A Day in the Life of the University of Pretoria. 24 September 1926

The first female residence, “Die Fant”, opened its doors on 24 September 1926. This "Day in the life of the University of Pretoria" ended with the inauguration of the residence in Prospect Street.

The Transvaal University College (TUC) bought the building from local residents in 1924 for £18,746. There was much debate in the Council about a fitting name for this female residence. While Council approved the name “University Women’s Hostel”, students named it “Die Fant”, referring to the building as a “big white elephant”.  This residence (featured above) was later renamed “Vergeet-my-nie” (Forget-me-not) and in 1965 the building became an annex of Asterhof.

The University of Pretoria Archives (UPA) preserves the history of the University of Pretoria. The UPA has an extensive photo collection and clipping collection. Please contact us on [email protected] to share your memories of Tukkies or to access our collection.