The Boarding House

Top Floor - the Boarding House Before

In 1922, on the first of February, seven girls first set foot in the Herschel boarding house. Although the number has fluctuated, sometimes to more than fifty, one thing all the girls can agree on is that their boarding sisters are like a real family – a home away from home.

A tradition that has disappeared and resurfaced over the years, which is an example of this sisterhood, is the practice in which matrics take on a grade eight ‘buddy’ to mentor. The ‘younger sister’ may have small tasks such as making tea, fetching and carrying or learning their ‘elder sister’s’ timetable so that she doesn’t have to, but

 fortunately there were no truly terrible tasks or initiations. Duties have always been a part of living in a large family, and in the boarding house each grade has always been assigned chores, such as tidying the dining room after break or answering the bell.

In the past, the boarders performed special plays and entered group pieces into the Herschel Eisteddfod. While boarders’ plays no longer take place, there is nothing but their own shyness keeping them from entering an Eisteddfod piece together. The boarders were also taken on occasional theatre outings.

In 1930, an open sleeping balcony which at the time was rather popular, was built as an extension to the Mary Jagger hall. One can only imagine that it was somewhat less appreciated by the girls who had to sleep on it until its removal in 1971.

The entire school was rather successful, but it nearly met its end in 1948, when two young girls from Mauritius remained in the boarding house for the holidays. They were playing in their dormitory and one of the little girl’s night gown caught fire on a lit candle. She subsequently died from her burns. However, the girl’s father came to investigate and was certain that the school was not accountable for his daughter’s death. This, however, was the birth of the ‘ghost’ legend that seems to accompany every boarding house. The ghost was named Emily, although it is unclear whether or not this was the child’s real name.

The boarding house has had many unofficial names, one of them, ‘Emily House,’ coming from the aforementioned child. It has only recently been given the name of ‘Arderne House,’ named after the Arderne Gardens right next to the school. It was named thus by Dr. Jane Bradshaw, a former boarder who spoke to the school about her experiences in the boarding house – such as being allowed to keep small pets, a tradition which is certainly no longer in place.

In 1991, another fire occurred in the grade eight dormitory, however, no one was injured and the boarders found it rather amusing that the grade eights had to sleep on the couches until their room could be made habitable again. Indeed, even the grade eights seemed to find the idea rather charming.

In 1994, the preparatory school boarding house closed. It is unclear whether this was due to lack of interest or another factor, but now boarding was only available to those from grade eight to grade twelve. It certainly reduced the numbers – in 1994 there were thirty six boarders, and in 1995 there were seven, the same amount that there was when the boarding house originally opened.

In 1999, the freedom for boarders to have outings in the evening was introduced, now commonly known as ‘out-nights,’ and allowed three nights a term, plus an extra one if your birthday falls in the term. The boarders also began to have ‘braais’ outside the pool in summer, which unfortunately no longer happens.

By 1999, formal ‘prep time’ for homework had shifted to the two hours that it is today. (There had been variants before, such three hours and one hour.) Times in the boarding house at the moment are as follows: waking up to a grade eleven ringing the bell at 6.45, and being ready for breakfast at 7.00. Some of the girls choose to wake up earlier to shower, study or even jog. Then, at 17.45 the bell is rung again for a compulsory meeting and roll-call before dinner; only those at extracurricular activities or on out-nights are excused. Prep then takes place from 18.30 to 20.30. The bedtimes vary, the earliest being for grade eights at 21.30, the latest being for matrics and grade elevens, who really don’t have a bedtime as long as they are quiet.

In 2002, the matrics took it into their hands to teach the entire boarding house how to swim… at 5 in the morning, of course. It was also the first year in which grade eights were forced to look after an egg for initiation, and a year in which matric raid was practiced – the matrics waking up the boarders very early and making them partake in rather gruelling tasks. Although the tradition has not died out, it has been tamed to restrict any injuries or hurt feelings.

In 2010, the last of the bathtubs in the boarding house were replaced with showers, and while these are infinitely more practical when you have twenty or so girls living in one place, some of them definitely missed the luxury.

The boarding house has seen many matrons – Mrs Du Preez, Mrs Normanton, Mrs Hindle and Mrs Scholtz to name a few – and just recently, later in 2012, Mrs Meyer – ‘Mates’ to the girls - retired as well, to be replaced by Mrs Cornish. A few of the lady wardens have been Mrs Boemke, Mrs Bester, Mrs Crutchley, and since 2006 Mrs Knott, fondly known by the boarders as ‘Mrs K.’

Although the faces come and go, the boarding house always creates a sense of family among the small portion of the entire student body who pass through it. It creates ties that bind for a lifetime, and even if they do not remain in contact, the friends that are made there truly will be friends forever.

Top Floor - the Boarding House Now