Institutional history

Founding of the Athlone Institute, 1926

The Athlone Institute was established in Paarl in 1926 through the collective efforts of St Stephen’s Anglican Church, Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Immanuel Uniting Reformed Church, Zion Uniting Reformed Church and Bethel Congregational Church, together with forty parishioners who mortgaged their properties as surety for a loan. At the opening, Reverend William Lloyd declared: "The coloured people of the district of Paarl can now boast of a complete system of education from Sub A to St. X, including the training of teachers. No other district in the Union can boast of such educational advantages." The Institute established the first school and teacher-training college for non-white learners and students in Paarl.