December 20, 2004
By Thomas Thale
FOR over a century, immigrants and residents of Johannesburg have traversed the city's landscape, using various modes of transport - often safely, but sometimes facing hazards like treacherous roads and, more recently, traffic jams.
This rich history of transportation in the city has been recreated at the James Hall Museum of Transport, a Council-owned museum dedicated to preserving the history of transport in the city for posterity.
The museum's collection includes animal-drawn carts, such as Anglo Boer War ox-wagons, bicycles, coaches, motorbikes, steam locomotives, electric cars, fire engines and vehicles with self-propelled engines.
The late James "Jimmie" Hall, a car enthusiast who had a penchant for vintage models, working closely with the City Council, founded the museum in 1964. Now his son, Peter Hall, has taken over as head of the museum, perpetuating the legacy of his father by collecting and preserving vintage cars. An organisation called Friends of the Museum also raises funds to help with the upkeep.
Hall says the museum's collection has expanded over the years and now stands at 2 500 items, making it the largest museum of its kind in the country.
According to Hall, the oldest motorcar on display is a 1900 Clement Panhard, while the latest is a 1980 Opel.
Other notable items on display include spans of life-size oxen and horses made of fibreglass, rickshas which were used in Johannesburg until 1967, horse-drawn trams used at the turn of the last century and the last electric double-decker tram to run in the city in 1961.
In addition, visitors can view a 1905 luxurious private coach, fire fighting vehicles such as a 1913 Merryweather Steam pump, a 1959 Mayoral Rolls Royce, penny farthings and vintage motorcycles.
The museum incorporates the following sections:
The South Hall houses animal-drawn vehicles, including Voortrekker wagons and some ox-wagons. The display includes life-size horses and oxen made of fibreglass.
The courtyard area has a collection of steam vehicles such as a tractor, a bus and a sentinel steam wagon used to transport coal on the mines. Electric trolley buses and diesel buses are also displayed here.
The East Hall houses an impressive array of bicycles and motorcycles, some dating back to the 19th century. Penny-farthings, tricycles and scooters can be seen in this section. The hall is also home to early models of fire engines and antique fire-fighting equipment.
The North Hall boasts a vast array of vehicles, including some dating back to the Edwardian era and various models that made their mark in the 20th century.
The West Hall houses a collection of South African trams, buses and trolley buses. On the porch of the museum are steam locomotives, municipal vehicles and agricultural implements.
"We host a cross section of society," says Hall. "We are patronised by school kids, international visitors and local enthusiasts."
The museum is located at Pioneer Park, Rosettenville Road, La Rochelle and is open Tuesdays to Sundays from 09h00 to 17h00.
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