chronology

1877      Dominee A.I. Steytler instigated the formation of Riebeek College (Eerste Klas Meisjes School) in the building that would become Grenville Mansions. This structure served both as boarding house and school with the lady principal as superintendent. Five girls had been enrolled but only four arrived on the first day, and one lonely boarder, Emilie Reed. Miss G. Hearson was the first principal. Miss Hearson taught English, Scripture, Algebra, Arithmetic, Singing and Art (Free Hand Drawing) and Needlework, and Dominee Steyler taught Dutch. This made the school unique as the only school in the East Cape where Dutch was also taught. Miss Hearson was the sole teacher for six months and then Miss E.L.Y. Brown joined her. The school was established as a bilingual school of high academic standard. 
1880    There was an enrolment of 60 girls, 24 of them being boarders, with four teachers excluding the matron. The school is known as De Meisjes School, Riebeek House. Miss Hearson announced her engagement in December to become the wife of Mr F. Lange – one of the members of the first committee. All members of the first committee married Riebeek teachers! At the end of 1880, Dominee Steytler announced that he had accepted a call to Cape Town and so Riebeek would lose its president and founder.  
1881 Miss E.L.Y. Brown is appointed as the second principal. Riebeek is recorded as Riebeek College for Girls. Miss Brown imported the silver bee worn by our principals. A replica was given to Mrs Woods on retirement in 2016.
1884 Examination for the Teacher’s Certificate saw Riebeek’s candidates attaining good results with a Riebeek learner at 8th and 9th position in the Cape with 863 candidates. Conditions became hopeless when enrolment dropped to 39
and there was “the unfortunate selection of two teachers, one who had been in what was then called a lunatic asylum and the other who was described as a maniac who had to be deprived of her liberty”. 
1885 In August the school settled down to collect funds for the new school which was opened with a flourish in 1896. Riebeek became a First Class Government School.
1887 The enrolment stood at 93, with 10 infants under 6 years and 13 boarders.
1892     Riebeek was staffed to prepare candidates for the B.A. Examinations.
1896 With 216 pupils the year before, the Riebeek College Main Building in Church Street opened. On 23 December 1896, Ds. Pienaar reported formally to the Superintendent General of Education that the school had been formally opened on Wednesday 16 December. 
1897 In May there was excitement in Uitenhage as preparations were underway for the celebration of Queen Victoria’s Jubilee and it was decided to plant trees which required months of discussion. 
1900 Miss M. Houliston was appointed as the third principal. A double storey was added to the top of the building.
1905 Miss Brown visited Riebeek. Miss G. Pollard was appointed as the fourth principal.
1909 Miss L.C. Elton became Riebeek’s fifth principal.
1916 With 338 pupils the year before, Mrs A.E. Thomson becomes the sixth principal.
1922     In February, Mrs Thomson resigned as of December 1922 having reached retirement. She had taught for 32 years.
1923 Miss W. Linnell takes over as the seventh principal.
1924    The house system officially begun with two houses – Elton and Eleanor.
1930 Miss G.A. Schmidt becomes our eighth principal.
1931 The Riebeek College Old Girls’ Association was founded.
1936 With 254 pupils the year before, the First School Dance was held.
1937 Brandwag High School was started and the Afrikaans speaking pupils left Riebeek College.
1938 Celebrations of Riebeek College 60th Birthday. Miss G.A. Schmidt moved for a new school and hostel.
1944 Miss J.A.D. Miller is appointed and is the ninth principal of our school.
1954     Another house was added to the expanding school. The new house was to be called Elizabeth, after Queen Elizabeth.
1955 There were 479 girls at Riebeek.
1957 Miss E.J. Bartlett becomes the tenth principal. Celebrations of Riebeek College 80th Birthday take place.
1962 There is a split into units of College Hill Preparatory School (Sub A to Std 1) and Riebeek College Std 2 to Std 10. The move to the new school in North Street occurs. On Monday, 26 March, the first classes were held in the new school.  Only on 12 June did the school gather for assembly in the New Hall. It was to be named the Sholto McIntyre Hall. The official opening ceremony, with the official naming of the hall, was on 26 September 1962 and was performed by the then Cape Superintendent General of Education in the parking area with 620 adults and 420 pupils present. On 22 September, the Matric Farewell was the first dance to be held in the new hall. 
1969 Sholto McIntyre Hostel in Preller Street was occupied.
1972 Mrs D.W. Hutton becomes the eleventh principal. Prefabricated classrooms are erected.
1975 Swimming Bath came into use on 18 October with first sod being turned in February 1974.
1977 Celebrations of Riebeek College 100th Birthday. There are  640 girls attending the school. The Centenary Fields and Centenary Gates (the ornate gates at the main entrance) are named.
1979 The hall burnt down on the evening of 14 November.
1982 The official opening of the new Sholto Mclintyre Hall was on Wednesday 11 August 1982. 
1988     Mrs N.J. Stear is appointed as the twelfth principal and she established the Founder’s Day Tradition. On  25 March, the first guest speaker was Miss Marjorie Hill. The original script of the Riebeek College March, presumed lost, had come to light only 2 days before this ceremony. Professor Quintus James, head of the Riebeek Music Department in 1896 had composed the march.
1990 Riebeek was the first to vote to open its doors to all races.
1992 Riebeek College becomes a Model “C” School.
1995 The Old Riebeek College Building in Church Street declared a “Listed Building”: Frontage of the building will always be maintained in its original state.
1996     The choir sang “Simply the Best” as Penny Heyns visited the school for the official dedication of the Penny Heyns   Swimming Pool on 22 August.
2001      The School Badge is registered with the Heraldry Office.  Miss L.E. Bekker, deputy principal at Westering High School,  is appointed as the thirteenth principal. Celebrations of Riebeek College 125th Birthday take place.
2007 The Student Centre is officially opened and named “The Beehive Student Centre”.
2008 Mrs M.A. Woods, the fourteenth principal, is the first Riebeek Old Girl to be appointed in this position.
2009     The Valedictory Bell is donated by the Class of 2009.
2010      Riebeek was on national television when their ethnic song “2010” was performed.
2015      Completion of administrative block named the Marilyn (Dodd) Woods Wing.
2017 Mrs K. Stear is appointed as the fifteenth principal.
 
 
 

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