Philippolis – Griqua History and Culture

Philippolis brings together Griqua history and several distinct historical themes. The Transgariep Museum houses an original horse mill and covers different chapters of local history; the naval cannons are a separate historical testimony, and the Emily Hobhouse Memorial commemorates a specific humanitarian cause. If you are looking for cultural history on your trip, Philippolis offers a clear thematic focus.

Museums and Griqua History

The Transgariep Museum houses an original horse mill. It also covers the London Missionary Association, the Griqua period of Adam Kok II and Adam Kok III, and Emily Hobhouse’s spinning and weaving school. The horse mill provides a tangible connection to an object; the other subjects range from missionary and Griqua history to an educational project.

Historic Sites and Memorials

Two of the three naval cannons gifted by the government of the Cape Colony to a Griqua chief in the 1840s stand on a small hill overlooking Philippolis. This places the gift chronologically before the dedication of the Dutch Reformed Church in 1871.

The Dutch Reformed Church in Philippolis was dedicated in 1871 on the site of a Griqua church. The dedication marks a specific point in time; the site also points to an older Griqua church.

The Emily Hobhouse Memorial in Philippolis commemorates her efforts to improve living conditions in the concentration camps of the Anglo-Boer War. Together with the spinning and weaving school covered at the Transgariep Museum, it creates a twofold connection to Emily Hobhouse: the memorial represents her wartime efforts, while the museum presents an educational project.

Wagons, Huts and Personal Memorial Sites

The Griqua Open-Air Museum displays a feather wagon (verewa) and a goat wagon (bokwa), associated with the Griqua’s move to Griqualand East in 1862. North of the Transgariep Museum, the Griqua huts illustrate the way of life of the Griqua who lived there from 1826 to 1862. The wagons represent a specific move, while the huts reflect a way of life sustained at the site over a longer period. Together, they show different perspectives on Griqua history: movement to Griqualand East and community life between 1826 and 1862.

The Laurens van der Post Memorial Centre offers a different perspective. It includes the writer’s study, with his 1,600 books, desk, other furniture and photographs. While the Griqua huts and wagons explore community history and ways of life, the focus here is on the working environment of an individual writer. The contrast shows how varied the historical and cultural points of interest in Philippolis are: from the way of life of a community to the belongings of an individual author.

A Regional Connection

Tiger Canyons is located at Van der Kloof Lake, near Philippolis. It was founded as an attempt to create a free-ranging, self-sustaining tiger population outside Asia. This subject differs from Philippolis’ historic memorial sites: it focuses on the founding idea behind an experiment to establish such a population.

Discover more destinations: Smithfield, Bethulie, Springfontein, Bethel, Rietrivier, Rouxville, Jacobsdal, Gariepdam.

For the regional travel overview: Xhariep.