A dedicated and passionate woman who gave 40 years of her life to preserving the heritage of the South African Police Service (SAPS) at the Police Museum in Ventersburg, has retired.
Petru Engelbrecht journeyed to this small historical town as a young policewoman in 1985. She was a mere 22 years old.
“I was the very first female police officer who served the Ventersburg community, and especially some of the farmers and the Rapportryers found this a difficult pill to swallow.
“But I soon worked my way into the hearts and homes of the Ventersburgers, and I have never regretted being here,” she says.
Engelbrecht was entirely dedicated to the museum and built it up to an institution that was honoured, respected, and even revered in South Africa.
“We often had foreign tour groups coming to see the preserved heritage on display.
“The Ventersburg Police Museum is the only museum preserving heritage and culture that has survived in the Goldfields, and it is also the only police museum in Africa that is still open.
“This is heritage that must be preserved for future generations. I believe it will continue and that it and its contents will be preserved. I believe that someone who is qualified and who has passion will take over the reins in Ventersburg.”
Engelbrecht was appointed as curator by the SAPS in Pretoria all those years ago, and today she can proudly say she is leaving behind her a proud landmark that portrays all aspects of the SAPS history through the years and dispensations.
The person who will be appointed to officially replace Engelbrecht will have to not only be an information officer, but also a curator and will have to be knowledgeable of museum procedure and the preservation of historical artefacts.
Engelbrecht says she is proud that she has ticked all these boxes.
“I was self-taught in many aspects and did many courses to make sure the museum was always in good hands.”
Engelbrecht studied SAPS history and is self-taught and thought with this background she was able to accumulate and collect valuable police heritage to be preserved in this small building in the Free State platteland.
To look back in its history one can honestly say not all museums are spooky and dusty.
The Ventersburg museum gives a real idea of the history from 1899 to today.
This museum has a captivating history. It first opened its doors on 29 October 1983. The idea of restoring the old Ventersburg Police Station was suggested by the local Rapportryers, and the official decision was taken on 20 August 1982.
A conservation committee was appointed and on 25 January 1983, plans were set in motion to restore the tiny building and to use it as a museum for the police.
The museum consists of the original police station which had two offices, namely a charge office and the station commander’s office, and was built between 1902 and 1910.
A prison near the police station was built from rock and consisted of four cells. There is evidence that the jail was already in existence at the end of the 19th century.
The existing iron fencing posts bear the date 1895.
Above the door of the main building the letters and year “RAMC – 1900” are engraved. This refers to the Royal Army Medical Corps and points to a connection with the British Forces during the Anglo Boer War. This means that the old jail already existed at that time and was probably in use. The stables and pounds were completed in 1899. A cottage served as the police barracks between 1930 and 1956. The old police station was in use until 1951.
As of 1 April 1984, the curator of the Police Museum in Pretoria became the commander of the Ventersburg Museum as well, and a member of the force, the then Const. Petro Engelbrecht, was permanently stationed in Ventersburg so that the museum could be open to the public every day.
The museum in Ventersburg has several items that are of historical value. One such item is the door of the cell in which the rebel Jopie Fourie was held prisoner in the Central Prison in Pretoria.
Gen. Christiaan de Wet also had a close bond with this particular police office during the Rebellion of 1914.
In 1987, the museum was declared a national monument.
The Ventersburg museum gives a real idea of the history from 1899 to today.
This museum has a captivating history. It first opened its doors on 29 October 1983. The idea of restoring the old Ventersburg Police Station was suggested by the local Rapportryers, and the official decision was taken on 20 August 1982.
A conservation committee was appointed and on 25 January 1983, plans were set in motion to restore the tiny building and to use it as a museum for the police.
The museum consists of the original police station which had two offices, namely a charge office and the station commander’s office, and was built between 1902 and 1910.
A prison near the police station was built from rock and consisted of four cells. There is evidence that the jail was already in existence at the end of the 19th century.
The existing iron fencing posts bear the date 1895.
Above the door of the main building the letters and year “RAMC – 1900” are engraved. This refers to the Royal Army Medical Corps and points to a connection with the British Forces during the Anglo Boer War. This means that the old jail already existed at that time and was probably in use. The stables and pounds were completed in 1899. A cottage served as the police barracks between 1930 and 1956. The old police station was in use until 1951.
As of 1 April 1984, the curator of the Police Museum in Pretoria became the commander of the Ventersburg Museum as well, and a member of the force, the then Const. Petro Engelbrecht, was permanently stationed in Ventersburg so that the museum could be open to the public every day.
The museum in Ventersburg has several items that are of historical value. One such item is the door of the cell in which the rebel Jopie Fourie was held prisoner in the Central Prison in Pretoria.
Gen. Christiaan de Wet also had a close bond with this particular police office during the Rebellion of 1914.
In 1987, the museum was declared a national monument.
