Early Years
In 1883 the province of Natal was granted responsible government and Sir John Robinson was inaugurated as its first prime minister. In the same year two men who were to have a profound effect on the school yet to be established emigrated from England: Frederick Samuel Baines, who was to be Bishop of Natal, and James Cameron Todd.
In August, Todd opened the doors of Michaelhouse in Pietermaritzburg, letting in five day boys and 10 boarders. Todd was absolutely fixed in his academic views, valuing religious instruction, the Classics and mathematics above all else, allowing shorthand and bookkeeping although he deemed them 'educationally almost valueless’ and forbidding the learning of Shakespeare and the sciences. He established a library and instituted a prefect system in the early years of the school. He also laid down what would be worn as the school uniform - an Eton suit - and designed a coat of arms.
Within two years of its opening, Michaelhouse had grown to 50 boys, including pupils from the independent republics of the Orange Free State and the Transvaal. In 1899 a suitable site was found at Balgowan, on which to build new premises.
New Michaelhouse
The new Michaelhouse school building was ready by 1901. Over the entrance to the new school, standing commandingly in the bare veld, was a square battlement which contained the chapel. The buildings consisted of a dining hall, which later became a laboratory and then a library; staff accommodation; five classrooms; and three dormitories, called Spear, Helm and Shield.
Enrolment stood at 77 when the boys moved into their new school - already seven over the capacity accommodation of the dormitories. Cultural activities were encouraged and extramural clubs included a camera club, a music society, a literary and debating society and 'lantern lectures' (the precursor of slide shows). The cadet corps flourished and an Old Boys' Club was established in 1903.
First Sport Fields
Warin Foster Bushell, a man with a wide experience of teaching, took over as headmaster of Michaelhouse in 1927. Hockey was introduced in 1928 - a first for Natal - and three hockey fields laid out. While cricket and rugby continue to dominate schools' sports, Michaelhouse (along with Maritzburg College and Glenwood High School) remains one of this country's preeminent hockey schools. The four tennis courts ensured the furthering of that game and Bushell himself funded the building of a squash court. Rugby was as popular as ever, although no stars came out of this period. Cricket, however, was at a peak: the oval was grassed, and the athletic Alan Melville was joined in the 1st XI by two other future Springboks, Bob Harvey and Les Payne.
A Rhodes Scholar, Ronald Fairbridge Currey became the next rector in 1930. Currey wasted no time in improving and innovating. He introduced gymnastics as part of the curriculum and a wood-and-iron gym was built for this purpose; with the help of further generous donations from friends of the school, he arranged for the grassing and levelling of various fields, the building of more tennis and squash courts, and the installation of a swimming pool.