The Curries Fountain Sports Development Centre is currently undergoing an initiative to launch a museum which will display pictorials and memorabilia of events that have taken place at the iconic Stadium.

The process has begun with the assistance of one of the Centre’s partners, the Durban University of Technology. Historical photographs have been donated from the Research of Curries and Surrounds (ROCS) project led by DUT Campus Planner, Len Rosenberg, along with the assistance of others.
Two of the main photographic contributors are Rafs Mayet and Ranjith Kally who have captured events historically from the 1970s. Hopes are high to launch the black and white photographic museum by September 2015. It will be located at the Curries Fountain Sports Development Centre Boardroom, across the DUT Ritson Campus.
“Curries” is a name associated to the vibrant Stadium in the struggle days, particularly in the 1960s and 1970s. It influenced the interaction of Black people within a socio-political and cultural environment in Durban and South Africa. The venue was popular with social and political activists, gang leaders, sportsmen and cultural activists. The future of Curries Fountain is not only of valuable interest to South Africans but the international community as well.
In keeping with history, the Curries Fountain Sports Development Centre was formed to empower the disadvantaged through sport and the Centre’s philosophy of mass participation as a medium for excellence. “Curries” continues to be a sporting oasis for schools in the CBD as well as the Durban University of Technology. It is therefore fitting that these images are now displayed where they belong and it is hoped that this display will be the start and catalyst for other donations of photographs and memorabilia that will assist in building a collection of artefacts that will one day be housed in a museum dedicated to the history of Curries and the surrounding precinct.
The Secretary of the Board of Directors, Talent Hlongwa, is excited about the new developments. “It is wonderful that the historic magnificence is finally being captured so that people of this generation can appreciate the rich history of the stadium. We encourage all DUT students to visit the museum once it is operational and take the opportunity to learn about the significance of the stadium”.
– Esivani Naidoo
Pictured: The historical Curries Fountain Sportsgrounds.