The Easter long weekend is fast approaching. Instead of bothering bathers with their beaches, why don’t you take a short-left downtown and pop into the James Hall Museum of Transport.
Not only is it a haven for petrol heads, history lovers will be enthralled by the evolution of the automobile.
Established in 1964 by Jimmie Hall in conjunction with the City of Johannesburg, the museum, like Castle Lager, has stood the test of time and currently showcases thematic exhibitions of vintage automobiles, animal-drawn carriages, antique bicycles and motorcycles, buses and coaches, fire engines and equipment as well as historic rail transport like trams and trolley buses.
It also boasts an assortment of souvenirs, relics and distinct-curiosity cars that are sporadic and considered priceless such as the ‘Outspan Orange’ and the ‘1900 Clement-Panhar’, which is the oldest car at the museum.
The museum, in alliance with its support group ‘Friends of The James Hall Museum’, proudly hosts interactive and live tours which offer a first-hand experience visit that allows people to ride on vintage cars.
This allows local and international tourists as well as car fanatics to explore the long journey transportation has travelled and developed itself as one of the most vital aspects of modern day tourism.
One of the most interesting ride is hopping on the ‘Red London Bus’, which offers an element of nostalgia and allows passengers to reminiscence about the perfect love story where people met their loved ones on a bus and not on Facebook.
Joburgers can relate to how transport has been depicted and commemorated through popular culture and music. Mbongeni Ngema’s “Stimela saseZola” narrates the poetic story of the lengths to which young men went to meet their loved ones using classic coal and steam-powered trains.
Ever wonder how modern day citizens coped with getting from place to place in the absence of evolutionary technology and aero-dynamism that current modes of transport today possess? The museum currently houses more than 2 500 items including the ‘Joule’, an electric five-seat passenger car made by Optimal Energy, a South African company based in Cape Town.
The James Hall Museum is the biggest transport museum in Africa – it flawlessly inspires the ‘perfect day out’ through its surrounding picnic areas, its gift shop which has transport and tourism-related collections plus its ease of access to entry, which is free of charge.
Other events on the museum calendar include International Museum Day held annually on May 18 and the upcoming Eco-Mobility Exhibition, which will be launched in June 2018. The museum is at Pioneers' Park, Rosettenville Road, La Rochelle and the GPS co-ordinates are -26.233801, 28.053695 (26°14'01.7"S 28°03'13.3"E).
So, stop bothering bathers with their beaches and do something interesting and free in your beloved Joburg.
Written by Johannes Phosa
