Ancestry24 has had the privilege of digitising the St. Andrew Bloemfontein School Magazines from 1906 until 2008.

These year books provide wonderful insight to where you ancestors were educated, what sports they participated in and if they excelled at anything.Even more interesting is that we found Brett Kebble and the infamous Glenn Agliotti who both matriculated the same year in 1974 at St. Andrews. Did any of your family members attend St. Andrews in Bloemfontein? If so we would love to hear from you.

St. Andrew’s was founded on 16 November 1863 by Bishop Edward Twells as the Diocesan Grammar School, and was located in a building now known as the Old Raadsaal in St George’s Street, Bloemfontein. The first headmaster was George Clegg.

In 1874 the school was renamed St. Andrew’s School when it moved to new buildings on the corner of St George’s Street and Church Street. The headmaster at this time was Reverend Douglas McKenzie. The foundation stone of the first St Andrew’s is preserved alongside the current chapel.

In March 1899 new buildings were built for the school; these were however only occupied for a few months before being requisitioned by the British Army during the South African War and the school closed.

At the conclusion of hostilities in 1902, the facilities were appropriated for use by the new Oranje Meisiesskool, which still occupies the premises.

Bishop Arthur Chandler worked for a number of years to reinstate the school, and the school reopened in January 1916 on its present site on General Dan Pienaar Drive. Canon E. Ford served as headmaster until the end of 1916.

Volunteers – we are looking for volunteers to help transcribe the admissiom registers – really fascinating stuff!!!! email us here if you can help please.

Notable alumni and former members of staff

• Colin Hickling (1957), Mayor of Bloemfontein in 1985 and formerly Vice-Chairman of the SABC board.
• Brett Kebble (1981), controversial mining magnate who was shot dead in 2005
• Guy Kebble (attended St Andrew’s, but completed his schooling at Bishops, Cape Town), rugby Springbok (1993 to 1994)
• George Mazarakis, Executive Producer, Carte Blanche (TV series)
• Richard Laubscher, former Chief Executive Officer of Nedcor Limited and Nedcor Bank Limited, prominent personality in South African business
• Christian “Bunny” Ashley-Botha, teacher and Master of the Choristers (1970s), appointed to the position of Director of Music at the Drakensberg Boys’ Choir School in 1980, a position he held until his retirement
• Professor Phillip Tobias (1943), Professor Emeritus, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, world-renowned paleo-anthropologist. He is best known for his pioneering work at South Africa’s famous hominid fossil sites, and is one of the world’s leading authorities on the evolution of humankind.
• Gordon Forbes (1950), international tennis player
• Peter Carlstein (1956), cricket Springbok (1958 to 1964)
• Lindsay Tuckett (1936), cricket Springbok (1947 to 1949)
• D. J. “Daan” de Wet, teacher, 1st XV rugby coach, Master of Chandler, rugby prop forward for the Orange Free State provincial team (1970s)
• Gert Grobler (1969), teacher, rugby coach, played for Orange Free State provincial team, currently (2008 – 2012) S.A. Ambassador to Japan (formerly Ambassador to France)
• Stuart Smith (1975), hockey Springbok (1981)
• Kevin Arnold (1973), vintner of the Waterford Wine Estate in the Western Cape.
• Ian Eloff (1973), a member of the XV Olympic Winter Games (1988) organizing committee.
• Fred Brownell – former State Herald and responsible for the final design of the new South African flag
• Glenn Agliotti (1974), known as “the Landlord”, a close friend of Brett Kebble, consultant to JCI Limited, and a friend of the one-time National Police Commissioner and head of Interpol, Jackie Selebi.
• Wilson Dunster – well-known South African actor married to Elise Cawood, also a well-known South African actress
• Roger Crawford – Director of Johnson and Johnson SA – a subsidiary of the international Johnson & Johnson organisation. Has twice been President of the American Chamber of Commerce in South Africa and was heavily involved in the implementation of the Sullivan Code of Conduct in the 1980s.
• Michael Crawford – who has been one of South Africa’s major property developers and is a former Chief Executive Officer of Retail Property Projects and a Director of Grinakers.
• Philip Pantelis (1992)- Represented and Captained South Africa in Tae Kwon Do.
• Mark Trip (1991)- Represented South Africa in Tae Kwon Do.
• Mann Oelrich – represented South Africa at polo
• George du Rand – current South African swimmer
• Kevin Shirley – (a.k.a. The Caveman) is a music producer and mixer for many artists, such as the bands Journey, Iron Maiden, Rush, Led Zeppelin, Joe Bonamassa, Marya Roxx and Dream Theater
• David Freer – well known sci-fi author

Headmasters from 1863-1899

• 1863 – 1868, Mr George Clegg
• 1869 – 1871, The Rev. Charles Clulee
• 1872, Mr E.W. Stenson
• 1872 – 1873, The Rev. John Widdicombe
• 1873 – 1879, The Rev. Douglas McKenzie
• 1880 – 1883, The Rev. Arthur Borton
• 1884 – 1885, The Rev. Hon. Albert Lyttelton
• 1885 – 1886, The Rev. Charles Scratchely
• 1886 – 1887, The Rev. Barron Moore
• 1888 – 1894, The Rev. John Bell
• 1895 – 1899, The Rev. Horace Orford

Headmasters in the modern era (1916 to current)

• 1916, Canon E. Ford
• 1917 – 1946, Mr F. W. “Oubaas” Storey
• 1947 – 1957, Mr E. L. Harrison
• 1957 – 1967, Mr N. C. H. “Jumbo” Ferrandi
• 1968 – 1974, Mr B. Thiel
• 1974 – 1984, Mr W. I. O. Patterson
• 1985 – 2006, Mr R. A. “Flash” Gordon
• 2006 – 2007, (Acting) Mr J. E. Bridger (Old Andrean)
• 2007–Present, Mr C. Thomas (Old Andrean)

Source Wikipedia

If you tell us about any other notable persons who atteneded this school, we would be delighted to hear from you.