By Bob Hopkin

Tenders have closed for the historical research around the upgrade of the Mossel Bay Museum, a project that will see a move away from the nautical theme which has characterised it to date.

The department of arts and culture hopes to have the alterations completed in time for the 2010 World Cup.

Historical research on the town will be outsourced, along with the construction of new exhibits and building alterations.

At present, the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe stops at the museum on its trips from the Transnet Heritage Museum in George.

Mossel Bay plans to upgrade its CBD and train station, allowing the Choo-Tjoe to pass the museum on its route, as it carries tourists into the CBD.

The new content of the Mossel Bay Museum will reflect a “more balanced” position between land-based, nautical and oceanographic topics.

The current central building was constructed around the need to house the famous replica Portuguese caravel which arrived in Mossel Bay in 1988, celebrating the 500th anniversary of the arrival of Bartolomeu Dias, and to showcase the explorations of Portuguese sailors and traders. Dias landed in Mossel Bay in February 1488 after being blown beyond the tip of the continent during a 13-day storm.

While retaining the strong connections that town has with the sea, the museum's management has decided to broaden the base of the exhibits to reflect other aspects of the town's history and heritage.

The new exhibits are likely to include a greater emphasis on the influence of the local Khoekhoe people and the coloured community.

The four components of the museum are the large central building housing the caravel, the shell museum, the granary with an oceanographic education centre, and the gardens with the famous Post Tree. All except the gardens are likely to be affected.

Traditionally, the museum service has handled academic studies of this kind in-house, but now they have offered the research for tender.

Project co-ordinator Stoffel Smalberger said they wanted to promote new ideas in the layout and content of the facility.

“As most of us are closely involved in the running of the museum in its current form, we felt that the use of outside researchers would provide stimulation for a fresh approach.

“Ideally we would like to see the transformation completed before 2010, but this could be quite a challenge,” he said.

Once the research has been completed, the changes to the building structures and exhibits will be offered for tender.

The Herald