The Old Diocesan Issue 13 - Magazine - Page 92
HISTORY
LEFT 2025 head boy Luke
Carter at the Acropolis earlier
this year, furthering his education.
FAR LEFT David Carter tries on
his boater some years after the
fact. He’s donated a collection
of his Bishops mementos, some
of it visible on these pages, to
the school museum.
“My friends, the friendship, the fun,
and the spirit, purpose and meaning
of the place which only present or
past Bishops boys know, are things
which I will never forget and for which
I shall always be eternally grateful.”
Who was your matric headmaster?
David: The inimitable HJ Kidd.
Jonathan: John Gardener.
Luke: Tony Reeler.
What major building openings
took place in your time at school?
David: White House, The Memorial
Hall (now the theatre), and the
squash courts.
Jonathan: The Heatlie Pavilion.
Luke: The Woodlands Astro and
The Mitre, the Prep School library,
and the Ubuntu Learning Centre.
Describe your time at school
in one sentence.
David: “My friends, the friendship,
the fun, and the spirit, purpose
and meaning of the place which
only present or past Bishops boys
know, are things which I will
never forget and for which
I shall always be eternally
grateful.” I wrote that in my
88 | THE OLD DIOCESAN
journal when I was 18, and I stand
by it 68 years later.
Jonathan: It was a roller-coaster
with plenty of highs; a period that
gave me the confidence to navigate
the next phase of my life.
Luke: A time that pushed me
in many ways, allowing me to
realise my true potential in a
high-performing and incredible
environment alongside my brothers.
Has your shared Bishops
experience made a difference
in your family?
David: I would like to believe
emphatically yes. Look at the
grandsons – Luke last year and
Matthew now in Grade 11, and
a very different kid from Luke,
both loving their time at Bishops
and growing in multiple respects.
Luke: Most definitely – I think,
if anything, bringing us together
across generations to the place
we all associate great memories
and times with, sharing stories
and advice – and even in our own
capacities, opinions and guidance
for the challenges Bishops
currently faces.
When you think of Bishops today,
what does it mean to you?
Luke: A place I loved and belonged
in; a place that resonated with me,
where I was able to grow through
challenges with my friends. It’s
also a place with distinct meaning
and emotional value to me, having
had the privilege to lead the school
during my final year; a place that
grew and challenged us that year.
It represents, to me, some of the
strongest single-sex educational
offerings in South Africa – and
having had the privilege to
attend Bishops, I know that
this experience rivals our
international counterparts, too.
