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THE EARLY SCHOOLS OF KALK BAY-ST. JAMES

STAR OF THE SEA - THE FIRST 20 YEARS 1906 – 1926

Mike Walker

Introduction: The Recreational Convent

When, in 1906, Father John Duignam (Fig. 3.1) drew up the plan with the Right Reverend

Bishop Rooney, who was the Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Cape Town, for constructing a
convent behind the Catholic Church in St James, the idea was a recreational centre with medical

facility for sick nuns, similar to the “health farms” of today. It is important that we discuss this

recreational aspect as it closely influenced the educational concepts of the Convent which was
only to evolve once the convent had been constructed.

It appears, from available records and notes of various discussions while constructing the

convent, that Father Duignam was both architect and builder. He was already a man of 60 but
had boundless energy, and the plumber at the job, Mr. T. D. Robertson - a firm which is still

operating today as Robertson and Walton - has this to say in his book Looking Back:

“Many a time when inspecting Building operations, Father Duignam and I would climb into the
scaffolding. From the heights he would observe the labourers at work, and woe betide any one of

them who was not working as diligently as the Reverend overseer wished.”

The convent design incorporated a recreational facility for as many nuns as possible, with each
nun having her own small room - known as sleeping apartments but referred to by some nuns as

cells. The larger rooms were used for invalid nuns who were in need of some form of medical

treatment

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