Early history

St John's College was founded in Johannesburg on 1 August 1898 by the rector of St Mary's Church, later the cathedral. The founder, Father John Darragh, was from Ireland. The school was housed in Plein Street in downtown Johannesburg. There were seven pupils and only two desks.

The school closed after only two years when the Anglo-Boer War broke out and all the civilians in Johannesburg went to Cape Town for safety. Two years later, in 1902, the school reopened after the peace treaty had been signed and soon 180 pupils were enrolled. The necessary larger premises were found in a wood and zinc building near the Union Grounds.

However, Lord Milner's post-war government actively discouraged private and church schools and again, in 1906, St John's was faced by closure due to falling student numbers. An appeal was made to the Community of the Resurrection, an Anglo-Catholic order of missionary priests and lay brothers to take over the school.

The new Headmaster, Father James Okey Nash, is regarded as our second Founder. His passion to establish a school based on the English public school model led him to pursue a suitable spot to the North of the dusty town of Johannesburg. He chose a magnificent site of 56 acres on Houghton Ridge, and with the help of a generous donation of 5000 pounds made by Sir Thomas Cullinan, the diamond magnate and the land was secured, sold by another benefactor, the Johannesburg Chamber of Industries, for less than half its market value.

The renowned architect Sir Herbert Baker was appointed to design the new school buildings. The first blocks of rough-hewn quartzite were quarried on the site, but subsequently rock was sourced from Krugersdorp. The first school building is the present Prep building, with its original crest over the main entrance. The school is arranged around a number of quadrangles, each with its cloisters. The buildings strongly reminded the CR fathers of their colleges at Oxford and Cambridge. The buildings around David quad were the work of Frank Leonard Fleming, who had worked with Baker.

The first chapel was located above the Prep quad, just above the beautiful Della Robbia plaque. The second chapel, at first thatched, was built into the northern koppie, and is now found under the War Memorial Chapel. The Northern view of the chapel is viewed as one of the most beautiful facades in Private School buildings, and forms part of the Red Bus tourist attractions.

Many St John's old boys and masters served, some losing their lives for their country, during World War I, and in 1931 the beautiful War Memorial Chapel, which is the centre of all school activities, was completed to commemorate those who had fallen in battle. The rood screen was created by Italian craftsmen in the 1930s. The pipe organ was built in the gallery in 1964 as a memorial to choirmaster Noel Iverson. Inside the chapel is the All Souls side Chapel, which houses one of only five Delville Wood crosses in the world, as well as the names of those who had fallen during both World Wars carved into the surrounding wood panels. The stained glass windows in the nave are of St John as a young man, and as an elder.

The Bell Tower houses a chiming clock; the only other one of similar size in the country, in the Rissik Street Post Office, is no longer in use. The bells are dedicated to Old Johannian, Terence Moon. The tower overlooks David Quad, named after the statue of David, sculpted by a Florentine sculptor, Verrocchio, which stands proudly in the middle of a cross-shaped pond. David Quad is considered a showpiece of the school.

The Pelican Quadrangle was named after the fountain, which depicts a pelican feeding her young with flesh torn from her own breast, a religious symbol dating from the Middle Ages. The fountain was a gift to the college to commemorate the work of the CR fathers. This image of a pelican feeding her young is an enduring symbol of sacrifice and charity, paying homage to the work of the CR fathers in the college. There is a similar fountain at Corpus Christi College in Oxford and the stone surrounding the fountain was specially imported from Bath, England. The Community of the Resurrection handed over their charge of the school to the Anglican Diocese of Johannesburg in 1934.

Expansion and growth

The Community of the Resurrection relinquished control of the school to the Diocese of Johannesburg in 1934.^[1]

In 1935, Rev S.H. Clarke began his two decades as Headmaster. In 1954 Deane Yates became the first lay headmaster. By then there were 664 boys, 375 in the college, and 100 boarders in the Prep.

In 1972, Jan Breitenbach became the first South African Headmaster. Cadet corps ceases to exist. The first girl was accepted into Sixth Form. In 1973 the school became a three-term school.^[2]

In 1977, the first computer on campus was installed in Pelican Quad.

In 1984, seventeen versions of the school uniform were whittled down to two: Number Ones and summer khakis. Sixth Form girls were given a uniform. A new school constitution, including the composition of council, became effective and lasted until 1998.^[3]

In 1994, Macfarlane retired as Headmaster, and Robert Clarence was appointed in his place.

During 1997, Robert Clarence departed as Headmaster. Alan "Takkie" Wilcock replaces him as acting Headmaster, and fully moves into the post the following year.

The Fred England Technology and Media Centre in the Prep opened in 1999. In March 2000, a move to establish St. John's College as a parish was formalised. Te Deum by Péter Louis van Dijk, commissioned for the school's centenary, had its world premiere. A strategic review was undertaken by council and senior staff which results in the following mission statement: To be a world class Christian school in Africa.^[4]

In 2001, the Centenary Venture topped R17 million. St John's College introduced a seventh house: Hodgson, a boarding house. The school had 1234 pupils with an annual budget of R44 million. Sixth Form boarding school for girls was expanded with the acquisition of 14 St David Road. St. John's College and St Mary's School jointly signed a lease for Kloofwaters, an outdoor adventure camp in the Magaliesberg.

View of the North Facade, designed by Sir Herbert Baker.

Test performance

The IEB is a standardized assessment used in South Africa to test quality of schools and education.^[6]

Rankings

St John's College was ranked 11th 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.^[7]

Old Johannian Association

The Old Johannian Association (OJA) is the official St John's College alumni organization. Established in 1903, an elected committee oversees the association and is elected every year at an annual general meeting. This committee meets monthly, and is divided into different specialized sections: finance, administration, reunions, sport and communication.^[16]

According to the official OJA website, this association "seeks to provide Old Johannians with social and recreational facilities for the use and benefit of all members."^[17] The OJA supports Old Johannian sports teams and maintains a social club for members. The OJA also funds scholarships for students of St John's College.

Events hosted and attended by the OJA include the OJ Annual Dinner, Gaudy Day and annual OJ sports events. Officers within the OJA also organize reunions for Old Johannian members.^[17]