Grey College, Bloemfontein

Grey College Primary & Secondary Schools
Location
Bloemfontein, Free State
South Africa
Information
Type All-Boys Public School
Motto NIHIL STABILE QUOD INFIDUM (Nothing is steadfast if it is not true.)
Established 1855
Headmaster Deon Scheepers
Grades 0 - 12
Boarding Houses Murray, Brill, Leith
Website Grey College

Grey College is a public school for boys located in Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa, one of the 23 elite, historically significant and prestigious Milner Schools. Grey College is not to be confused with Grey High School in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape.

Grey College was ranked 1st out of the top 100 best high schools in Africa by Africa Almanac in 2003, based upon quality of education, student engagement, strength and activities of alumni, school profile, internet and news visibility.[1]

History

Grey College was founded on 13 October 1855 when Sir George Grey, the then Governor of the Cape Colony, paid a visit to the Orange Free State Republic and donated a sum of money towards the establishment of an institution for higher education. The foundation stone was laid by Jacobus Nicolaas Boshoff, the second President of the Orange Free State Republic, on 13 October 1856.

The school was officially opened on 17 January 1859 and the first headmaster was the Reverend Andrew Murray. It is the third-oldest school in South Africa and the oldest north of the Orange River.[1]

Afrikaans- and English-speaking pupils study under one roof, but each language group is educated in separate classrooms and in its own mother tongue.

The college first accepted matriculants for a full B.A. course in 1904. In 1906 the tertiary part of Grey College became known as the Grey University College (GUC), but shortly thereafter the school and college separated. GUC grew and evolved into the institution now called the University of the Free State.

Grey College today

The Tuck Shop

The school grounds consist of a number of historic buildings, of which five are Free State provincial heritage sites: the Main building and Hamilton Hall,[2] the Andrew Murray House,[3] the Brill House[4] and the Tuck shop.[5]

Extensive sport facilities includes a recently upgraded Olympic-sized swimming pool, a field hockey astro, a shooting range, a new squash court and several hockey, soccer, cricket and rugby fields. The school also has 16 all-weather tennis courts.

The school celebrated its 150th jubilee during October 2005, when numerous alumni visited their alma mater. The current headmaster at the High School is Deon Scheepers and the headmaster of the Primary School is Lindsey Mould. A Museum which houses memorable artifacts, such as old rugby jerseys, and paintings, was unveiled in 2005. Each year on 13 October many old-boys hold a reunion.

In 2001 the school won the Sanix World Rugby Youth Tournament.

A trademark of the school is the unique handshake, widely recognized and used by students, old boys and members of staff.

Old Greys donate funds to the Jock Meiring Trust, a fund used for the administration of schoolgrounds and granting of scholarships.

Notable alumni

References

  1. 1 2 "top20highschools". Africa Almanac. Africa Almanac. 1 October 2003. Archived from the original on 14 January 2007. Retrieved 19 June 2016. The research leading up to the publication of the 100 Best High Schools in Africa began with the launching of the website in December 2000.
  2. ↑ "9/2/302/0056 - Main building and Hamilton Hall, Grey College, Bloemfontein". South African Heritage Resources Agency.
  3. ↑ "9/2/302/0057 - Andrew Murray House, Grey College, Jock Meiring Street, Bloemfontein". South African Heritage Resources Agency.
  4. ↑ "9/2/302/0058 - Brill House, Grey College, Jock Meiring Street, Bloemfontein". South African Heritage Resources Agency.
  5. ↑ "9/2/302/0059 - Tuck shop, Grey College, Jock Meiring Street, Bloemfontein". South African Heritage Resources Agency.
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Coordinates: 29°6′34″S 26°11′48″E / 29.10944°S 26.19667°E / -29.10944; 26.19667

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