The story of St David’s Marist Inanda is more than just about a school in Sandton. It dates back to a young French catholic priest, Marcellin Champagnat, who founded a congregation – The Marist Brothers – in 1817 to teach children in underprivileged and disadvantaged communities.
According to the school’s advancement manager Lara Klement, the name Marist comes from Mother Mary. Champagnat has a special regard for Mother Mary and her character. “He modelled the Marist charism on Mother Mary and even though we are a boys’ school, there is a very strong female entity that defines who we are.”
The brothers came to South Africa, opening their first school in Johannesburg in 1889 which served as the only boys’ school in the country. A second school, the Marist Observatory, opened in 1926 in the Transvaal. Upon an invitation by Bishop David O’Leary, the brothers opened their third campus, St. David’s, in 1941. The school’s attendance slowly grew and by 1948 St. David’s had its first matric class.
By 1953 the school housed 475 learners, 200 of whom were boarders.
In 1963 an additional 45 acres of land was acquired, making this the largest Marist school in South Africa.
The acquired property was the original Sandton Farmhouse but it now serves as residential space for the school’s headmaster.
With a full capacity of 1 400 learners today, the St. David’s Marist name continues to live on in the Sandton community.
The school recently reopened its weekly boarding facilities.
“The school progressively grew, it has been through some ups and downs but in the last 20 years it certainly has grown from strength to strength.
“It certainly has become a big part of the Sandton community and the Sandton landscape.”
