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OUR HOMES (Previous Page)
This is the Homes of Anglo-Indian children of the Eastern Himalayan tea gardens who were rescued, and given future, by Dr. John Anderson Graham, a Scottish Missionary in Kalimpong at the beginning of the 20th Century. Dr. Graham’s Homes, founded by John Anderson Graham in 1900,(known as St. Andrew’s Colonial Homes until 1947) is a co-educational boarding school in Kalimpong, North-East India. The settingNestling into the side of thickly wooded Deolo hill at an elevation of 4,600ft. and overlooking the town of Kalimpong to the south, is the picturesque estate of Dr. Graham’s Homes-originally named St. Andrew’s Colonial Homes. To the north, lie the majestic Himalayas dominated by the eternally snow-clad peak of Kanchanjunga(28,165ft.) a mere 47 miles distant, and the borders of Sikkim, Bhutan and Tibet. The term “Homes”The
term “Homes” was borrowed from children’ srttlements like
those of Dr. Barnado and William quarrier. The inspiration comes
from the work of
these and other pioneers. This word indicate our ideal-the setting
of the children in families rather than in an institution.
The
mission. In
1900,this beautiful estate was little more than a barren hillside.
The founder, the Rev. Dr. John Anderson Graham, felt the need for
providing care and training
for destitute Anglo-Indian children, who under the appalling
circumstances prevailing at the time, appeared doomed to a most
miserable existence, with no hope for the future. It was the thought
in mind and the vision and
enthusiasm of a born pioneer, that Graham of Kalimpong, took
into his care, six
small children in a rented building on 24th
September-1900- a day that has meant almost everything to the
children. It was from this humble beginning that Dr. Graham embarked
on the project of constructing and developing the institution we now
know as Dr. Graham’s Homes-so renamed in memory of our founder who
died on 15th May 1942.
Initial
Focus. By 1903, the school department with it stress on formal education came into being. A headmaster and five teachers were appointed. By 1910 there were a dozen teachers and after the first world war, the school had expanded to such an extent there were 21 members of the teaching staff. Students now began taking the Higher grade and BOAT examinations. By world war I I, candidates were being prepared for MSF and Cambridge School Certificate examination the terminating qualifications in the school at that time. Dr. Graham’s one great aim was to make the Homes as self-supporting as possible. Consequently, children performed all the chores of the housework from scrubbing and keeping the cottage clean, to preparing the meals. In those early days the first two decades an incredible expansion –the growth of cottages housing over 500 children, a school, a farmstead, a workshop and play grounds. The efforts were supported and encouraged by Sir John Woodburn, late Governer of Bengal and the first President of Homes. The first cottage-appropriately named “Woodburn Cottage”. The foundation stone laid by The President on 8th November 1900. Having made this simple though positive start, Dr. Graham and the Board of Management launched on a campaign of publicity and appeal.
Building
Work 1900-1908
Woodburn
Cottage:
Opened 4th November 1901 by the Lt. Governor Sir John
Woodburn and the named after the same. Elliot
Cottage:
Opened 4th November 1902 by Sir John Woodburn. Bourdillon
School:
Opened 18th December 1902 by Mr. A. Pedler, Director of
public Instruction, Bengal.
The
Hedger Playsheds: Opened
8th September 1903 and named after Mrs. Hedger of
Allahabad who
donated Rs.3000/- for the construction. Gordon
(Deolo) Cottage:
Acquired in 1904 as Estate manager’s residence. The
Water Works:
Inaugurated 5th November 1904 by Sir Andrew Fraser, Lt
Governor of Bengal. It was funded by a Rs 9000/- donation from Rai
Ramchandra Mantri, Bahadur of Kalimpong. Thoburn
Cottage:
Opened 9th June 1905. It was named in the memory of the
late daughter of Mr. And Mrs. Thoburn of Scotland, who has funded
the construction. Jarvie Hall: Opened 24th April 1906 by Sir L. Hare, officiating Lt. Governor of Bengal, and named after the late Major jarvie Bearsden, Scotland whose legacy funded the construction of the hall.
Bene
Cottage: Opened 15th June 1906. This was named after Robina , the late
wife of Major
jarvie. The cost of the construction of this cottage was
funded by her legacy. The
Georgina McRobert Memorial Tower:
Completed in June 1907 , and named after the late wife of mr. A.
McRobert of Kanpur, who funded the tower and the chimes. Steel
Memorial Hospital and Sanatorium :
Opened 4th February 1908 and named after Mr. Octavious
Steel of Octavious Steel & Co. of Calcutta, who funded the
construction in memory of relations connected with India. Fraser Hostel: Opened 31st October 1908, it was named in memory of Sir Andrew Fraser, Lt. Governor of Bengal and President of the homes.Not only was the building work prolific; it was systematic. During those eight years Graham set out all the vital organs of the Homes-cottages, school building, hostels, hospital etc. he had transformed the barren hillside of Deolo into a working settlement of its own.
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