Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Old School Ties.

THIS PLAQUE WAS UNVEILED ON THE
5TH AUGUST 1996
BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF GOVERNERS
MR. A. J. ARDINGTON TO COMMEMORATE THE
FOUNDING OF MICHAELHOUSE ON THIS SITE BY
CANON JAMES CAMERON TODD ON THE
5TH AUGUST 1896


According to the Michaelhouse website:

"Michaelhouse was founded in 1896 by an Anglican Priest, Canon James Cameron Todd. The school was established as a private venture with 15 boys in 2 small houses in Loop Street, Pietermaritzburg."

"Within a few years, Michaelhouse was appointed the Diocesan College for boys in Natal, governed by a permanent Trust Deed and administered by a Board of Governors. The strong Christian ethos remains the cornerstone of the value system at Michaelhouse."

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Pietermaritzburg is 90km from Durban, so this is not strictly a Durban photo. However, since thousands of people run the Comrades Marathon between Durban and 'Maritzburg every year, it can't be all that far away :-).

While attending to business there, my client mentioned this plaque, and the fact that the property was the original site of the school, so I couldn't pass up the opportunity to share it with you.

2 comments:

Kate said...

Was this a school for whites, coloured, Indians???

I was in South Africa twice in the early '90's and remember Durban fondly for its music and art. There was an art cooperative near the wharfs that had quality native art work and I bought a print of birds which hangs over my fireplace. Does this place sound familiar to you?

CrazyCow said...

Michaelhouse is a private school, and as far as I am aware, was never subject to the same race restrictions as government schools. It did however only cater for boys.

The only art co-op I can think of in that area is the Bat Center which was founded in 1995. If your visit was earlier then it could have been an informal arrangement which inspired the Bat Center.