At around 1am on Wednesday 11 March 1925, disaster brushed Geelong Grammar School when a fire broke out in Cuthbertson House (Cuthy), the home of 78 boys, and spread rapidly. The occupants were alerted by the smoke and the boys, the House Master Mr Gardiner, his assistant Mr Marshall, and the Matron Miss Rogers, were fortunate to escape uninjured down fire escapes and over the front balconies. The conduct of the boys throughout was noted as being admirable, and it says something of the spirit of the House that although many lost most or all their personal possessions, some boys joined with firemen to rescue the historic House photos hanging in Cuthy's hall and study. 

The Geelong Fire Brigade arrived promptly after being alerted by phone and combined with the School's own outdoor and domestic staff in combating the blaze. A party of returned servicemen from Geelong also appeared out of nowhere to lend a hand. All their efforts, however, were fatally impeded by a lack of water pressure which rendered the hoses almost useless. While the inferno that had been Cuthy proceeded inevitably towards collapsing in upon itself, leaving only a brick shell, the firemen turned their attention to saving the adjacent Chaplain's cottage from the encroaching flames. The School's Porter, Tom Judd, later recalled how Senior School Prefect Harry Hopkins (P'25) and Cuthy House Captain George Capper (Cu'25) took charge of a party of boys and quietly and efficiently removed all the contents of the Reverend Allen's house to the oval. Fortunately, the precaution proved unnecessary, since the Chaplain's house was spared by the fire. 

The immediate problem now became one of providing for the homeless and pyjama-clad refugees from Cuthy. Through a miracle of improvised organisation, all were found accommodation in the other Houses and master's residences that same night. Clothing was borrowed from other students, and Herbert Davies (P'25) had memories of Cuthy boys emerging the next day in every design and combination of not always well-fitting sports clothes- "the overall picture was something slightly less than ludicrous". Leaving aesthetic considerations aside, by 9am everyone was fully clothed and seated in Chapel and from thenceforward the day's classes proceeded as usual. 

A special meeting by the School's Council was convened the same day. Although the now gutted structure was heavily insured, the School faced a substantial loss in re-building, but Council did not hesitate in its decision to go down that path. To help address the estimated shortfall, a Cuthy Rebuilding Fund was established and a personal appeal made to parents and Old Geelong Grammarians. The response proved to be a vindication of the School Council's faith as donations small and large began to arrive. Even the proceeds of the School's theatrical production for the year, fittingly called "Charity Begins at Home", contributed to the fund. By December 1925, £4,400 had been raised, leaving a balance of £3,600 from all costs associated with the reconstruction to be absorbed by the School. 

In his concluding statement for the year, Headmaster Dr Francis Brown was able to reflect on the course of events. He highlighted the courage, self-control, and mutual helpfulness exhibited on that fateful night in March, and the cheerful endurance shown during the five ensuing months with displaced students squeezed into every available part of the campus. "This calamity", he observed, "has shown that the corporate life of the School is real and strong – that we are indeed members of one another". In short, it was a story of a great disaster and a great recovery.