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Interview with Anthony Stanley – 1968
Anthony was a boarder at St David’s from 1963, standard 6. He initially went to Bryanston
Primary and found it strange as a new boy jostling for position with boys who had known each
other for some time. After the first couple of weeks he really enjoyed it. He loved the boarding
even though the family home wasn’t far away in Shepherd Avenue, Bryanston. One thing that
really stands out in his memory was the early morning mass and going to the courtyard
afterwards for coffee and a slice of bread and butter with his breath steaming in the cold air.
Anthony participated in the sporting activities swimming, athletics, cross country, tennis and
hockey where the boys played against some girls schools! He was also in the 1st rugby and
cricket teams and also played chess. He played flank in the 1st team in 1968 and recalls there
was a photo in the “Southern Cross”. The matches against Observatory and Parktown Boys
were always great; there was a lot of competition between the schools which generated a lot of
enthusiasm. Anthony really enjoyed the rugby games in which his younger brother Tim played,
he was a full back and kicked well. He now lives in Australia. Anthony remembered how, in his
matric year he was so sick with a cold but was determined to play in the last rugby game
against Parktown Boys. Other members of the team were Demata and Stravino.
Anthony recalled the trips to matches in the old school bus and going over the humps at St
Stithians which threw the boys out of their seats. He was a prompt for a play which took place at
the Sandown Hall.
There was talent contest in which Curtin was the drummer and Tony Riviera played guitar.
Brother Anthony was quite a character and used to tell the boys that he would show them how
to kick and would demonstrate by hitching up his cassock and kicking the rugby ball soundly.
There were other brothers such as Br Andrew (Drac), Br Michael who left a year after Anthony,
Br Liam who used to get the boys to warm themselves up by jumping up and down and
thrashing their arms about in the freezing classroom. Br Edwin, who was very old, was still at
the school but no longer teaching. Mrs Janusch was a tyrant and used to hit the boys’ fingertips
with her cane. Mrs Pretorius was gorgeous and taught Afrikaans, he remembers her saying to
him “Stanley, I don’t know what you are going to do because you cannot speak Afrikaans”. The
brothers were not trained teachers but weren’t too bad and in particular Br Mario – Science,
made things interesting. Some boys built the first computer in the school during Anthony’s time
in his class.
The discipline was good and the boys respected the necessity for it and there was no bullying.
Academically Anthony did reasonable well, there was a carefree attitude in the JMB class but he
achieved his matric. Willy Castle was in his matric year but in the Transvaal matric class and
was an incredible sportsman.
He took Alex Le Vieux, Pierre’s sister to the matric dance and had a great evening in the
boarder’s dining room.
After leaving St David’s Anthony studied for a BSc and BSc Hons at Wits University and had
started his Masters when he decided to study Medicine. He then had to do his military service at
a mission hospital in Nongoma, Zululand and also did 6 months on the border. He was then a
registrar qualifying as a physician in 1984 and then went on to become a cardiologist in 1988
and is currently practising at Sunninghill Hospital. He has two stepsons who were already pupils
at St Stithians when he met his wife. His daughter is a psychologist and his son went to Hilton
and is studying neurology at UCT.
He remembers Frank Cattich and is still in touch with Joe Stravino and Patrick Quarmby.
JE October 2012