City
A Colombo link in Port Louis’s Natural History Museum
The Desjardins collection, transferred to a partly Colombo-inspired Mauritius Institute in 1885, became the basis of Port Louis’s Natural History Museum. The port-side post office and Central Market preserve other details of the city’s built heritage.
At a glance
A place worth remembering
A partial Colombo connection
The Natural History Museum’s own history page calls the Mauritius Institute Building, put up in 1880–1884, a partial copy of Colombo Museum in Sri Lanka. In 1885 the Desjardins collection, made up mainly of Mascarene sea creatures and birds, was moved there and became the foundation of today’s museum.[1]
Mail and telegraph at the port-side post office
The heritage trail ties two overseas communication routes to the General Post Office: ship-borne mail reached the port, and letters from abroad also came through the island’s first telegraph.[2]
Stone and iron at the Central Market
The Central Market’s decorative emphasis is at its entrances: stone arches meet wrought-iron work with floral motifs.[2]
Good to know
A few clear answers before you explore.
What was transferred to the Mauritius Institute in 1885?
The Desjardins collection; it later became the museum’s foundation.[1]
How did overseas mail historically reach the General Post Office?
By boat, according to the Port Louis heritage trail.[2]
What material detail marks the Central Market entrances?
Floral wrought-iron work set with the stone arches.[2]
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