Visitors to the Parow Library will be able to view an array of displays on the history of Parow and some of its most iconic landmarks until next month.

The exhibition has information on the library itself, the Parow Centre, early days of Parow and Voortrekker Road, the founder of Parow, some of its early churches and schools as well as the Jewish community of Parow.

Jacinta Avontuur, principal librarian, said the Heritage Exhibition at Parow Library was initiated as a task by the Cape Town libraries’ area head, Thandiwe Mtshengu, with all seven within her jurisdiction requiring to plan and host an exhibition. The brief was for librarians to coordinate, plan and execute a Heritage Month Exhibition in September focusing on local community history and promoting the library as a centre for preserving and sharing community heritage, she says.

“The two librarians at Parow Library led this project under my guidance, while the rest of the staff contributed by sourcing information and assisting with the set-up of the exhibition,” Avontuur explains.

They used the windows of the Reference Section in the library for the display.

On display

“The exhibition focused on the history and heritage of the Parow community and incorporated the theme ‘Parow, the Good Old Days’ throughout. This phrase was inspired by the Facebook page Parow: Die Goeie Ou Dae. Information from this page, together with resources from our local history collection, formed the basis of the exhibition.”

Each window highlighted a different aspect of Parow’s rich history. These include:

• The history of Parow Library;
• Economic and residential development in the area, including a feature on Wiborg’s, the men’s clothing store on Voortrekker Road that continues to operate today under third-generation ownership;
• Information about the municipal council and its officials, as well as the origins of the name “Parow”;
• Historical population information and an old map of the Parow area;
• The history of the Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year;
• A brief history of the Parow Centre, formerly known as Sanlam Centre during the 1980s and 1990s.

Future plans

“We hope to expand this exhibition annually and encourage residents of Parow, particularly local schools, to visit and engage with the history of their community. As a public library, we have an important responsibility to preserve, document and share the heritage of the communities we serve.”

Avontuur said on a personal note the exhibition brought back fond memories of her childhood.

“I remember visiting Parow with my parents for shopping trips. My father would always park in the parking area on Tallent Road opposite the Parow Civic Centre. Driving along Voortrekker Road from Kensington to Bellville was always a special experience, as my sister and I would count the many car dealerships lining both sides of the road.”

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