The Old Diocesan Issue 12 - Magazine - Page 62
Town, he visited the school and
pronounced it “a masterpiece”.
The new chapel was, however,
not without its interior troubles:
the ceiling finish collapsed and
had to be replaced; ventilation
continues to be inadequate when
full on hot days; and the acoustics
were a problem from the outset.
By contrast, the natural lighting
is superb, the high vaults allowing
for generous high windows.
In time, the construction work
continued. The Science Block was
completed in 1932, and the Matric
Block in 1940. Birt certainly did
revitalise the school, setting it on
a modern course. He was replaced,
at his request, in 1943, by his viceprincipal Hubert Kidd, made
possible only by the passing of
an Act of Parliament the previous
year, allowing the appointment of a
layperson to the principalship.
Walgate continued an illustrious
professional career, and was
awarded a bronze medal for his
design of the Stellenbosch Town
Hall in 1941.
Once the Memorial Chapel was
in regular use, the Brooke Chapel
was adapted to serve as the College
library, remaining as such until
it was rededicated as a chapel in
1985. It was consecrated in 2024.
The War Memorial Chapel,
meanwhile, remains one of
the finest school churches in the
country, and the hub of the school,
as it has been since its opening.
LEFT Drawing by Percy Walgate of a baldachin in an unknown church.
BELOW The War Memorial Chapel on completion in 1926. It included
seating for 750, but boys stood initially, as there was no budget for chairs.
58 | THE OLD DIOCESAN
