History

In 1895 the Rev J T Stevenson, an Anglican priest born in South Africa and educated there and at St Augustine’s College, Canterbury, was invited to go as chaplain to All Saints’ Church, Quilmes, where “there resided 2000 adherents of the Anglican Church, and where there was scope for development.

Many years later he wrote that the information then supplied was erroneous. On arrival he found that there were 200 Anglicans attached to All Saints’ and that there was little scope for development. Consequently, he intended to return to England, but since there existed the possibility of raising money to start a school and since a lady in Quilmes owned a property known as Quinta Rooke which she wished to lease or sell, Canon Stevenson approached the Bishop’s Council for permission. Despite some hesitancy the Quinta Rooke estate was leased for two years with the option of purchase either during or at the end of that period for £5,000, and before the time expired it was bought, due to the generosity of many people and firms. The approximate area was 72,000 square metres, and the building consisted of a large rambling one-storey house, a small cottage and stable accommodation. The Headmaster’s family, the boys, the matron and maids lived in the house, while the assistant masters occupied the upstairs of the cottage and the servants the downstairs of the same.

The motto chosen was Vestigia Nulla Retrorsum taken from the fable of the Fox and the Lion as told by the poet Horace: “Quia me vestigia terrent, / Omnia te adversum spectantia / Nulla retrorsum”, says the Fox to the Lion who invited him into his den. “I am afraid of those footsteps; every track leads to your home but never a one leads back. The words stand for the principles of integrity, truth, the fear of God and true religion, which the Founders of St George’s and their successors have endeavoured to uphold and inculcate.

The Founders had agreed to open the School provided 20 boys, all of whom had to be boarders, were enrolled; but actually St George’s opened in 1898 with only six pupils. This was made possible because the Headmaster, who was still Chaplain of Quilmes, gave his services free and the Founders agreed to cover any deficit from their own pockets.

Progress was slow at first, but more rapid later. From time to time further land was purchased and buildings erected and enlarged. In 1901 the first edition of the school magazine, The Georgian, was published and in 1908 the Old Georgian Club was formed. There are now more than 1500 members. The first Old Georgian Dinner was held in 1910, and in the same year the Sanatorium was built. The pavilion, which still stands, was erected in 1911 to celebrate the coronation of King George V. On Founders’ Day in 1913 the foundation stone of the College chapel was laid. A cylinder was placed beneath the stone containing current copies of the “Buenos Aires Herald”, “La Nación”, the “Diocesan Magazine”, “The Georgian”, the “College Prospectus” and “The Standard”, as well as examples of various coins of the day. The Classroom Block was opened in April 1919 and in 1923 rugby was first played in the College. In July 1925, Mr Tschiffely, the PE instructor, started his famous 10.000 mile ride on horseback from Buenos Aires to New York. In March 1928 the Library Block, built over the old swimming pool, was opened, and the new swimming pool was inaugurated.

On August 10th 1929 the Preparatory School was opened and in March 1935 Canon Stevenson retired. In his farewell speech to the Old Georgians he said: “I take this opportunity to remind you that it is not what a man gets but what a man is that counts: he should first think of his character and then of his condition, for he that has character need have no fears about his condition, as character will draw after it, condition. Risk, then, everything for that, as your greatest capital in life is your character.

And so the Canon departed, revered and loved, but his spirit was still pervading the School. Canon Jackson, another long-serving Headmaster said in 1942: “Some of us think of schools as cramming institutions; others as a useful way of preparing our children to earn a living. A true school is neither; it is a place where a boy must learn to go straight for the truth, whatever he may be at. Parents send their children to us because they want an education which will provide these principles and which will prepare them to play their part in the life, culture and commerce of the Spanish-speaking Republic of which they are loyal citizens. We regard St George’s College as a preparation for a boy who is going to continue his education in the universities of this country, the USA and Great Britain.

Canon Jackson was a man of vision. He saw that the College would have to build a Junior School to house between 70 and 100 boys by March 1945, that in addition a building with five classrooms for Junior School boys and an extra room for College boys would be necessary as well as two new laboratories, a museum and photographic rooms. But he was planning in 1943, during a war the results of which no one could yet appreciate, and not many of the new improvements could be achieved. The new Junior School, however, was just ready for the boys’ return in March 1945.

Times were hard after the war, and the Great Fire of July 1959 was a crippling blow. Had the boys been in residence, the fire would have never gained such a hold, for someone would have seen smoke or flames, but it was the first Sunday of the July holidays and no one noticed it. The whole of the original building and its contents had to be written off as a total loss.

The situation was critical but Canon Jackson’s leadership and a tremendous effort enabled St George’s to open at the end of the holiday. The gymnasium became a dormitory and in the end 89 boys were able to sleep in the College. In the meantime, plans were drawn up to replace the lost buildings. A new Dining Hall and Kitchen block for 350 boys was begun early in 1960 and was occupied by March 1961. The new Lockwood Building to house 56 boys, took longer to complete because of lack of funds. It was at the inauguration of the new Dining Block after Speech Day 1960, that Canon Jackson made known his intention of retiring. He had spent 30 years at St George’s. The College owes its existence today in no small measure to the faith and courage of Canon Jackson.