While the year 1852 is inscribed on the school building, the history of the school begins much earlier than that. On 25 August 1786 Reverend Father (and then later Bishop of Siam and Queda upon the demise of Bishop Conde) Domino Arnaldo Antonio-Garnault (who was appointed Vicar Apostolic of Siam), who had been residing at Cochin China and Siam (Thailand today), having been expelled with the rest o
f the Societe des Missions Etrangeres de Paris (MEP) from neighbouring Thailand in 1781, arrived from Kedah. Captain Light noted that Garnault was acquainted with the languages of those countries. Garnault asked Light for permission to build a Church at Penang and while Light sought to make excuses, Garnault, together with his people and asked permission to settle. Garnault picked a spot in the woods about four hundred yards from the fort (what would become Fort Cornwallis). He established a Malay language school in an attap shed in a stretch of mangrove swamp that eventually became Church Street. Monsignor Jean-Baptiste Boucho (who arrived in 1824) of the Paris Foreign Missions, with an allowance of a hundred Piastres a month from Governor Fullerton, moved the school from the church compound to a brick house he had constructed, turned it into an English-medium school for boys in 1825 and renamed it the Catholic Free School. Francis Xavier's Free School, as it was known as then, and its 80 pupils came under the management of the De La Salle Brotherhood under the responsibility of two French Brothers, Lothaire-Marie Combes and Venere Chapuit and one American Brother. On Nov 1786 Francis Light writes to Mr John Fergusson, "Our inhabitants increase very fast -- Chooliars, Chinese, and Christians; they are already disputing about ground, every one building as fast as they can. The French Padre from Quedda has erected his cross here, and in two months more it will never be believed that this place was never before inhabited." (In 1785 Captain Light mentions that a French Padre, Antonio Garnault (bishop and vicar-general), came from Cochin China to Penang. Father Decroix of the Church of the Assumption writes:
"On his return from Pondicherry the first care of Mg. Garnault was to provide for the education of children of the parish. Three young Siamese ladies were eager to consecrate their lives to the service of God and of the Church. They were given the Rule of the βAmantes de la Croixβ a well-known Asian religious congregation, and established themselves a house in China Street known to their contemporaries as the βLittle Conventβ. Besides this convent the Sisters founded a school for boys and an orphanage for girls. The Malay language was the medium of instruction in the school. From One Hundred Years of Singapore we read,
"...Rev. Beurel, who was very anxious to ensure to the boys entrustedto his care the advantages of a sound religious and secular education. As far back as 1841 we find him working with a view of securing the services of the Christian Brothers for educational purposes in Singapore. The Superior-General of the Congregation, whowas then residing in Paris, appeared to have been more or less opposed to the project ; but the Rev. Father did not desist from his purpose, and finally proceeded in person to Paris to plead his cause. His journey was not fruitless, for towards the close of March 1852 he returned to the scene of his labours with six Brothers, three of whom were destined for Singapore, and the others for St. Xavier's, Penang, an analogous establishment. In 1856 its student population increases to 125 and in 1857 it was relocated to a newly completed building of 30x50 metres on Farquhar Street, and renamed St. Xavier's Institution. In 1906, the building known as Noah's Ark (because it was said to resemble a ship), built by the parish priest of Pulau Tikus as its first village school was handed over to the Christian Brothers and then became a branch of the St. Xavier's School. SXI entered its pupils for government scholarships , the prestigious Queen's Scholarships, and from 1892, for the Cambridge exams. The building was enlarged, and in 1900 the enrolment rate was over 400 pupils. St Xavier's Institution
During the 1900s, Penang rose up to be a major shipping port, due to the rise of tin mining and rubber industry. Strict health regulations, the invention of motorcar, the need for rubber tyres and electricity, all these brought prosperity to Penang. SXI had over 1000 pupils. The boarding department was flourishing, the school has a spacious playing field and a cadet corps was formed.[citation needed. The original building was destroyed in World War II when the allied nations bombed the school which has been used as the naval headquarters for the Imperial Army of Japan in December 1941. School was suspended during this period. When the war ended, schooling resumed with the pupils being educated in "attap huts" on what is now the school field pro tem while the buildings were reconstructed. The current building was completed in 1952. The school is affiliated with two primary schools which had split away from the main school body after the war. Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan (SRK) St. Xavier's is the main primary school, located in Air Itam, while a branch primary school, Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan (SRK) St. Xavier's Cawangan (formerly known as St. Xavier's Branch School) is at Jalan Brother James, in Pulau Tikus. Although the primary schools do not have strong associations with each other, the majority of graduates from both primary schools move on to attend the secondary forms in St. The city of Georgetown was granted UNESCO World Heritage status in July 2008, with St. Xavier's Institution as one of the heritage sites. In 2013, keeping with the vision of Dato' Reverend Brother Charles Levin, the School placed a plaque on its main gate. A Malaysian national daily recorded that the plaque "describes SXI's history from 1787 when French priest Arnold Garnault initiated the St. Francis Xavier's Free School. Newspaper Reports From 1859
Notice. To-morrow (Thursday) at 1.30pm will take place at the Brothers' School the inauguration of the new building erected by Mr. Chung Ah Kwee, and the late Messrs. Gan Hong Kee, and Lim Ah Kye. The Hon'ble the Resident Councillor will preside. The parents of the pupils and all persons interested in the Institution are cordially invited. Penang, 27 November 1895. (Straits Times 27 Nov)
The Brother's School. As had been previously announced, the function at the Brother's school, took place on Thursday afternoon in the upper storey of this new building which was tastefully decorated with flags etc. for the occasion. The Hon'ble Resident Councillor and Capt. Ah Kwee occupied the two seats of honour whilst round them sat Messrs Vermont and Howard, the Rev. H. Rivet, the Chinese Consul and several other Chinese gentlement of distinction. After a piece had been played by the band, an address was read to the Resident Councillor, who in a short reply said he highly appreciated what had been done for the school by Capt. Ah Kwee and spoke in warm terms of the munificence which he (Capt. Ah Kwee) and many other wealthy Chinese residents of Penang had given proof of. About forty boys of the lower forms next encircled the platform in front and went through a lively Action Song which evoked much applause from all present after which followed the performance on the harmonium of the 'Punjaub march' by Master J. D. Mello Mr. Siew Num then came forward and read an address to Captain Ah Kwee who also replied in the national dialect and requested Mr. Leong Lok Hing to interpret his feelings of joy and satisfaction to both masters and pupils in return for the grateful sentiments expressed in the address in which special mention had also been made of the lamented Messrs Hong Kee and Ah Kye. The Resident Councillor then presented a medal to Chung Ah Phin, son of Capt. Ah Kwee to whom he reserved the honour of presenting a second medal to Gan Teong Tat. The Resident Councillor requested the Rev. Bro. Director to let the boys have two holidays. Then, on the proposal of Mr. Vermont three hearty cheers were given for Mr. Trotter and Capt. Ah Kwee and the proceedings terminated. Some items of the programme were unavoidably omitted, the Resident Councillor having but very limited time at his disposal on account of the expected arrival by the mail of Sir Nicholas O'Connor. Before dispersing the boys were allowed to have a display of fireworks in front of the new building and several boxes of crackers vanished with marvelous celerity. (Straits Times 30 Nov)
The ceremony blessing the new building at the Christian Brother's school was gone through on last Sunday evening and it was witnessed by a large portion of the Catholic community. The Reverend Father H. Rivet officiated and he was assisted by two other priests who acted as deacon and sub-deacon. (Straits Times 7 Dec)
La Sallian brothers[edit]
The school was founded by the La Sallian brothers and as such, has traditionally been headed by a brother. The headmaster of the school was a Brother Director while a Brother Supervisor acted as deputy headmaster. In recent years, the post of Brother Supervisor was replaced with two assistant principals, both not of the order. One of the more famous Brother Directors is Brother Datuk Lawrence Spitzig, who also served two terms as Brother Director of St. John's Institution, Kuala Lumpur. He served in SXI from 1960 - 1967. Brother directors of St. Xavier's
Br Marius James Byrne, who had already made a name for himself as a successful administrator of the Brothers' establishment.
