St. Michael's School, established in 1874 by the

Community of St Michael and All Angels The Community of St Michael and All Angels was an Anglican religious order of nuns in South Africa. The Community was founded by Allan Webb, the second Bishop of Bloemfontein in 1874 – although the idea was first mooted by Webb's predecessor, Edw ...

, is a

public school Public school may refer to: * State school (known as a public school in many countries), a no-fee school, publicly funded and operated by the government * Public school (United Kingdom), certain elite fee-charging independent schools in England an ...

with a boarding option for girls located in

Bloemfontein Bloemfontein, ( ; , "fountain of flowers") also known as Bloem, is one of South Africa's three capital cities and the capital of the Free State (province), Free State province. It serves as the country's judicial capital, along with legisla ...

, Free State,

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

. It is the third oldest girls school in South Africa. Its brother school is St. Andrew's School, which is located nearby in the suburb of

Westdene Westdene is an area of the city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex. It is an affluent northern suburb of the city, west of Patcham, the A23 (London Road) and the London to Brighton railway line, north of Withdean and northeast of West Blat ...

. Originally a private school, St. Michael's later become a government-aided school, but still retains its

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

foundation. The current principal is Mr Braam Van Wyk.

History

St Michael's is the oldest girls' school North of the

Orange River The Orange River (from Afrikaans/Dutch: ''Oranjerivier'') is a river in Southern Africa. It is the longest river in South Africa. With a total length of , the Orange River Basin extends from Lesotho into South Africa and Namibia to the north ...

. It was founded by Bishop Webb in 1874, and in the same year, the first Mother Superior, Sister Emma, and five volunteers arrived in Bloemfontein to become the Community of Saint Michael and All Angels.

Henrietta Stockdale Sister Henrietta, CSM and AA (9 July 1847 – 6 October 1911) was a British nursing pioneer and Anglican religious sister. Through her influence and pressure the first state registration of nurses and midwives in the world was brought about wh ...

, who became a famous member of the nursing fraternity in this country, was among these. Her statue stands in the grounds of St Cyprian's Cathedral in Kimberley. The school was originally built on the western boundary of Bloemfontein, where the Sand du Plessis Theatre now stands, in Markgraaff Street. The school moved to its present site in Brandwag in 1970. The foundation stone was laid by Bishop Frederick Amoore. Many precious relics were also transferred and can be seen in the archives, in the chapel and in and around the school complex. In 1975, the Rev. Mother Mary Ruth and the sisters retired from their administrative, academic and hostel duties in the school. Currently, governance is vested in the school parent community represented by an elected board of governors as a school governing body. St Michael's has an Anglican tradition with an Anglican chaplain and a chapel where worship services are conducted regularly. The bishop of the

Diocese of the Free State The Diocese of the Free State is a diocese in the Anglican Church of Southern Africa. History The first service North of the Orange River to be taken by an Anglican clergyman was conducted in 1850 by † Robert Gray, the first Bishop of Cape Town ...

is also the school

visitor A visitor, in English and Welsh law and history, is an overseer of an autonomous ecclesiastical or eleemosynary institution, often a charitable institution set up for the perpetual distribution of the founder's alms and bounty, who can interve ...

and serves on the school board of governors.

Notable alumni

* Anne Cleaver (South Africa's first female doctor) *

Annie Botha Annie Botha ( Emmett; 3 July 1864 – 20 May 1937) was a South African civic leader and political hostess. She was the wife of Louis Botha, who served as the first Prime Minister of South Africa. She established an orphanage in South Africa an ...

(wife of

Louis Botha Louis Botha (; 27 September 1862 – 27 August 1919) was a South African politician who was the first prime minister of the Union of South Africa – the forerunner of the modern South African state. A Boer war hero during the Second Boer War, ...

) *

Shirndré-Lee Simmons Shirndré-Lee Edoline Simmons (birth 3 July 2000) is a South African field hockey player for the South African national team. Personal life She attended St. Michael's School, in Bloemfontein and are is graduated from University of the Free State ...

(birth 2000), South African field hockey player

References

1874 establishments in the Orange Free State Anglican schools in South Africa Boarding schools in South Africa Educational institutions established in 1874 Schools in the Free State (province) {{SouthAfrica-school-stub