1969 Earthquake and Museums

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extensive damage to the property in Ceres, Tulbagh and Wolseley.</div> <bR> <div> The Oudekerk Volksmuseum unwinds the story of the devastating earthquake with great honour as well to those who lost life due to the remarkable natural disaster.  In the museum there are also pictures of what was done to restore the tremendous natural hazard.</div> <div> Before the earthquake: there was a bit of phenomena, read below:</div> <div> Below is the words said by Mr A P Coetzee of Modderas River  on the experience of the earthquake “ A bright object hurtling across the valley through the night sky and as the bright object crashed  into the mountains a shower of flames shot up in the flame and then we had the tremor”</div> <bR> <div> <B>Areas affected</B></div> <div> Towns : Worst damage was in Great  Winterhoek valley, Ceres, Tulbagh, Wolseley and Prince Alfred Hamlet,  most of the farmhouses in the centre of the Agterwitzenberg valley to count a few.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Injuries and Losses</B></div> <div> Eight people lost their lives.  Ranging from infants, children and an adult.  The cause of death was mostly suffocation in the dust crambling houses.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>The Old Church museum</B></div> <div> The origin of the church is motivated by the Governor Wilem Adriaan van der Stel who was captivated by the Pieter Potter's valley, impressed by it, he wrote a letter to Holland describing the beautiful Tulbagh valley well suited for agriculture and named it “Land of Waveren” and that was the result of Holland immigrants.  He was right, as a result the Oudekerk Volksmuseum church still serves as the only church in South Africa, still in its original form.  The irony is that the church was the only building unaffected by the earthquake and the only hinderance witnessed was the clock in the church to be the only item that was affected during the earthquake.</div> <bR> <div> The church museum still proudly serves as a great spot for weddings-hire.  Inside the church there is a great unwinding history as well, history of the missionaries, the original brass ornaments.  The very same clock that sustained the earthquake also proudly hangs on the wall.  </div> <bR> <div> Outside the church we have a graveyard that pays tribute to all the Roodezand congregation and the crosses represent the graves that were washed away by the Klipriver floods.</div> <bR> <div> <B>House no 22</B></div> <bR> <div> House no 22 on church street also forms part of the Oudekerk Volksmuseum that mainly concentrates on old furniture,  appliances used e. g kettles, irons which in turn plays a role as a learning curve for the children and a way to blend with their heritage.</div> <bR> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>