History
In 1879, Pretoria was a small, developing town, only 24 years old – a beautiful spot set in a fertile valley surrounded by hills. This was where the Right Reverend Henry Bousfield found himself after arriving from England with his family to take up the post of Anglican Bishop of Pretoria.
On arrival, he discovered there was no structure for education or schooling for his six daughters and two sons, so he started teaching them in the dining room of his home, Bishopscote, in Proes Street (now Johannes Ramokhoase Street). This humble beginning – an attempt to provide opportunities for his daughters’ academic development – formed the foundation of St Mary’s DSG.
Originally known as St Etheldreda’s, the school became St Mary’s DSG in 1903, with the construction of the original school buildings commencing on the present site in 1925. Today, St Mary’s DSG is set in the very hub of Pretoria, but historic images show that in those days, it was situated on the outskirts of town, with a vast panoramic view of bushveld extending to the horizon.
South Africa has been through turbulent times in the past 145 years, as has St Mary’s DSG. However, the school has been resilient in the face of adversity. From surviving the Boer Wars (when nuns were sent to help with the running of the school) and the Great Depression from 1929 to 1934 to rebuilding after the devastating fire of 1996 and adjusting to accommodate societal shifts and the changing needs of our girls, our Anglican sense of right and wrong and a positive growth mindset have served us well.
