Pockets of history from Khoisan artwork to whale bones and the origin story of Mrs Balls Chutney created in the kitchen of a Fish Hoek home can be found in the hallways of Fish Hoek Valley Museum when it re-opens its doors to the public on Friday 3 November.
After months of closure due to maintenance and upgrades, the museum is opening its doors with a wine-tasting event to raise much-needed funds for the facility.
Sally Britten, curator at the museum, says repairs took longer than planned, but it is exciting to open their doors to the public once again.
“With all the wet weather we had, contractors could not immediately complete the work, so it has taken many months.
“We dismantled a lot of the interior because they wanted to do ceilings and they had to replace a ceiling in one of the rooms due to a water leak.”
The maintenance and improvement include a fence erected around the City-owned building that was previously plagued with issues of street people sleeping on its doorstep.
Sharing some of the history of Fish Hoek, Britten says it first started as a desolate valley.
“Fish Hoek started off with a farm and as the town developed there were plots, the first houses and a beautiful beach. It was a very desolate valley way back.
“Then it grew to the other side, called Peers Cave which depicts the first Khoisan. Tools and wrecks had been found throughout the valley and then we have all the local Fish Hoek characters.
“There is Mrs Balls and the making of the chutney here (Fish Hoek) in her home.”
The museum first opened its doors in 1994, she continues.
“The fundraiser is going towards funding the museum which is a private museum with no government funding.
“We are all volunteers and the museum is governed by a trust of six trustees. We hope lots of people come out. We, the volunteers, will be around to answer any questions.”
Snacks will be prepared by Fish Hoek High School girls and sponsored by Pick n Pay.
To learn more about Fish Hoek’s history or how the famous Mrs Ball’s chutney was produced from a home in Fish Hoek, join the official re-opening at 59 Central Circle on Friday 3 November at 18:00.
Ticket prices are R120 per person.
For more info and tickets contact Bev Frieslich at 082 825 6053.
