The Oude Kerk Volksmuseum derives its name from the fact that the original museum was originally established in the old church (Oude Kerk) of the Dutch Reformed congregation at Tulbagh and that it intended to depict the lifestyle of the people (Volk) of Tulbagh. Members of this church played a pivotal role in the establishment of the museum.
The Proclamation Theme of the Oude Kerk Volksmuseum is: “The history of ‘t Land of Waveren”, which is now defined to be the village of Tulbagh as well as the Tulbagh Valley, bounded by, amongst others, the Saronsberg, Winterhoek and Witzenberg Mountains. The museum’s theme has further been expanded to include the influence of the devastating Boland Earthquake of 1969 as a major theme. This earthquake, in turn, led to the restoration of all buildings along the length of Church Street, dating from the Dutch and Victorian periods in the town’s and country’s history.