“The Heritage Association of South Africa honours the OH Frewin Museum for the visionary leadership, historical stewardship, and profound impact on the cultural landscape of Middelburg and beyond.

The museum not only preserves the technical and editorial legacy of South Africa’s community newspapers but also celebrates the enduring role of local journalism in shaping civic identity and historical memory. Its establishment marks a milestone in heritage preservation and public education.”

Middelburg stood head and shoulders above the rest at the South African Heritage Association’s gala evening where 12 individuals and organisations were honoured.

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VODEO 1 – The community press section of the OH Frewin Print and Community Press Museum in Middelburg. The museum is the first of its kind in the world.

♬ original sound – MiddelburgObserver – MiddelburgObserver

The town received two awards with the Middelburg Observer receiving the first and the OH Frewin Museum for the Print and Community Press being honoured with a gold certificate.

According to the  citation read the evening “the museum stands as a tribute to Oscar Henry Frewin, founder of OH Frewin Printers and the Middelburg Observer in 1903 and widely regarded as the Father of the Community Press in South Africa.

“Originally proposed by Dr Anton Rupert in 1982, the vision for a dedicated museum to honour community journalism and traditional printing method faced decades of setbacks – including the demolition of the original OH Frewin building and a halted relocation plan to Botshabelo.

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VIDEO 2 – The printing section of the OH Frewin Print and Community Press Museum in Middelburg. The museum is the first of its kind in the world. It combines both the history of the print industry as well as community press in South Africa.

♬ original sound – MiddelburgObserver – MiddelburgObserver

“After forty years of perseverance, the museum was finally realized in April 2022, thanks to the tireless efforts or Dries Venter (OH Frewin Printers) and Tobie van den Bergh, former editor of the Middelburg Observer”.

• Other recipients included Mariette Joubert for the initiative she took to collect and restore old ox wagons. She has the largest private collection of trekking and transport wagons in the world.
• Dr Gerrit Haarhoff was honoured for his many years of research into the old wagon routes through the Lowveld since the arrival of European settlers in the area. He also, together with Mpumalanga Heritage, restored and expanded the old 1885 Jock trek route signs.
• Koos and Karen Bekker for the cultural-historical research and restoration of the farm Babilonstoren in the Drakenstein.
• Rita Engelbrecht-Brits of Val for her annual Boer en Brit festivals. Which she hosts in the town with only seven inhabitants.