Then & Now - Preparatory School Building

In 1966 as new Headmaster Mr Graham Dods took the helm of the oldest independent school in South Africa, the new Preparatory School building and school hall was in the midst of being build. This would mark the beginning of the move of the school from the old building in the city to the Mowbray campus and also the addition of the Sub A and Sub B classes.

The junior schools had been hosed in wooden prefab structures on along the old exit road of the school running down from Bloemendal House, now the ATB Templmen Field.

This was a welcomed addition to the school, ushering in greater numbers and many more activates. Many school plays, prize giving's, market days, PE lessons and other school activates would take place here over the years.

The school would soon outgrow the building and the hall so over the years Georgians would see many changes and alterations to the building. The largest being in 2000 with the opening of the Jenny Mallett Hall, new foyer and the Mike Smuts Center.

Here are some of the photos, planes and artifacts from the school archives that show some of how the building came to be, the activities that have taken place and the developments over the years.

Please click here to see more from the 1960s and 2000s.

If you have any photos, documents or artifacts that you would like to share with the schools archives please contact the Old Georgian Union - stephen@sggs.co.za

Here is an extract from The Georgian Magazine 2000 from the Headmasters report given at the High School Prize-Giving.

HEADMASTER'S REPORT: PRIZE-GIVING 2000

"If the key word last year was change, then this year the word would be growth: growth in respect to the ideas we implemented last year and growth in the addition of new buildings.

The Millennium Building Project impacted on all our lives for the best part of the year. The disruption in the heart of the school campus resulted in blocked traffic flow, increased security risks, untimely electricity cuts, floods from sliced water pipes, dust, dust and more dust, and months of jackhammers as the builders attacked the old buildings to attach the new. Prep teachers endured the noise, Prep pupils hardly noticed the noise and the poor Prep School secretary, Dot Jack, was for some months outside her window, tile cutting at her door and the phone just kept on ringing! Dot and all of us survived, however, and a remarkable building emerged from the chaos. A building which not only provided a new look to the formerly unattractive Prep school, but gave us space to grow. The new Jenny Mallett Hall, the spacious foyer, and the large Mike Smuts Centre are welcome additions. The official opening and blessing of the buildings was performed by the Bishop of Table Bay, the Rt Rev Christopher Gregorowski on the 13th October. We managed to pack over 400 pupils, staff, governors and guests into the Jenny Mallett Hall for the occasion. The Mallett family attended as special guests as did Evon Smuts, the wife of the late Mike Smuts, co-architect of the complex. " Mr Barry Hart (Headmaster 1998 - 2010)