Old Res at Onderstepoort: 100 years old

Abstract

Sir Arnold Theiler, who was the first Director of the Onderstepoort Veterinary Research Institute (established 1908) and also the first Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Science (established 1920), inaugurated a brand-new student residence on 14 April 1924. Old Res, as the hostel has become known, celebrated its 100th anniversary this year. A music festival, reunions and other events were hosted in April this year to honour the day (See the VetNews issues of May, June and October this year). This is the last of a series of twelve articles in VetNews to commemorate the history of Old Res and the Onderstepoort residences. From Huis Onderstepoort to OP Village Old Res was built to house 40 students and has been home to nearly four thousand students over the past century. Today, OP Village offers a living space for close to 700 students in 20 residential blocks (and in the old OVI houses). Very few women were admitted to the BVSc course in the beginning. As a matter of fact, only ten of the nearly 400 graduates were women during the first 40 years of the existence of the Veterinary Faculty. However, 75% of the residents of OP Village today are female.