The tale of mud hut to four storeys

The tale of mud hut to four storeys

After the establishment of theneed for a school for Buddhists girls was seriously considered. Mrs. Marie Musaeus Higgins was born in Germany. Her father was Mr. Theodor Musaeus. She had an elder brother who was a lecturer in one of the American Colleges. She had three younger sisters. She went to U.S.A. to join her brother. There she was teaching and was later appointed as a translator in one of the main post offices. There she met Mr. Anton Higgins, who was an army engineer and a member of the Theosophical Society at that time. They got married but had no children and Mr. Higgins died after 3½ years of a very happy married life. Mrs. Marie Musaeus Higgins very much grieved by her husband’s death was reading the Magazine “The Path” published by the Theosophical Society and saw the advertisement published by Col. Henry Steel Olcott and Mr. Peter de Abrew asking for an European lady to take the post of Principal in a newly established Buddhist Girls’ College. That school was Sri Sangamitta Buddhist Girls’ College at Tichborne Place, Maradana. Mrs., Higgins was stirred by seen the advertisement and applied for the post, and received a prompt reply from Col. H.S. Olcott asking her to come immediately to Ceylon to take up the post.

Mrs. Higgins arrived at 12.00 noon on 15th November 1889 at Colombo harbour in a ship named “Prussian”. She assumed duties as the Principal of Sri Sangamitta Buddhist Girls’ College at Maradana. Under Mrs. Higgins the school prospered in no time, but she was discouraged because, Sinhalese gentlemen at that time started to give her too much of advice so that she thought of starting her own school. That was the birth of a new legend Musaeus Buddhist Girls’ College. In 1891 the school started in a mud hut on a half-acre of land donated by Mr. Peter de Abrew who inherited this land at Rosemead Place, from his father Mr. William Abrew.

This mud hut was cadjan roofed and mud walled. There were 12 students at the beginning. They were
1. Amarawathi de Silva
2. Elsie de Silva
3. Leonora de Zoysa
4. Jane de Zoysa (Later Principal of the Teacher Training College)
5. Adlin de Silva
6. Leela Gunasinghe
7. Sophaya de Silva
8. Connie Batuwanthudawa
9. Killee Mendis
10. Lucy de Abrew

The Principals’ Office, Residence, Class rooms and the hostel all these sections were accommodated in that small hut.

While Mrs. Higgins was continuing her good work amidst difficulty and obstacle, an important person visited the mud hut on a rainy day. He was Mr. Wilton Hack who was on his way to Australia. He was amazed by the spectacle of students sitting on mats and the elegant and polite way they greeted him with welcome songs. He promised that if his business trip to Australia succeeds he will give a new building to Mrs. Higgins.

During that time Mrs. Higgins asked for help from the government and Mr. J.B.Cull then Director of Education, came to inspect the mud hut but refused to give donations, yet after seeing Mrs. Higgins he told her that if she got a good building then the government will consider giving aid. She was determined to get a solid building some how. Till then she forged ahead with her work at the ‘Mud Hut’ where work fit for royalty was under way. She concentrated on learning Ceylon History herself so that she could teach her students.

As time passed the important visitor came back. His trip to Australia had been successful. He (Mr. Wilton Hack) donated the entire sum of money that was needed to construct a solid two-storey building. In 1895 that building was completed and the mud hut so dear and reminiscent of hard but good times vanished. Mr. Wilton Hack served as a member of the Board of Trustees till his death in 1923.

According to Mrs. Bastiana Perera ( A teacher who served in the Training College during the life time of Mrs. Higgins), Mrs. Higgins used to take assembly. She knew some Sinhalese words “Ayubowan”, “Pansil” etc. She could not write Sinhalese. Miss. Amarawathie Silva was her translator. Mrs. Higgins went to temple and worshipped at the foot of the Enlightened one. She used to wear white laced frocks and when she went out she wore a hat. There was a rick-shaw for her and rick-shaw man was called “Thotakaraya”. As an ardent lover of History her students performed historical plays such as “Ramayana” every evening on the stage at the Wilton Hack Building.

The students wore frocks and some wore half sarees. The up country girls wore the Kandyan Saree. Every Sunday there was Bana and on Poya Days boarders observed Sil.

In 1908 the Teacher Training College was started. The first Principal was Miss Jane de Zoysa (one of the first pupils of the school).