Die Staatsmuseum van die Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek het in 1892 in Pretoria tot stand
gekom en was in een vertrek in die nuwe Raadsaal op Kerkplein, gehuisves. Die museumversamelings
het gou so groot geword dat beter akkommodasie noodsaaklik was. Die keuse van
die marksaal het die Museum midde-in die alledaagse bedrywighede van 'n besige markplein
geplaas. Uit museumkundige oogpunt het dit die bewaringstaak baie bemoeilik. Die Museum
was hier gehuisves totdat die nuwe museumgebou in Boomstraat voltooi en amptelik op 15
Desember 1904 in gebruik geneem is.
Die Staatsmuseum het onder beheer van 'n Kuratorium gestaan en onder die Departement van
Onderwys geressorteer. Dr. N. Mansvelt, die Superintendent van Onderwys, was ex officio
voorsitter van die Kuratorium. Die museumkundige werk is aanvanklik onder Ieiding van 'n
ere-direkteur, dr. H.G. Breijer, ondemeem. Die eerste Direkteur, dr. J.W.B. Gunning, is op
1 April 1897 aangestel.
Hoewel die beleid van die Museum die bree spektrum van historiese, etnografiese,
argeologiese en natuurwetenskaplike vakgebiede aangespreek bet, word daar in hierdie studie
hoofsaaklik op eersgenoemde gekonsentreer en veral die verbande wat met die oorhoofse
doelstelling van die Museum gele is, naamlik nasionale bewusmaking.
Hoewel Gunning in sy pos as Direkteur aangebly het, het die Anglo-Boereoorlog groot
verandering teweeggebring. Na die Britse inname van Pretoria het 'n nuwe Bestuurskomitee nuwe ideale vir die Museum met 'n nuwe naam gekoester. Geleidelik is minder aandag aan
die historiese en etnografiese versamelings gegee, terwyl vakkundige werk op natuurwetenskaplike
gebied intemasionale roem aan die Transvaalmuseum verleen bet.
The Staatsmuseum of the South African Republic was established in 1892 and was
accommodated in one room in the new Government Building on Church Square, Pretoria. As
collections expanded, large accommodation became a necessity. The choice of the market hall
was fortunate as it placed the Museum in the centre of activities on a market square. From
a museological point of view, however, it presented many a conservation problem. The
Museum was accommodated in the market hall until a new museum building in Boom Street
was completed. The official opening was on 15 December 1904.
The Staatsmuseum was managed by a board of trustees and resorted under the Department
of Education. Dr. N. Mansvelt, the Superintendent of Education, was ex officio the chairman
of the board. At the beginning museological work was undertaken under supervision of dr.
H. G. Breijer, who acted as honorary director. Dr. J. W.B. Gunning, the first director, was
appointed on 1 April 1897.
The policy of the Staatsmuseum included a broad spectrum of academic subjects such as
history, ethnography, archaeology and the natural sciences. In this study attention was
primarily paid to history, ethnography and archaeology and their connection with the overall
goal of the Museum, viz. national awareness.
The Anglo Boer War brought great changes. Dr. Gunning remained in his post as director
of the Museum, and after the British occupation of Pretoria, he had to cope with a new management committee. They had new aspirations for the Museum, now known under a new
name. Less attention was given to the history and ethnography collections, but natural history
research brought international fame to the Transvaal Museum.
