The Springs Mine and Military Museum - An East Rand Gem
By Willie Bodenstein
28.02.2026
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On Saturday morning I took a drive out to the just over two years old Springs Mine and Military Museum and met some of the most amazingly passionate people that I have encountered in a while.
Tony da Cruz, Founder, DJ Goosen, Curator, Errol Brits, Director & Liesl Jungbauer, Docent. The youngster in the pic whose name to my shame I did not get is an absolute history buff and regular visitor to the museum.
The museum that is situated in President's Park on Paul Kruger Highway is open every Saturday and Sunday from 08:00 to 13:00. Entrance is free. Keeping up with technology at every exhibit one finds a code to scan with your smartphone that will take you to the full information about the specific exhibit. More than 500 visitors visited the site during the festive season.
The museum, a registered non-profit organisation, showcases a growing and perfectly restored collection of historic military vehicles, aircraft, artillery and mining artefacts on its extensive superbly kept premises in Murray Park. Its collection reflects the East Rand's mining heritage and South Africa's military past and is run by local volunteers and enthusiasts with a passion to preserving our rich history.
Tony with visitors from Australia.
The Impala restoration is still a work in progress.
Beside the open air collection the museum has an extensive collection of uniforms and a myriad of smaller items in its indoor museum which in itself is on the heritage list.
Errol Brits, Nico Ferriera and Tony da Cruz accepting Nico's impromptu donations
Whilst exploring the indoor section its display grew by three new items when a visitor Nico Ferreira, an ex Rhodesian who had served in the RHACR, had brought with him two circa 1979/80 90 mm practise HEAT rounds as well as a ceremonial Anglo Boer War sword that had belonged to his father which he wished to donate to the Museum. The item was off course welcome and accepted by Tony.
While there I noticed that none of the outside vehicles, canons, aircraft and mining equipment items is fenced. Asking Tony about it he explained that most museums have strict rules where visitors are only allowed to view pieces from a distance. What sets them apart is that people can touch and engage with the military and mining items on display. Children may sit in the aircraft and feel the claustrophobic nature of being inside, which makes for an unforgettable experience he said.
A Memorial wall has recently been completed and Tony, whose company ProSafe Security is the official sponsor of all security for the site, revealed that they are planning to host an honorary parade and memorial service for troops who lost their lives during the Battle of Bangui in 2013. This battle took place during the civil war in the Central African Republic (CAR). South Africa had deployed troops there earlier in the year as part of a mission to support and train the CAR army and assist with military capacity building under a bilateral agreement between the two governments. Thirteen South African soldiers were confirmed killed in the battle, and 27 were wounded.
Enjoying a wonderful cup of coffee bought from one of the stalls of a mini flea market next to the museum I asked Tony what their plans are for the future.
"Our vision," he said, "is for the museum to be on par with those in Pretoria, Johannesburg and Cape Town. Most museums focus on a specific segment of history, so not everyone connects with it. We have created a space where everyone can find something they resonate with. We have to listen to the youth because if they find the site appealing, then we are on the right track. They are the future."
Considering what Tony and his team have achieved in such a short period and the passion that they have for what they are doing there is no doubt in my mind that this will soon be one of the major tourist attractions in the East Rand.
