‘The aerial view lends a sense of perspective that often only distance may provide.’

Above quote by Angela Abraham, @daisydescriptionari, February 11, 2019.

We recently received a series of photographs from OD Donald Fraser Bett.  The photograph forms part of a collection of several photographs that he personally took of Bishops in the 60s and 70s.  The one featuring above was taken of Bishops in 1966, Donald's matric year in Founders House (he came to the Prep in 1957).   

Since that aerial photograph from 1966, there has been a considerable expansion to the estate, as far as buildings are concerned.  In a then-and-now scenario, one should be able to see a considerable difference in the College’s layout. 

The following have been added at the Woodlands estate, since 1966:

• The Frank Reid room and patio & the cricket pavilion
• The workshop and maintenance centre
• The House Director of Founders' house
• The Music School (now a double-story) and Hyslop Hall
• Ogilvie House on its own (without Gray House, see later)
• The Sutton Memorial Scoreboard
• Enlarged squash courts next to the Mallett Centre
• The Richard Skeeles Pavilion at Lutgensvale
• The Molteno Library and Resource centre
• The Kidd Wing
• The Biology Block
• Kidd House and the annexe
• Alterations to the swimming bath
• The New Block (double storey)
• The Jenkins Mathematics Block
• Birt House
• Jackson Close and further housing
• Where there used to be the Sam Butler Art Centre there is now Mallett House
• The Prep-Prep and its enlargement
• Alterations to the Science/Geography Block with three new classrooms (double story)
• A new Gray House
• The Heatlie Pavilion was demolished and rebuilt as a double-storey building
• A new Deputy Principal’s House
• The Simpson Centre
• A full-size water polo pool and facilities
• An enlarged Hockey pavilion on the Oaks – also used as a rowing centre
• The Nico Basson scoreboard
• The memorial graveyard adjoining the Brooke Chapel
• The Steffan Couttes-Trotter Indoor Cricket Centre
• The Raymond Ackerman Centre and the Woodlands hockey pavilion with the hockey Astro. 

Who would have guessed that Bishops would change and grow so dramatically from the time of the 'swinging sixties"?  In listing the changes and additions, one hopes to have covered all bases, however, we are very eager to hear from anyone either from memory or historical references, if there is anything we have missed.  We used John Gardener's publication, Bishops 150 (1999) for the references, and from memory after that.

The ‘Donald Fraser Bett’ photograph collection, greatly enriches the school archives!  We are very grateful to Donald for his incredible donation!   If you have anything to add, please contact the archivist Paul Murray.  We would really love to hear from you.