Directory entries of
Archival Repositories 2005

1. ABSA GROUP ARCHIVES

Brief history: During the period 1991 – 1992, the predecessors of Absa went through a series of amalgamations resulting in the Absa Group. After 1992, archival material, particularly all material associated with the four groups that amalgamated to form Absa was kept on a limited scale at the Volkskas Museum in Pretoria and United Museum at Gold Reef City. Since 1998 Absa has taken a proactive role to accumulate and curate all archival material associated with the Group, including its predecessors.

Acquisitions policy: The Acquisition Policy is currently being drafted. Absa Archives collects material associated with the history of the Absa Group, its predecessors, and the history of the development of banking in South Africa. The Archives aims to build up collections of historical records irrespective of physical form and to catalogue these in detail so that the information held therein is easily accessible. The collections include memoranda, minutes, correspondence, newsletters, rare and modern periodicals, newspaper clippings, pictorial materials, video and audio recordings. Records also include personal documents of Managers and respective clients, such as correspondence and diaries.

Areas of specialisation: The Absa Group Archives focuses on banking and business history; history of the Absa Group and its predecessors and numismatics.

Finding aids: None of the holdings are computerized. A schematic listing of core holdings will be available.

National register participation: No.

2. ADLER MUSEUM OF MEDICINE

Brief history: Founded by Drs Cyril and Esther Adler in 1962. Functions as part of the Faculty of Health Services, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.

Acquisitions policy: Only archival material of medical interest accepted.

Areas of specialisation: Medical history of South Africa.

Core holdings: Undefined at this stage as they are not listed.

Finding aids: No finding aids available.

National register participation: No.

3. AFRICANA LIBRARY, KIMBERLEY

Access: No restrictions.

Brief history: The building of the Kimberley Public Library was opened on 23 July 1887 and vacated by the Public Library in 1984. The building was later restored and inaugurated on 30 March 1986 as an Africana Library to cater specifically for researchers. In February 1990 the building was declared a National Monument.

Acquisitions policy: Any written material about the history of the Diamond Fields and mining, Kimberley and the Northern Cape is acquired within our very limited budget. We also welcome donations of any kind.

Areas of specialisation: History of the Diamond Fields, Kimberley and the Northern Cape. We do hold a good collection of Anglo-Boer War material as well.

Core holdings: 23 000 Africana Books, which include black languages like Tswana, San, Zulu, Xhosa etc. Early Cape and early Afrikaans printed books. Early travel and missionaries, Kimberley chronological, Directories and Voters’ Lists, geological and archaeological. Local newspapers from 1870, when diamonds were discovered, until present. A Special Collection of more than 2 000 books which include 4 incunabula dated 1475, 1476, 1477 and 1493 (Schedel’s Nuremburg Chronicle). This collection also consists of a fine collection of art books, especially the Old Masters and English Literature. 15 000 Photographs depicting the Diamond Fields and its people, mining and the Siege of Kimberley. 760 collections of Manuscripts, dealing with Siege of Kimberley diaries, discovery of diamonds etc. Ephemera like pamphlets, programs, invitation cards, medals, coins etc. South African and Kimberley maps.

Finding aids: Two alphabetical card indexes according to surname and subject. Index to news items on computer (old newspapers still in the process of being indexed), INMAGIC program. Indexes to NAREF and NAREM national registers. Africana and Special Collections are on INMAGIC computer program. Kimberley and Northern Cape pamphlets and newspaper cuttings filed according to subject. Other pamphlets and newspaper cuttings filed according to Dewey decimal classification system.

National register participation: NAREM and NAREF. Linked for on-line retrieval. Also participate in SABIB, and SABINET. We are a non-lending library, therefore our material is for use in the library only. Our INMAGIC computer program is not linked to any on-line retrieval data-base.

4. AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS ARCHIVES

Brief history: The University of Fort Hare was officially designated as the repository of the ANC Archives in 1992 by Pres. Mandela. The archive was opened to the public in 1996. The Archive Project is co-ordinated by the Archives Department which is based at the ANC headquarters in Johannesburg. All collections are sorted at the headquarters before being transferred to Fort Hare for final proccessing and public access.

Acquisitions policy: Items are acquired by donation and by transfer from ANC offices and missions abroad.

Areas of specialisation: History of the ANC. History of the freedom struggle in South Africa. Role of certain individuals within the struggle. Nelson Mandela.

Core holdings: Official records of the 33 foreign offices that the ANC operated abroad in the exile period. Non-current departmental records of the ANC. Official ANC publications. Private collections such as: The Nelson Mandela Collection, the Frene Ginwala Collection, the Walter Sisulu Collection, the Oliver Tambo Collection. Records of the Solomon Mahlangu Freedom College. Nelson Mandela Photographic Collection. ANC Photographic Collection. ANC Poster Collection.

Finding aids: Finding aids available on request.

National register participation: No.

5. AFRIKAANS LANGUAGE MUSEUM AND MONUMENT (DIE AFRIKAANSE TAALMUSEUM EN – MONUMENT)

Brief history: The Afrikaans Language Museum was inaugurated on the 14th of August 1975. Initially the collections of the Museum focused mainly on the role the Association of True Afrikaners (ATA) played in the official recognition of Afrikaans, but in recent years more attention has been paid to the development of Afrikaans, its diverse roots and the diversity of its expressions in various parts of the population.

Acquisitions policy: The development and expressions of the Afrikaans language wherever it is spoken, role players in the recognition and promotion of the language, prominent Afrikaans writers and poets.

Areas of specialisation: The development of Afrikaans, early Afrikaans publications and the history of the ATA.

Core holdings: The collection reflects the history of House Gideon Malherbe during its occupation by the Malherbes. The collection also includes documentation of the history reflecting the establishment of the Afrikaans Language Museum and the Afrikaans Language Monument. The museum further houses a modern multi-media exhibition that aims to give visitors an insight into the development of Afrikaans. It also houses an extensive collection of early Afrikaans publications including Di Afrikaanse Patriot (an early Afrikaans newspaper) and Ons Klyntji (an early Afrikaans magazine). Some of the large groups included in the holdings are the Nienaber, Bosman and Immelman collections, which cover early Afrikaans writers, publications and manuscripts. Another interesting group is the photographic collection, which covers early role players in the recognition of Afrikaans, the ATA and their families. The museum has a small reference library.

Finding aids: Computerised finding aids as well as inventories.

National register participation: No.

6. AFRIKAANS PROTESTANT CHURCH (AFRIKAANSE PROTESTANTSE KERK)

Brief history: It is a young church established June 1987. Most of the archival material is younger than seven years old. Strongroom and office facilities were acquired in 1994. The material comes from throughout South Africa, Namibia, Zambia and Paraguay.

Acquisitions policy: Mainly by voluntary deposit according to decisions of synod meetings. Requests are continually directed to church councils, circuits and commissions of the synod. Awareness of preservation is cultivated by discussions, articles and letters in the church’s official journal.

Areas of specialisation: Registers of practising members and baptisms, minutes of meetings; reports.

Core holdings: Items mentioned under areas of specialisation as well as: documentation relating to the establishment of the church; own publications for membership instruction (Sunday School/catechism); books for adults for Bible study and about topical subjects; church administrative matters; own church marriage registers.

Finding aids: Index cards and computer.

National register participation: No.

7. ALAN PATON CENTRE AND STRUGGLE ARCHIVES

Access: The Alan Paton Centre (APC) is used by staff and students of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, researchers and visitors from all over the world, postgraduate and undergraduate students from other tertiary institutions in South Africa, scholars from local schools and members of the public from Pietermaritzburg and other areas of KwaZulu-Natal.

There is no entry fee. Use of documents is restricted in only a few instances, at the donors’ request. School groups need to make bookings. It is preferable for researchers to contact the Centre in advance, so that the research material can be ready for them when they arrive.

Brief history: Shortly after the death of Alan Paton in 1988, his widow Anne Paton made available a large part of the contents of Paton’s study for the establishment of a permanent living memorial to him. Rich core donations of manuscripts included Alan Paton’s papers, including the manuscripts of his poetry and short stories, and his correspondence; and the archives of the South African Liberal Party Head Office in Pietermaritzburg, which had been forced to close its doors in 1968. Added to this were the documents of organizations which were involved in the struggle against apartheid in the Natal Midlands, such as the Black Sash; the Detainees Aid Committee and the Five Freedoms Forum. Individuals involved in the struggle, such as Peter Brown, John Aitchison, Randolph Vigne, Gerry Maré, Else and Deneys Schreiner and Colin Gardner have also donated their papers to the Centre.

The APC also houses the Special Collections of the Natal Society, which include books collected over the last 150 years by the Natal Society, and the O’Brien and Hattersley Collections. Recently, the archives of CINDI (Children in Distress Network) have been donated to the APC, as the struggle against apartheid has now given way to the struggle against HIV/AIDS.

The APC is thus an archive with a library and a museum component. From 1992 to 1994 it was part of an education for democracy project, and from 1995 to 1998 it was involved with an oral history project: “Recording the anti-apartheid struggle in KwaZulu-Natal”, where many activists who had been members of either the Liberal Party or the ANC were interviewed. It also houses the Sinomlando Project, the oral history project of the School of Theology, which focuses on the role of the church in the apartheid era, particularly the role of the black clergy, and women in the church. The Sinomlando Project includes the “Memory Box” project, developed to support AIDS orphans.

An Annual Alan Paton Lecture is held each year, and a Heritage Day Seminar takes place in September. In 2003, the Centenary of Paton’s birth was celebrated, with a film evening, a Centenary Lecture and a “Paton’s Pietermaritzburg” tour.

Acquisitions policy: The APC collects, preserves and conserves documents, manuscripts, papers, books, journals, tapes, videos, posters, artefacts and information on aspects of resistance to apartheid in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands.

Areas of specialisation: Areas of specialization include holdings relating to Alan Paton and the Liberal Party of South Africa; and material relating to non-governmental organizations in the anti-apartheid struggle with particular reference to the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, for example, The Black Sash, End Conscription Campaign and Peace in Natal. The oral history project, “Recording the Anti-Apartheid struggle in KwaZulu-Natal”, adds further information to these collections in the format of audio-tapes and transcriptions of interviews with former activists. The Natal Society Special Collections comprise books and pamphlets relating to the history of KwaZulu-Natal and South Africa over the past 150 years.

Core holdings: The largest collections, amongst the 160 currently documented, comprise the Alan Paton papers, including his manuscripts, correspondence and library; the Liberal Party of South Africa archives; the papers of the Natal Midlands Region of the Black Sash and their Pietermaritzburg Advice Office, and the Peter Brown collection, which includes land issues, the origins of the Association for Rural Advancement (AFRA) and the Church Agricultural Project (CAP).

Other large and important collections are those of John Aitchison and Gerry Maré. John Aitchison collection includes material on Selby Msimang; the Seven Day War and political violence in Pietermaritzburg; “Black Spots”, forced removals and land resettlement. Gerry Maré’s Natal Room Collection includes material on Chief Buthelezi and Inkatha, and on violence in KwaZulu-Natal. This collection and several others contain the speeches of Chief Buthelezi; the Buthelezi Commission and the KwaZulu-Natal Indaba.

The above, in addition to the oral history projects, are the most heavily consulted collections and the most significant for researchers.

Finding aids: Information on all collections housed at the APC may be found through the regional database of the Library of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg Campus – the Cataloguing Network in Pietermaritzburg, or CATNIP. At a national level, the APC holdings are listed on the National Automated Archival Information Retrieval System (NAAIRS) database of the National Archives of South Africa (NASA). CATNIP holdings are also reflected on the national library database, SACat, which is accessed via SABINET, the South African Bibliographic Information Network. All these databases are web accessible, and they provide an overall view of what is available at the APC. The website address for the CATNIP catalogue is http://www.library.unp.ac.za . The website address for NAAIRS is http://www.national.archives.gov.za

More detailed information on collections can be found in descriptive lists which are housed at the APC. Sections of these lists can be provided by e-mail to researchers on request. There is a separate catalogue for the photograph collection, which is being digitized.

National register participation: The APC contributes to the National Registers of Manuscripts, Photographs and Oral Sources and is linked for on-line retrieval.

The data on NAAIRS can be obtained in paper format in the guides of the National Register of Manuscripts (NAREM) and the National Register of Oral Sources (NAROS). Information on the photograph collection is at present being entered into the National Register of Photographs (NAREF).

8. ALBANY MUSEUM

Brief history: The Archives Collection dates back to the origins of the Albany Museum. The first document accessioned in the earliest History Museum accession register dates back to 1907. When the 1820 Settlers Memorial Museum opened in 1965, the Archives were accessioned separately under the prefix SMD. The emphasis of the archival collection has been documents relating to the 1820 Settlers but over the years Eastern Cape material has been added. The Photographic Collection ranges from glass plates by Sir George Cory and Dr WG Atherstone to digital images of Grahamstown.

Acquisitions policy: The Acquisitions policy of the Archival Collection ties in with the Acquisitions policy of the History Museum, namely, to collect, preserve, store or display those items of material culture which reflect the history of the peoples of the Eastern Cape and especially, the local history of Grahamstown and the Makana District.

Areas of specialisation: The Archives Collection has documents which relate to South African history but most of the collection concerns Grahamstown and the Eastern Cape from 1812 until the present. There is a small collection from the “apartheid” period.

Core holdings: The Archives Collection includes: Dr DL Smit and parliamentary records; diaries of Dr WG Atherstone; Dr John Hewitt papers; a collection of maps and deeds of transfer; Settler diaries. The photographic collection includes the Moorcroft and Van Der Riet collection of 1820 Settlers and old Grahamstown. There are nearly 6000 photographs: portraits, landscapes, public and residential buildings of Grahamstown. There is large genealogical section based on the 1820 Settler families.

Finding aids: The access to the Archives can be done by request through a manual index of SM and SMD (documents) and SM PIC (photographs) numbers. Catalogues of the NAREM and NAREF (A-J) entries have been printed.

National register participation: The Albany Museum has contributed to NAREM and NAREF. Linked for on-line retrieval.

9. AMATHOLE MUSEUM

Brief history: The Amathole Museum has its origins in the King William’s Town Naturalist Society founded in 1884. Since the opening of the museum, historical artefacts were donated by the public. Only in 1971, however, was the first Historian appointed. The History collection consists today of a large amount of artefacts. The Missionary Museum was founded and incorporated by the Amathole Museum and also forms part of the duties of the History section.

Acquisitions policy: The Section of History endeavours to collect, preserve, curate and research both physical evidence and oral reminiscences of all the peoples of the Province of the Eastern Cape, with special reference to the greater King William’s Town region, with the aim to interpret and to disseminate this information. We have a specific acquisitions record published in The policy of the Amathole Museum. For example the museum practices a policy of selective acquisition.

Areas of specialisation: All aspects of the local history of the Greater King William’s Town area. The Cape Mounted Riflemen. The German Settlers of 1857-1859. Missionary activity in the Eastern Cape. Coloured people of this region (new field of research), mammals, anthropology and a mobile museum.

Core holdings: All aspects of local history of this area, including the Former British Kaffraria. Includes genealogical information, military, educational, social, religious, municipal, etc. contributions. For example we are in possession of the original letterbooks of Dr. JP Fitzgerald, the First Medical Superintendent of British Kaffraria, 1856-1884 (unpublished). Cape Mounted Riflemen (CMR). The Museum is the recognised repository of the CMR. Our CMR collection includes an incomplete nominal list of the CMR. The German Settlers of 1856-1859. Includes information on the British German legionaries and civilian settlers who came to this area. Includes a vast amount of genealogical information on these two groups. Missionary activities in the Eastern Cape includes a large Lovedale collection and information on missionary stations, missionaries and products of missionary work in this province.

Finding aids: Inventory of the History collection, including our Documents Room (unpublished and incomplete). Index of members of the British German Legion and civilian German Settlers. Newspaper Index for genealogical research of the Kaffrarian Watchman and Cape Mercury (from 1860). Burial records of this area. Computer database for the museum’s photographic holdings. Computer database of the Burial Register of King William’s Town, 1865-1973.

National register participation: No.

10. ARCHIVE FOR CONTEMPORARY AFFAIRS (INCH)/ ARGIEF VIR EIETYDSE AANGELEENTHEDE (INEG)

Brief history: Towards the end of 1964 a campaign for the collection of political documents was launched at the University of the Orange Free State with a view to the writing of South African political history since 1902. It was soon clear that the task and function of the then political archive had to reach far wider than the mere collecting of documents. The scientific interpretation of material, the introduction thereof to the public and the stimulation of contemporary historiography was as yet a barren field in South Africa. As a result, the Institute for Contemporary History, with the political archive (Documentation Division) as its centre, came into existence towards the end of 1970. In 1998 the Documentation Division became fully autonomous and has since been known as the Archive for Contemporary Affairs.

Acquisitions policy: The Archive for Contemporary Affairs is interested in research material in private possession relating to contemporary affairs. Chronologically, the documents we have been collecting, cover the period from 1902 up to the present. Collections consist of correspondence, circulars, telegrams, speeches, statements, messages, articles, manuscripts, notes, diaries, agendas, minutes, reports, memoranda, information sheets, programmes, addresses, press cuttings, photographs, tape recordings, pamphlets, etc.

Areas of specialisation: Political , Economic and Cultural affairs.

Core holdings: At present the ARCA houses more than 900 private document collections; each which is kept as an exclusive unit in our strongrooms. This includes the collections of the following persons: Mr PW Botha, Mr DJ Dalling, Mr FW de Klerk, Dr N Diederichs, Dr Albert Hertzog, Mr JC Heunis, Adv EG Jansen, Dr JD Kestell, Dr Eric Louw, Mr RP Meyer, Dr Etienne Rousseau, Adv JGN Strauss, Adv CR Swart, Mrs Catherine Taylor, Dr AP Treurnicht, Dr HF Verwoerd, Mr Marais Viljoen, Adv BJ Vorster, Mr Louis Weichardt and Adv Leon Wessels. Institutions: ATKV, FAK, Federale Vroueraad, Federasie van Rapportryerskorpse, Oranje-Vrouevereniging, SA Chamber of Commerce, South African Academy for Arts and Science.

Finding aids: Inventories of document collections are available in the Reading Room of the Archive for Contemporary Affairs or else can be obtained from the Deputy Director.

National register participation: The Archive for Contemporary Affairs contributes to the NAREM, NAREF and NAROS and is linked for on-line retrieval.

11. ARCHIVES OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF DURBAN

Brief history: This archival collection contains papers and ecclesiastical records going back to the foundation of the diocese in 1852. Its purpose is to preserve the documents and make them readily available to the archbishop in office at the time and his officials.

Acquisitions policy: Documents are regularly sent to the Archives by the Archbishop’s secretary. These include the letters, speeches etc. of the archbishop, correspondence with other Catholic diocese or organisations and the SA Catholic Bishops Conference. It also contains decrees and instructions from the Vatican. Books on Catholic subjects are bought for information purposes and University theses are usually sent by the students concerned.

Parishes all over the diocese are required to send lists of baptisms, marriages and confirmations each year. These are filed after being microfilmed and stored in the strongroom. This is the collection that most enquirers are interested in.

Areas of specialisation: N/A

Core holdings: This is not a large repository. In addition to correspondence as described above it has a set of SA Catholic Directories from 1947 to the present; Directory of the Archdiocese of Durban from 1950 to the present; a set of the official Vatican publication (ACTA APOSTOLICAE SEDIS) from 1940; a number of old Roman Missals and lectimaries (historical interest); publications of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference; baptismal and marriage records; papers of the late Fr. W. Eric Brown (Church historian) and of the late Fr. Howard St. George; records of defunct organisations such as the Catholic African organization and photographs

Finding aids: A detailed inventory exists. Its index serves as a finding aid

National register participation: No.

12. ARCHIVE OF THE REFORMED CHURCHES IN SOUTH AFRICA (ARGIEF VAN DIE GEREFORMEERDE KERKE IN SUID-AFRIKA)

Brief history: Archival material is obtained from private persons or bodies by means of donations; from Church Councils which send their documents for safe custody; and from other meetings and Synods. Archival material has been collected since the establishment of the Reformed Church in 1859. A start was made in 1961 to arrange and index the Archives in Potchefstroom professionally.

Acquisitions policy: The Archives attempts as far as possible to collect, arrange and preserve all documents written or received by the Reformed Church in the course of its existence. See also areas of specialisation.

Areas of specialisation: Documents of Church Councils, classes, “Partikuliere” Synods, and Synods. All church journals or publications. Personal documents of Church leaders. Photographs.

Core holdings: National Synods: Minutes, annexures and “Deputaatskappe”. “Partikuliere” Synods: Minutes and annexures. Classes: Minutes and annexures. Church Councils: Minutes, annexures, membership, baptismal and marriage registers, finances, Mission, Sisters and Catechism. All Church journals and publications. Personal collections: D Postma and JD du Toit (Totius). Bible translation in Totius’ own handwriting. Many historical photographs. Membership, baptismal and marriage registers are used mainly for genealogical research, and minute books for church research.

Finding aids: Unpublished indexes. Some information about Synods, “Partikuliere” Synods and classes is available on computer.

National register participation: No.

13. AREND DIEPERINK MUSEUM

Brief history: The collection consists mainly of objects collected by Mr Arend Dieperink. The collection has been housed in Potgietersrus since 1968 and the museum was affiliated with the Transvaal Provincial Administration in 1972.

Acquisitions policy: History of the town and vicinity. This includes the world renowned Makapansgat Valley.

Areas of specialisation: Pioneer history. Development of town.

Core holdings: The total collection comprises 15 000 objects. Almost 4 000 are books, documents and photographs.

Finding aids: Accession register and locality cards, which are manual finding aids.

National register participation: No.

14. ARMAMENTS CORPORATION OF SOUTH AFRICA LIMITED (ARMSCOR)

Brief history: Was established in 1985 as part of Armscor’s Historical and Archive Services Section which was at the time not subjected to the Archives Act of 1962, Act No. 6 as amended. The Armscor Archive has since its creation been developed and organised in accordance with the principles of modern archival practice and theory.

Acquisitions policy: All records created and received by Armscor in conducting its mandate and business in terms of the Armscor Act.

Areas of specialisation: History of South Africa’s armaments acquisition, manufacturing and development from 1948 to date.

Core holdings: Correspondence files in respect of Armscor departments and projects. Minutes of top level Armscor meetings i.e. the Board of Directors, Top Management and the present Management Board. Documents of senior Armscor officials. Annual reports. Commission of inquiries. Research and study material. Publications. Photographic collection.

Finding aids: Unpublished inventories and lists. Electronic retrieval system.

National register participation: No.

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