ABOUT ST ANDREW’S SCHOOL FOR GIRLS AND OUR RICH HISTORY

St Andrew’s owes its origins to Jean Fletcher and Jessie Johnson, 2 remarkable women of Scottish descent, who opened the original school almost 120 years ago.

First situated in Esselen Street, Johannesburg, the school rapidly outgrew its original premises and in 1904 was moved to purpose-built accommodation on the corner of Girton and Hillside roads in Parktown.

The St Andrew’s we know today was established in 1921 following Jean Fletcher’s purchase of a portion of Bedford Farm which included the homestead from the estate of Sir George Farrar – a leading businessman, noted politician and soldier who died during the South West Africa campaign in World War I.

Bedford Court, the grand old historical mansion, is the centrepiece of St Andrew’s campus today. The house itself was designed by eminent architect Sir Herbert Baker, who is renowned for many major architectural accomplishments, notably the Union Buildings in Pretoria.

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