Where it all began
The Jeppe Quondam Club was founded in 1907 to give former pupils of Jeppe High School for Boys and Jeppe High School for Girls the opportunity to continue their association with their beloved alma mater. What began as a gathering place for old friends quickly grew into a vibrant hub for both sporting and social life in Johannesburg.
Today, the Jeppe Quondam Club remains true to its founding spirit — a place where camaraderie, competition, and tradition come together, and where members can both celebrate the past and create new memories for the future.
From the outset, the club combined a strong sense of community with a passion for sport. Over the decades, its members have achieved remarkable success on the playing fields — not only locally, but across South Africa and internationally. The records, photographs, and trophies proudly displayed in the clubhouse tell the story of these achievements and the club’s enduring legacy.
Few schools and alumni organisations can match the 275 international players in 66 different sports who have emerged from Jeppe and its Quondam Club. Beyond the athletes themselves, Jeppe’s influence extends through coaches, administrators, and leaders who have left their mark on the sporting world.
Our Foundations
On 26 February 1907, the inaugural meeting of the Jeppe Old Boys’ Club took place in the school gymnasium. Shortly after, on 30 March 1907, the Quondam Club was formed for the Old Girls. Although there were combined social events and shared facilities, the brother and sister committees were soon amalgamated, and a constitution was formally accepted in 1908.
Our Badge
In 1907, Billy Parkin’s design for the club badge was accepted. It incorporated the school colours — black, white, and a gold bar. The Southern Cross stars represent heritage and belonging, while the clasped hands symbolise the enduring bonds of friendship. The club colours were officially registered in 1935.
Our Grounds & Facilities
In the early years, the school facilities were used mainly for social and cultural activities. The Village Main Reef ground hosted football in 1911, while by 1921, the senior league cricket team and tennis club were using the grounds of the Germiston Caledonian Society at Driehok.
In 1923, the Jeppe Old Boys’ Club became the first Old Boys’ Association in South Africa — and possibly in the British Empire — to own its own playing fields. Eight acres were purchased in Kensington for £500, with a further £1,500 invested in levelling, fencing, changing rooms, and a pavilion. By 1926, a cricket field and two football fields were completed, followed by four tennis courts and another pavilion in 1927.
The hockey club was formed in 1928, and the rugby club in 1936. With growing demand, the club acquired the Bedfordview Polo Club grounds (the current site) in 1939, a thirty-acre expanse, and sold its Kensington property to the Johannesburg City Council. In 1940, a bowling green was laid out, and the old farmhouse Spaarwater served as headquarters until the present clubhouse was officially opened in September 1950.
Additional land was purchased in 1943, and the club continued to expand its facilities, hosting not only sport but also social events. A highlight was the 1926 fete, where Jeppe played a leading role in raising funds for the combined Old Boys’ movement to secure premises in central Johannesburg.
Achievements
For over a century, Jeppe Quondam has been a home of camaraderie, tradition, and excellence in sport. Generations of past pupils — and, more recently, members drawn by the Jeppe spirit — have found belonging here.
Records in the Quondam Magazines dating back to 1925 reflect a proud tradition of success. The club has produced league and national champions in:
Soccer
Cricket
Swimming
Water polo
Bowls
Hockey
Tennis
Squash
Athletics …and many more.
The Jeppe Quondam legacy remains one of community, friendship, and achievement — a tradition carried proudly into the future.