Supriya Ghosh (Editor)

Wynberg Boys' High School

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Type
  
All Boys High School

Headmaster
  
Jan de Waal

Phone
  
+27 21 797 4247

Founded
  
27 August 1841

Architect
  
Herbert Baker

Established
  
27 August 1841

Enrollment
  
850

Color
  
Blue

Number of students
  
850

Wynberg Boys' High School

Motto
  
Supera Moras Overcoming Difficulties

Houses
  
De Waal Wellington Rhodes Van Riebeeck Littlewood De Villiers McNaughton Lorie

Address
  
Lovers Walk, Wynberg, Cape Town, 7800, South Africa

Profiles

Wynberg Boys' High School is a traditional boys' school in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa, founded in 1841. The second oldest school in South Africa, it is the alma mater of sportsmen such as Jacques Kallis.

Contents

History

In 1841 John McNaughton re-opened the doors of his new school, the ‘Established School at Wynberg" in Glebe Cottage to sixteen pupils. McNaughton had to share the cottage with the Lady D’Urban School of Industry for young ladies.

Initially a co-educational school it became boys only in 1853. The senior and junior schools operated as one school until 1943 when the Junior School separated from the High School.

In 1845 the school moved to Bryndewyn Cottage', at the corner of Aliwal and Tennant Roads in Wynberg. In 1863 the Government decided to relegate the school to status of "second class elementary school" and the headmaster, Mr. MacNaughton was instructed to close on 27 February 1863. Permission was granted to change Wynberg Boys to a private school on 2 March 1863.

In 1876 a building was purchased from the Higgs estate and in 1891 Sir Herbert Baker designed new school buildings which were opened in 1892. In 1980 the school moved to its current site on the Hawthornden Estate in Wynberg.

There are two school museums as well as in the two books written on Wynberg: 'The History of a School' (1961) by Doug Thompson who was a teacher of English at the school and 'A School Reflects' (1991) by Old Boy Roger Goodwin.

The School's motto 'Supera Moras' can be translated literally from the Latin as 'Overcome Difficulties'.

Sporting Activities

Wynberg Boys' High School has a competitive sporting tradition and the students take part in sporting competitions with schools from the areas, Western Cape and sometimes from other parts of South Africa, as well as occasional competitions with visiting teams from other countries. Wynberg regularly competes with Rondebosch Boys' High School, Diocesan College and Paul Roos Gymnasium as well as South African College Schools.

The school offers sporting facilities such as an astro turf, a swimming pool, tennis and squash courts, four rugby fields, and the WBHS cricket field renamed in 2010 as "The Jacques Kallis Oval" in honour of World cricketer of the year and a former Wynberg Boy.

Cultural Activities

The WBHS choir has a large reportoire of songs ranging from jazz to classical. Choir members are offered professional vocal training in order to learn and improve special techniques. In addition to the choir, WBHS has three school bands, namely the Concert Band, the Steel Band and the Jazz Band. Recently, the Wynberg Boys' and Girls' High bands have joined to form the Combined Band playing at many Inter-school events.

Every year Wynberg Boys' High School holds a memorial day in which the founding of the school is celebrated. The school also pays tribute to Wynberg Old Boys who died fighting in World War I, World War II and the South African Border War. In World War I, 42 Wynberg Old Boys were killed.

Cricket

  • Jacques Kallis, South African cricketer
  • Allan Lamb, England cricketer
  • Garth Le Roux, South African cricketer
  • Charl Willoughby, South African cricketer
  • Shadley van Schalkwyk, Chevrolet Knights cricketer
  • Dominic Telo, Cape Cobras and Derbyshire cricketer
  • Richard Levi, Cape Cobras cricketer and South African cricketer
  • Hockey

  • Wayne Denne, South African Hockey Team
  • Rhett Halkett, South Africa Hockey Captain 2013
  • Lloyd Norris-Jones, South African Hockey Team
  • Ian Haley, South African Hockey Team
  • Other

  • Vic Clapham, founder of the Comrades Marathon
  • Hendrik Verwoerd, Former Prime Minister of South Africa
  • Andrew Feinstein, South African politician
  • Michael Gelfand, distinguished Professor of tropical medicine
  • Rob Louw, Springbok rugby flank (1980-84)
  • Gary Gold, Former Springbok, Western Province rugby coach, Current Head coach at Bath Rugby
  • Notable Staff

  • Jani Allan, columnist and radio commentator
  • References

    Wynberg Boys' High School Wikipedia