Green and White Online : An Illustrated History of St. Joseph's College

The Brothers were labouring under very trying conditions: the building which was large and ommodious as a dwelling-house was becoming more and more inadequate for the needs of a fast-growing school. In ' 1881, a piece of land in Glenealy below Robinson Road was bought. Matsheds were erected to be used as classrooms until the new College Building was completed.

Sir John Pope Hennessy contributed $6,000 to the building expenses as a grant on the usual conditions, and on 3rd November he himself laid the foundation stone of the new College.

The material deficiencies having been overcome, intellectual progress soon followed. Our boys performed outstandingly in the examinations under the grant-in-aid scheme and syllabus. The Governor Sir George Bowen himself complimented the boys at a prize-giving ceremony on 12" January 1884. When Brother Ivarch-Louis took charge of St. Joseph's College, the latter hadalready conquered a prominent place among the leading educational establishments in the Colony and its influence radiated through all the countries of the Far East.

The original structure of the College till then was a two-storey building, but a third was added in 1898 for the accommodation of the boarders. Three years after completion of the building, the wings were added.

During this period in retrospect the staff of St. Joseph's College received very valuable additions Brother Alphonsus-Henry arrived from Kildare (Ireland) on the 16" December 1894; his name linked with the successes achieved by St. Joseph's College on all the Sports fields of the Colony for many years. Brother Stephen arrived on 3rd January 1897 and as teacher of the Oxford Classes was responsible for the laurels conquered by Josephians at the annual examinations. He was ably seconded by Brother Cornelius, who came to Hong Kong with Brother Peter Chrysologus on8th October 1900.

The same year Brother G. Joseph also joined the staff, and for 27 years he taught the low class with admirable devotedness. On 24th April 1899 Brother Julian-Francis arrived in Hong Kong to replace Brother James the Young, who had just been appointed Director of St. Joseph's Institution, Singapore. Brother J. Francis was a man of experience who knew the local conditions and his directorship was marked by a considerable increase in the school enrolment, which went up to 453 in 1903, and Brother Joshua acted as Director until September 1904; when forced by sickness to relinquish the helm, he abandoned it to his Sub-Director, Brother Sylvester.

In 1903, a further addition was made to the Buildings greatly improving its appearance, in fact, rendering it imposing: the two wings which gave additional accommodation for over 100 pupils while relieving the congestion.