A day in the life at the University of Pretoria. 31 January 2009

On this "Day in the life of the University of Pretoria" Tuks Rag invited students and staff to support the Tuks Rag (Reach out And Give) Procession.

The Tuks Rag procession on 31 January 2009 consisted of 16 floats escorted by 7000 students. The "Time-Machine" float, created by the residents of Mopanie and Nerina, was chosen as the best float of 2009. More than R4 million was raised in aid of community charity organisations including soup kitchens for the elderly, student bursaries a poly-clinic as well as homes and clothes for children in need.

The first Rag event was held in 1925. As part of their initiation, the first years had to raise funds for charity by doing a variety of activities on Church Square.  The event became more glamorous when the first Rag Queen was chosen in 1929 and included drum majorettes taking the lead in the procession, street collections and colourful floats.

The University of Pretoria Archives (UPA) preserves the history of the University of Pretoria. The UPA's numerous holdings include an extensive photo collection, including this historic photo of Rag on Church Square in the 1920s. Other collections includes clippings detailing student life and histories of the University.  Please contact us at [email protected] to share your Tukkies experiences, or visit the UPA reading room to view our collection.