Though I have known about the Chavonnes Battery for quite some time, I must admit that I’ve never been before!
My expectation before stepping into the museum was that I would be looking at historic cannons from the early days of the colony. From the minute I stepped through the doors, I was pleasantly surprised by the warm and friendly welcome of the staff, who eagerly took me through the history of the Chavonnes Battery.
Being an avid history buff, I found the museum to be an interesting step back in time, as what is on display of the Battery are the last remaining remnants of the original fort, which used to protect the Cape Colony shoreline before the city fathers decided to reclaim 47-odd acres of land from the sea to create the present day foreshore.
My guide was Dale, who also owns the museum and is SA’s first black owner of a private museum. Dale’s passion is part of the charm of a tour through the museum. One also has the option to stroll through at leisure in your own time, as there are information boards throughout the museum.
The museum is entirely underground but doesn’t give you the feeling that you’re in a subterranean area. The walkways have been well thought through and laid out in a manner that won’t have you backtracking through the museum. The museum works really well as a combined option with a Robben Island tour, as the two museums can easily be interlinked due to their historical nature.
During our tour I found out that the museum has an interesting relationship with the Zeitz MOCAA (Museum of Contemporary African Art) with the top area used as an exhibition space. It also runs art appreciation workshops for the tourism students who work at the museum during their learnerships.
The tour does not take much time to complete but I ended up staying for close to two hours as the real attraction is the drive and enthusiasm displayed by the staff and management. Their passion for the museum and meeting visitors really impressed me and that they are happy to advise guests on other interesting and fun activities and museums to visit in the Cape Town area.
I certainly hope that more visitors (local and from outside the city) will visit this little gem of a museum in the heart of the V&A Waterfront!
Chavonnes Battery is one of the Hidden Treasures, a collection of cultural and heritage products that have been developed and supoorted by the Tourism Enterprise Partnership (TEP).
About the Inspector
A true Capetonian at heart, Ilyaas Narker has been involved in Motivational Travel for ten years now and hasn’t had a single day's regret. After completing a formal education in Tourism Management, he fell into the industry by chance and it's been an exciting journey since then. Narker has been a Senior Account Manager at Green Route Africa since 2012.
“Learn by Google, Live by Gandhi” has become his mantra. Narker’s role has afforded him opportunities to work and create exciting experiences that continually leaves guests in awe and wonderment of the majestic beauty of Africa.
