Wikipedia:WikiAfrica/Stubs/Museums of Malawi

The Museums of Malawi, formerly known as the Nyasaland Museum was established by a Museum Ordinance enacted in May 1957. It was established to collect, preserve and exhibit objects illustrating the pre-history, history, ethnography and natural history of Malawi for education and research. The museum was opened to the public in July 1960.

History

The Museums of Malawi became a Government Department under the Ministry of Local Government in 1981, after the Museum Dissolution Bill was passed in Parliament to revert the administration of Museums of Malawi to the Central Government, thereby dissolving the Museum Board of Trustees.

In June 1981, the Museums of Malawi, together with the Departments of Antiquities, National Archives of Malawi and Cultural Affairs, were brought under one umbrella to form the Cultural Division of the Ministry of Education and Culture.

The current staff members of the Museums of Malawi has increased to about 172 persons, although it begun in 1960 with only one museum staff and a compliment of 6 employees.

Museums

The Museum of Malawi current comprises of the Chichiri Museum, Lake Malawi Museum, and the Old Museum Building.

Chichiri Museum

The Chichiri Museum was built at Chichiri Hill in Blantyre in 1965 and opened in June 1966. It was funded by the Beit trust and the Government of Malawi.

The main exhibition hall of the Chichiri Museum displays natural history, ethnography, history and archaeology related to Malawi. Exhibits of traditional huts, iron melting furnace and a collection of engines are available.

The Lake Malawi Museum

The exhibits at the people of Lake Malawi Museum mainly feature the life styles of the Lakeshore and their environment. The museum was organized by the Society of Malawi, and was handed over to the Museum Trustees in 1976

The Old Museum Building

The original buiding was designed to be as a living quarters for the employees of the African Lakes Corporation (Mandala). The Government leased in 1959 the building and voted funds to enable the Museums Board of Trustees to renovate and convert the building into a museum.