Closing Of The Centenary – Photos That Could Not Be Included In the Centenary Publication – By Algi Wijewickrema
Source: Pre-Seventies Peterites
Rather than stick with the chronological order of historical occurrences, I’d like to pick up on a historical event that affected not only St. Peter’s but all Colombo based schools, the country and the entire world. I am referring, of course, to World War II.
When St. Peter’s was requisitioned by the Royal Navy for their war effort, the College lost no time in arranging to move initially to a school that existed in the premises of St. Hugo’s Church in Minuwangoda and St. Francis Xavier’s Seminary premises at Bambalapitiya and later to St. Mary’s Church premises in Dehiwela.
Pictures show the record on the log book at the Primary Section about the move to Bambalapitiya, life and Minuwangoda (the collage extracted from ‘The Peterite’ Magazine of that era shows – 1. Church of Blessed Hugo, 2. Centre of Town, 3. Cricket, 4. Hunting, 5. Pupils and school building, 6. Basketball, 7. Rabbits, 8. Ducks, 9, Fishing, 10. Chess, 11. At the stream, 12. Returning from the fair).
Other photos include those of the farewell to the first Rector, Fr. Nicholas Perera, the Rector who had to bear much of the war affected affairs of College, Fr. Basil A Wiratunga and Log entries upon return to the premises by the Canal.
