Museum of Geological Survey Adjoining the Transvaal Museum in Pretoria is the Museum of Geological Survey. This houses a display of the geology and mineralogy of the earth, focusing on South Africa. A spectacular section is devoted to precious and semi-precious stones, with reproductions of the worlds largest diamonds. There is a fossil display which includes a skeleton, in excellent condition, of a Jonkeria reptile, which lived about 250 million years ago. An exquisite Italian mosaic table set with semi-precious stones - an artistic masterpiece - is also displayed. Here too is a large, oval stone used as a crusher on the Eersteling gold-fields.
Transvaal Museum of Natural History This museum has traditional static displays of animals and birds in glass exhibition cases. The most dramatic exhibit is the enormous skeleton of a whale outside the building. If you are interested in South Africas fauna, particularly its birdlife, a visit is worthwhile. The Austin Roberts Bird Hall is the most comprehensive in South Africa. It was named in honour of Dr Austin Roberts who compiled "Birds of South Africa", in which every bird has been given a number which is now a standard reference book about birds. In the bird hall every bird is displayed in this numerical order. A coin-operated case displays many birds and reproduces the sounds they make. There is a skeleton of the extinct dodo from Mauritius, and a collection of skeletons of prehistoric animals. Shells are exhibited and there are galleries devoted to mammals and reptiles.
Melrose House Built in 1886, Melrose House was the home of George Heys, who ran one of the principle stage-coach and transport vehicle lines serving the Transvaal. It is a handsome and well-maintained cross between English Victorian and Cape Dutch styles, lavishly furnished. During the 1899-1902 Anglo-Boer war, both Lord Roberts and Lord Kitchener (the British Commanders) lived here. On 31 May 1902 the Treaty of Vereeniging that ended the war was signed in the dining room. The stained glass, including a window representing Sir Walter Scotts "The Lay of the Last Mistral", is exquisite. The billiard room, the elaborate drawing room, the dining room, the bedrooms, kitchen and conservatory - all retain an atmosphere of the buildings historic past.
South African Police Museum This is an extremely bizarre, somewhat amateurish propaganda vehicle for the police. It includes dioramas of various crimes, murder weapons and blood-stained clothing. Not for the faint-hearted, but not to be missed if you want a depressing, but quite interesting, insight into the SA Police Force.
