Those that joined in for the morning were welcomed with refreshments. A slide show on "The Power In Great Brak River" was presented by Rene de Kock after a tour of the Hydro Power Station.
The Searle Family, who were among the early settlers in the Great Brak River Valley, established much of the commercial enterprise in the area. They were well known for their leather tannery and shoe factory, for which they needed electrical power.
The family imported the required hydro turbine equipment and a DC generator and built a power station in 1924, in the river valley. The original DC generator was replaced in 1936 with the present AEG three-phase alternator. An interesting feature of the building is that the fire extinguishers are still the original glass bulb type of system, suspended from the roof. After the Hydro tour, a drive-by tour of Mossienes Street and the largest Pepper Tree in the country, a delicious light lunch served at the Museum concluded the morning's programme.
Every year since 1977, International Museum Day is held worldwide round about 18 May. From America and Oceania to Europe, Asia and Africa, International Museum Day aims to increase public awareness of the role of museums in developing society. The theme for 2013 was "Museums (Memory + Creativity) = Social Change".
The Great Brak Museum is open Mondays to Fridays from 09:00 to 16:00. Contact 044 620 3338 for more information.
Ken Martins, Jan Nieuwoudt, Wally Truter (front), Rene de Kock and Rod McRobert enjoyed International Museum Day at Great Brak River Museum on 18 May.
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