezi River as well as exciting activities such as fishing, golfing, mountain hikes and chasing waterfalls.

lnterestingly, Nyanga District is home to another majestic site with a rich history which has seen traffic to the site rising as it has become a learning centre for both local and international students, as well as tourists.

The Rhodes Nyanga Historical Exhibition, popularly known as Rhodes Museum, is housed in Cecil John Rhodes’ former stables next to Rhodes Nyanga Hotel. The hotel was Rhodes’ house.

The museum has a magnificent collection of his belongings, as well as some interesting exhibits from the pre-colonial and colonial era.

The building is known as Rhodes Stables, built in 1897 by R Marks, a stonemason, for Cecil John Rhodes.

It was used by Rhodes for the stabling of horses and mules during the several visits he made to Nyanga from 1896 to 1900.

Rhodes was deeply impressed by the beauty of the countryside and the prospect of farming there.

He stayed there from time to time, directing experiments with a wide variety of crops, and initiating schemes for running livestock.

Upon his death in 1902, his Nyanga estate was bequeathed in trust to the nation.

The original stables and shed, among other things, were not used for years until a committee was set up under the National Trust to create a museum on this historic site.

From 1971 to 1975, the committee collected photographs and articles of historic interest relating to Rhodes and the development of the area.

They restored the dilapidated structures and established a historical exhibition. In May 1974, the National Trust of Rhodesia acquired the right to occupy the building for the public display of manuscripts, photographs and other exhibits of interest relating to Nyanga, persons and events connected to its history and development.

An Act to provide for the development and maintenance of Rhodes Estate by National Parks was passed in 1978, and Rhodes Nyanga Historical Exhibition (Rhodes Museum) is leased from ZimParks. For years, the museum remained dormant until 2011 when the National Trust of Zimbabwe renovated the buildings and established a local committee of volunteers which proceeded to restore and update the Exhibition, a project which is on-going.

The present committee is drawn from all sectors of the community, and encourages community participation.

Displays include the cultural history of the area from the Stone Age to the present day, including recent displays on traditional leadership and pottery in archeology, as well as the development of Nyanga’s tourism and agriculture industries.

Artifacts, furniture, clothes, and articles on general history of the locality are also on display.

The committee aims to develop the museum into an educational facility, especially for young Zimbabweans, but also make it a place of interest to adults and visitors from other countries.

With this in mind, entrance fees have been kept low, in particular with respect to groups of school children.

The collection continues to grow as new projects are undertaken, and this poses a space challenge.

The committee decided to renovate the loft which is immediately above the museum and sourced funds to proceed with the project.

An external staircase was fitted for access to the second floor loft.

The loft has been named: “The Petheram Room” in memory of Dick Petheram, author of the publication, “The History of Rhodes Nyanga Estate”, who was responsible for procuring the original Rhodes’ memorabilia and establishing the museum in the 1970s for the National Trust of the then Rhodesia.

The committee strives to provide a sense of connection between the past and the present in Zimbabwe, and serve as a springboard for the future.

Rhodes Nyanga Historical Exhibition relies on the goodwill of donors for any capital development.

The museum takes visitors all year round and school groups throughout the school terms.

In early 2015, a cultural heritage education project commenced to raise public consciousness of the value of Zimbabwe’s cultural heritage.

The community-led cultural programme saw the development and dissemination of educational material and information to visitors of Rhodes Nyanga Historical Exhibition. Rhodes Museum curator, Mr Marshall Nyanhanda said traffic to the historical site is rising as it has become a learning centre for students.

“Traffic to the museum is fantastic. From August to December last year, our turn-out was very good, compared to previous years. We had a good number of schools from all over the country visiting is.

“I also applaud travel agents for their great efforts to market the place. Most travel agents say if you don’t visit Rhodes Nyanga Museum, then your educational trip to Nyanga will not be a successful one. The museum has become a learning centre for students.

“Basing on the feedback we often receive from school teachers, travel agents and individuals, we have done a tremendous job in putting the status of the museum on a higher level.

“Museums are valued as a trusted source of knowledge and as places where all sides of a story can be told.

“This openness to many different points of view is an enduring aspect of their appeal. This is not to say that museums and other heritage attractions are neutral.

“No system of collecting, display and interpretation is without its inherent, perhaps unconscious, bias.

“But the great thing about our heritage sector is its potential for re-discovery and re-interpretation by each successive generation of curators, educators and visitors,” he said.

He added: “This is a very significant site. Through history, we can learn how past societies, systems, ideologies, governments, cultures, and technologies were built, how they operated, and how they have changed.

“The rich history of the world helps us to paint a detailed picture of where we stand today.

“Developing your knowledge of history means developing your knowledge of all these different aspects of life. Children can learn about the pillars upon which different civilisations were built, including cultures and people different from their own,” said Mr Marshall Nyanhanda.