About half an hour's drive from Durban is a thriving industrial and commercial town named after Sir Benjamin Pine, Governor of Natal (1873–75). The museum occupies space within the Pinetown Library complex and showcases local history through diverse cultural perspectives.
About the museum
The facility features exhibits spanning multiple themes. Displays integrate Zulu material culture alongside early settler history. Anthropology receives significant emphasis, including a replica of the 'Mrs Ples' skull (Australopithecus africanus from the Sterkfontein Caves, estimated 2.5+ million years old), stone-age tools and artefacts.
Exhibitions
Collections document the Pinetown region's development from prehistory through modern times, covering local settlers and historical figures from the mid-19th century onward, the Paradise Valley waterworks development, Edwardian furniture, Zulu crafts, beadwork, traditional weapons, and cultural representations including local, Muslim and Coloured communities.
Visitor information
Address: Corner Josiah Gumede & Crompton Road, Library & Museum Building, Pinetown
Hours: Monday–Friday 10:00–17:00; Saturday 08:30–12:30. Closed Sundays & Public Holidays.
Admission: Free
Facilities: Street parking nearby; public toilets; shares the complex with Pinetown Library