8 page booklet about the Cathedral
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2026-02-23 St George's Cathedral
On 23 Feb 2026, 22 Probians enjoyed a visit to St George's Cathedral.
Organised by Nina van der Velde, our tour guide was Judith Gordon the Cathedral’s Historica. She studies and preserves the history of the Cathedral and offers talks, tours and publications.
Judith gave a detailed overview of the history of the Cathedral from its founding in 1827 to the present day, including the prominent role successive Deans and Archbishops took in opposing Apartheid.
This brief summary cannot do justice to the Cathedral's rich history and is intended rather to encourage you to go and discover more for yourself - and to see the impressive stained glass windows which no picture can capture.
Judith Gordon
In 2012, Judith and Dr Mary Bock published a history of the Cathedral.
In this photo she showed us a page from this history commemorating Frank van der Velde participating in the life of the Cathedral with Bishop Desmond Tutu.
Floor plan and walking tour route.
This stained glass window had been broken by an intruder just 3 weeks before our visit. Repairing it will be very costly.
A few of the many interesting artifacts in the Cathedral
Our group enjoying the grandeur of the Cathedral
Bishop Desmond Tutu
African Madonna by Leon Underwood, of lignum vitae. Lent by Rosettenville Brothers because the Highveld air was too dry and was causing cracks.
Brass lectern with eagle, a memorial to those who drowned in the 1896 wreck of RMS Drummond Castle off Ushant in the English Channel, including the Churchwarden Charles Stephens and his wife Esther
After the tour we enjoyed lunch in the Company Gardens
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