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[Merchiston a
revised and
concise History
as gleaned from
the publication:
A History of
Merchiston
Preparatory
School 1892 –
1992
published by
Merchiston as
part of is
Centenary
Celebrations.]
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Merchiston
Preparatory
School was first established in 1892, and was the outcome of the
vision of two
Victorian
ladies. |
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Agnes Rowe, the
daughter of the
Rev. S. Evans
Rowe, was born
in Cornwell in
1865. Her family
had a history of
artistic and
scholastic
activity. She
was educated at
a Methodist
school in
Southport, went
to Dresden,
where she become
proficient in
German. When a
family member,
Miss A. E Rowe
became the lady
principal of the
Girls’
Collegiate
School, in April
1878, the ball
was set in
motion for Miss
Rowe and Miss
Allan to
eventually meet. |
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Elizabeth Allan
was born and
educated in
Edinburgh. As a
serious student
of music she
traveled to
Germany to study
music and then
returning to
Scotland. Here
she befriended a
Dr John Rogerson,
headmaster of
Merchiston
Castle School.
She then decided
to move to the
Colony of Natal
and was
appointed as a
resident
governess, in
charge of music,
at the
Collegiate
School in 1884.
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In 1890, Dr John
Rogerson
purchased
Merchiston Lodge
and opened his
preparatory
school for boys.
Elizabeth was
still
corresponding
with him, and
her interest in
the developments
in Scotland most
likely led to
discussions
between her and
Agnes. When
Merchiston
House School,
as it was first
called, opened
in 1892,
Elizabeth Allan
took charge of
the business
management side
while Agnes Rowe
was in charge of
the curriculum.
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Permission was
obtained from
Merchiston
Castle School,
in Scotland, by
the Principal,
Dr John Rogerson,
for the school
to adopt their
name and motto.
Ready Ay Ready
was modified to
Ready Aye Ready
to suit the
local language.
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A large, single-storeyed
house in
Pietermaritz
Street was
rented from the
grocer, James
Egner. With its
extensive
out-buildings,
it occupied the
greater part of
erf 34 (Church
Street), the
land available
exceeding an
acre. The large
front rooms were
assigned as
Dinning and
Drawing rooms,
with smaller
inter-leading
bedrooms behind,
to the two
principals. Four
outside rooms
were to serve as
dormitories,
with four or
five beds in
each, whilst the
old coach-house
became the boys’
bathroom, zinc
baths being
installed for
the early
morning cold
plunge. |
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Pupils were
enrolled on
Monday, 1st
February, the
actual school
opening taking
place on Tuesday
the 2nd.
Eighteen pupils
formed the
original
enrolment, the
majority being
boarders. The
main object of
the two
principals was
“to give
the boys a
thorough English
education: and
by giving them a
comfortable home
to train them
physically and
morally to be
little English
gentlemen”. |
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The school then
moved to Burger
Street, opposite
the then Grey’s
Hospital and
adjoining the
Girls’
Collegiate
School, where it
was established
as
Merchiston
Preparatory
School.
With 60 boys on
the roll, the
house had become
too confined.
The new
buildings were
ready for
occupation in
February of
1896. In spite
of building 4
dormitories,
space for the
growing number
of boarder soon
became a problem
and a lease was
obtained for the
house known as ‘Allanwood’,
as the boarders
were divided
between the main
school house and
Allanwood,
intense
schoolboy
rivalry was an
inevitable
result. Due to
increasing
financial
strain, the
difficult
decision to hand
the school over
to the
government with
its larger
financial base
was taken. In
their final
report, June
1910 they wrote:
“It has been our
aim and
endeavour to
arouse in our
boys an
intelligent
interest in and
enthusiasm for
their studies:
to train them in
manly and
honourable
habits of
thought, speech
and action: and
to foster in
them that ‘Fear
of God and love
of man’ which
should make
their future
lives happy for
themselves and a
blessing to the
community.”
So ended the
private school
career of
Merchiston
Preparatory
School,
but the legacy
so carefully
laid by its
founding
principals was
not lost, but
remains as a
lighthouse to
guide the school
well into the
future.
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In August 1910,
under the
leadership of
Sidney Robert
Edminson, born
in Portleven,
Cornwell,
Merchiston
Preparatory
School entered
its career as a
Government
preparatory
school in
August, with 53
boys, 11 of whom
were boarders.
Under Mr.
Edminson’s
leadership and
with the new
financial
freedom
Merchiston grew
and by the next
year they
already enrolled
102 boys. Two
new classrooms
were built and
Allanwood house
was purchased.
In 1918, the
purchase of the
adjoining
grounds facing
Commercial Road
ushered in a new
era in the
organization of
games. Edminson
did his best to
instill the
spirit of
competitive
sport. He lost
no time in
introducing the
house system
with challenge
cups for the
‘champion house’
and contests in
all branches of
organised sport.
Boarders were to
belong to
‘Schoolhouse’
whilst day-boys
were split
between Allan
and Rowe houses.
With the growth
of boarder
numbers it soon
became necessary
to create two
new houses and
the boarders
were split
between Rhodes
and Milner
house. |
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In 1923 Edminson
was succeeded by
Mr. Reginald
Alfred Banks.
Born in London,
he was a
graduate in
Science, and his
first
headmastership
was served in
Utrecht. Mr.
Banks, was a
very able
administrator
and under his
leadership and
due to policy
changes in the
Education
Department, many
changes were
made to the
curriculum,
Afrikaans being
introduced as
one example.
1928 saw the
conversion of
the Pope
Memorial room
being outfitted
as a science
laboratory with
water laid on
and benches and
equipment sent
down from
Dundee. As the
school was once
again bulging at
the seams a
proposal was put
forward to move
the school to a
site in
Alexandra Park,
but the problems
with the
transfer proved
insurmountable.
In 1928 Mr.
Banks was
transferred to
Dundee and Mr.
John William
Parkinson, who
had served as
resident master
under Edminson,
now returned as
the new
headmaster. |
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Mr. John William
Parkinson, born
and educated at
Bolton,
Lancashire, was
headmaster from
1929 to 1950.
Without changing
the curriculum,
Parkinson
proposed to
introduce
experiments
which would have
the effect of
laying less
emphasis on the
ordinary
scholastic
subjects and
giving the boys,
when they
reached a
certain age, a
fairly wide
choice of
alternative
pursuits.
Creative
activities in
the arts and
crafts, modeling
in relief,
drawing,
painting,
self-expression
in dramatic work
and music,
awakened the
self-esteem and
pride of
accomplishment
in boys who
could not have
excelled in
routine
classwork. |
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It was also
under
Parkinson’s
period of tenure
that the sports
grounds in
Bulwer Street
were acquired;
thereby making
the lack of
adequate playing
fields a thing
of the past. |
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By 1950 the
school had grown
to 545 boys on
the register.
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Then in 1952 Mr.
William Reginald
Evans, who had
been the school
Dux 1913,
returned to
Merchiston as
the first old
boy to become a
headmaster of
the school.
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The newly
acquired sports
fields were to
gain importance
in the everyday
activities of
the school.
Under his
guidance the
annual athletics
event was first
held there in
1952. For the
first time boys
competed in
their houses
under the
colours of their
houses. Another
innovation was
the opening of a
school
tuck-shop. |
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The school had
by now outgrown
the Burger
Street location
and it became
increasingly
obvious that a
move to a larger
premise was on
the cards. A
piece of land in
Bulwer Street
adjoining the
sports fields
was made
available and
building on the
current
Merchiston site
began. On 20
July 1965 the
school assembled
for the last
time in the quad
of the old
school building
and then in
crocodile
fashion made
their way to the
new school
buildings. Here
they held their
first assembly
in the quad as
the hall was
still being
painted. The 5
August 1965 saw
the first
assembly in the
new school hall.
Mr. Evans held
his final
assembly at the
annual
Prize-Giving on
9 December 1965
after fifteen
and a half years
at the helm. |
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Mr. Anders Kempe
assumed the
headmastership
at the beginning
of 1966, six
months after
Merchiston had
moved into its
new premises.
The son of a
Swedish
missionary, he
was born in
Dundee, Natal
and except for
two years in
Sweden was
educated there. |
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The school
officially
opened the
swimming pool in
March 1966 and
the enclosure
was final
completed in
1969. |
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1967 saw the
official opening
of the five
tennis courts,
now Merchiston
really had the
facilities to
host all the
necessary sports
within her own
grounds. |
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1976 saw Mr R.M.
Smith becoming
Headmaster and
he lead the
school for the
next 10 years. |
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1983 - Boarding
Establishment
named Parkinson
House |
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1986 - Acquired
land adjacent to
Dusi for extra
sports fields -
and we
celebrated our
21st Birthday in
the "New School" |
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1988 - Mr B.L.
Lendrum - 7th
Headmaster |
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1992 - Centenary
Celebrations
[1892 - 1992] |
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1993 - Mr T.J.
Jackson
succeeded Mr
B.L. Lendrum as
Headmaster |
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1997 - Mr D
Beetar assumes
post of Acting
Headmaster
following
resignation of
Mr T Jackson. |
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1998 - Mr D
Beetar succeeded
Mr T.J. Jackson
as Headmaster |
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Merchiston has
continued to
grow from the
original vision,
into a school
with a proud
heritage of
producing boys
of which we can
be proud and
would have
brought joy to
both Agnes Rowe
and Elizabeth
Allan. A number
of headmasters
have followed in
the footsteps of
their
predecessors,
each bringing to
Merchiston their
own particular
wisdom and
strength and in
so doing
ensuring that
the words of our
school song ring
out loud and
clear:
In Afric’s sky, neath azure skies,
Our school enjoys great fame,
Held by our pride and honour true,
We always play the game.
Our fathers strove before us
And made our school’s good name,
Be ours the care our school shall ne’er
By us be put to shame.
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