Westville Boys' High School
Encyclopedia
Westville Boys' High School, often referred to as WBHS, is a public high school for boys located in Westville
, KwaZulu-Natal
, South Africa
.
-Pietermaritzburg
road. They were the first large group of settlers to populate the area, named after Sir Martin West
, the first Lieutenant Governor of Natal
.
Details of school activities after this time range from the sketchy to the non-existent. The next recorded date of a school in Westville was in March 1935 when the Westville Kindergarten School, a private farm school, first opened its doors. Under the careful guidance of Miss Gladys Carr, the school eventually outgrew the Church Hall used at the time. In 1941 the school was moved to Bernard's House, an old house situated on the present school site. This residence on 6 acres (24,281.2 m²) of land had been bequeathed by Mr and Mrs Bernard to the people of Westville for educational purposes. It was near this site that the Outspan Tree, which marked the first overnight stop for the old ox wagons travelling to the interior, once stood. The Outspan Tree today forms part of the WBHS badge.
By 1944 the admissions roll had increased to 66 pupils. The following year the co-educational Westville Government School opened as a provincial institution and operated at primary level until 1955. In 1949, Bernard's House was demolished to make way for the new school buildings which were opened in January 1950. These buildings, built at a cost of £27 500, were hailed as the finest erected by the Administration since the war. The year 2000 marked the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of these buildings that today form the inner quadrangle of the school. A special ceremony was held in recognition of the contribution made by the Bernard family, and a memorial in their honour was erected on the site of the original farmhouse.
2010 was the year in which many high achievers and revered members of the community finished their schooling career. The likes of which include Chad le Clos
In 1963 work on the building of a new Westville Girls' High School
commenced and at the end of 1964, the split into the boys' and the girls' high schools was completed. The Headmaster who laid the foundation and guided the School into full secondary status was N. W. Bowden (1955–1963). The main sports field bears his name.
A number of large capital projects aimed at developing the school physically were initiated between 1961 and 1963. In 1961 work on what was later to be called Commons Field began and a pavilion and scoreboard were erected on Bowdens field. Work commenced on the school hall in 1962. In this year WBHS produced the top pupil in the matric examinations. In 1963 the three-story complex overlooking the tennis courts was started and this was the beginning of a building program which developed at a rapid rate of expansion over the next ten years. H. Commons became the new Headmaster in 1964, the year in which the School split into two single-sex schools. Commons' years as Headmaster ended when he was promoted to the Headmastership of Maritzburg College
.
July 1966 saw the arrival of D. C. Thompson as the new Headmaster. For three years in succession, 1968–1970, and again in 1972, WBHS provided the top pupil in the Natal education Department's matriculation examination, and whose successes in the Olympiads was also outstanding. Thompson also adopted a new focus on extramural activities, as he said: "The essential thing is that every boy in the school should do something in and for the school, and, in giving unselfishly of himself, should contribute to the growth of that corporate spirit that is so prominent a feature of the alive school."
C. D. Harcourt (1971–1973), P. C. Doyle (1975–1983), R. W. Couzens (1983–1989) and K. Elliott (1990), each served subsequently as Headmaster
, the first Lieutenant-Governor of Natal
, after whom Westville is named. In legend, griffins are portrayed with a lion's body, an eagle's head, long ears, and an eagle's claws, to indicate that one must combine intelligence with strength. The upper right and lower left divisions contain the Book of Knowledge and the Lamp of learning respectively. Represented in the lower right quarter is the familiar historic monument, the Outspan Tree, which is in Jan Hofmeyr Road, where the ox-wagons made their first stop after leaving Durban
.
. These words, found in Aeneid
, Book 1, are used by Juno
, queen of heaven who hated the Trojans led by Aeneas
. When she saw the fleet of Aeneas on its way to Italy, after the sack of Troy by the Greeks, she planned to scatter it by means of strong winds. In her determination to accomplish her task she cried out "Incepto Ne Desistam" — "May I not shrink from my purpose!"
In 2004, two houses were added in order to account for expansion of the number of boys at the school.
Further developments during this time included the Ted Maddams Media Centre and the modernisation and expansion of the computer facilities. Ted Maddams retired as Headmaster in 1997.
In 1998 Trevor Hall became the first WBHS Old Boy to be appointed Headmaster of the School. Hall's vision has focused on producing and moulding the typical all-round "Westville boy". The first major developments under Mr Hall's leadership have been the development of an upper level of Bowden's Pavilion, which has provided a domicile for the Westville Boys' High School Association, and the introduction of the integrated timetable and Sports Academy.
In 2002 the launch of the Pharos Sports Academy introduced a new programme for all pupils in the school to participate in a wide variety of sports. The integrated sports time table has resulted in improved results in swimming, athletics, squash, cricket and other sports
The most significant recent development at the school has been the opening of the R
6.5 million multi-purpose centre. This facility caters for school assemblies, timetabled sport, afternoon sports practices, indoor field hockey
, tennis
and four cricket
nets (two for bowling and the other two have bowling machines), choir festivals, dramatic productions, a gymnasium and offices. The School has been granted a donation to cover this cost. The preferred site was originally the area where the swimming pool is currently situated, but costs in relocating the pool were prohibitive. Consequently, the centre is built on three of the four tennis courts adjacent to Commons Field.
. In 1999 WBHS was also rated the best state-aided school in the country in a survey by the Sunday Times
newspaper. Following the 2006 matric examinations, WBHS was admitted to an elite group of only 13 schools in South Africa that achieved more than 100 passes for maths on the Higher Grade. It is the only school in KZN province to win this accolade. Following the 2008 matric examinations, two learners from WBHS, Michael Schmid and Christopher Guattari-Stafford, were placed first and second in the province respectively. As of the 2010 matric examinations, Westville Boys grabbed 3 places in the top 10 of KZN. Ronald du Toit, Lance Oom and Parushan Moodley, who were placed 2nd, 5th and 9th in KZN respectively.
Westville, KwaZulu-Natal
Westville is an area near Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, which is situated 20 km inland from the Durban city centre. Formerly an independent municipality governed by a Town Council, it now forms part of the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, which also includes Durban...
, KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of KwaZulu....
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
History
2006 marked the 41st anniversary of WBHS as an all-boys' high school. The roots of the school however can be traced back to 1861, when German immigrant farmers operated a school from a 9 by 4 metre wattle and daub structure sited on the main DurbanDurban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
-Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg is the capital and second largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was founded in 1838, and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. Its "purist" Zulu name is umGungundlovu, and this is the name used for the district municipality...
road. They were the first large group of settlers to populate the area, named after Sir Martin West
Martin West
Sir Martin West was born in England, the son of a civil servant in the Treasury.Martin West studied at Balliol College, Oxford, before joining the British East India Company...
, the first Lieutenant Governor of Natal
Colony of Natal
The Colony of Natal was a British colony in south-eastern Africa. It was proclaimed a British colony on May 4, 1843 after the British government had annexed the Boer Republic of Natalia, and on 31 May 1910 combined with three other colonies to form the Union of South Africa, as one of its...
.
Details of school activities after this time range from the sketchy to the non-existent. The next recorded date of a school in Westville was in March 1935 when the Westville Kindergarten School, a private farm school, first opened its doors. Under the careful guidance of Miss Gladys Carr, the school eventually outgrew the Church Hall used at the time. In 1941 the school was moved to Bernard's House, an old house situated on the present school site. This residence on 6 acres (24,281.2 m²) of land had been bequeathed by Mr and Mrs Bernard to the people of Westville for educational purposes. It was near this site that the Outspan Tree, which marked the first overnight stop for the old ox wagons travelling to the interior, once stood. The Outspan Tree today forms part of the WBHS badge.
By 1944 the admissions roll had increased to 66 pupils. The following year the co-educational Westville Government School opened as a provincial institution and operated at primary level until 1955. In 1949, Bernard's House was demolished to make way for the new school buildings which were opened in January 1950. These buildings, built at a cost of £27 500, were hailed as the finest erected by the Administration since the war. The year 2000 marked the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of these buildings that today form the inner quadrangle of the school. A special ceremony was held in recognition of the contribution made by the Bernard family, and a memorial in their honour was erected on the site of the original farmhouse.
2010 was the year in which many high achievers and revered members of the community finished their schooling career. The likes of which include Chad le Clos
Birth of a High School
Secondary education at Westville can be traced back to 1955 when a group of 21 pupils formed the first Standard Seven (Grade Nine) class of the then Westville High School. The secondary school initially co-existed with the infant and primary classes but by 1961 the last of those classes were accommodated in separate institutions.In 1963 work on the building of a new Westville Girls' High School
Westville Girls' High School
Westville Girls' High School,, is a public school for girls in Westville, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.The school strives to maximise every learner's potential in order that she may serve society and experience personal fulfilment through the development of her unique talents and abilities.The...
commenced and at the end of 1964, the split into the boys' and the girls' high schools was completed. The Headmaster who laid the foundation and guided the School into full secondary status was N. W. Bowden (1955–1963). The main sports field bears his name.
A number of large capital projects aimed at developing the school physically were initiated between 1961 and 1963. In 1961 work on what was later to be called Commons Field began and a pavilion and scoreboard were erected on Bowdens field. Work commenced on the school hall in 1962. In this year WBHS produced the top pupil in the matric examinations. In 1963 the three-story complex overlooking the tennis courts was started and this was the beginning of a building program which developed at a rapid rate of expansion over the next ten years. H. Commons became the new Headmaster in 1964, the year in which the School split into two single-sex schools. Commons' years as Headmaster ended when he was promoted to the Headmastership of Maritzburg College
Maritzburg College
Maritzburg College, known locally as College, is a public school for boys situated in the city of Pietermaritzburg, in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa....
.
July 1966 saw the arrival of D. C. Thompson as the new Headmaster. For three years in succession, 1968–1970, and again in 1972, WBHS provided the top pupil in the Natal education Department's matriculation examination, and whose successes in the Olympiads was also outstanding. Thompson also adopted a new focus on extramural activities, as he said: "The essential thing is that every boy in the school should do something in and for the school, and, in giving unselfishly of himself, should contribute to the growth of that corporate spirit that is so prominent a feature of the alive school."
C. D. Harcourt (1971–1973), P. C. Doyle (1975–1983), R. W. Couzens (1983–1989) and K. Elliott (1990), each served subsequently as Headmaster
School Badge
The emblem of the WBHS badge is a shield, quartered by the red cross of St. George. In the upper left-hand quarter is the griffin taken from the coat of arms of Martin WestMartin West
Sir Martin West was born in England, the son of a civil servant in the Treasury.Martin West studied at Balliol College, Oxford, before joining the British East India Company...
, the first Lieutenant-Governor of Natal
Colony of Natal
The Colony of Natal was a British colony in south-eastern Africa. It was proclaimed a British colony on May 4, 1843 after the British government had annexed the Boer Republic of Natalia, and on 31 May 1910 combined with three other colonies to form the Union of South Africa, as one of its...
, after whom Westville is named. In legend, griffins are portrayed with a lion's body, an eagle's head, long ears, and an eagle's claws, to indicate that one must combine intelligence with strength. The upper right and lower left divisions contain the Book of Knowledge and the Lamp of learning respectively. Represented in the lower right quarter is the familiar historic monument, the Outspan Tree, which is in Jan Hofmeyr Road, where the ox-wagons made their first stop after leaving Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
.
The School Motto: Incepto Ne Desistam
Westville Boys' High School's motto is taken directly from VirgilVirgil
Publius Vergilius Maro, usually called Virgil or Vergil in English , was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He is known for three major works of Latin literature, the Eclogues , the Georgics, and the epic Aeneid...
. These words, found in Aeneid
Aeneid
The Aeneid is a Latin epic poem, written by Virgil between 29 and 19 BC, that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan who travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of the Romans. It is composed of roughly 10,000 lines in dactylic hexameter...
, Book 1, are used by Juno
Juno (mythology)
Juno is an ancient Roman goddess, the protector and special counselor of the state. She is a daughter of Saturn and sister of the chief god Jupiter and the mother of Mars and Vulcan. Juno also looked after the women of Rome. Her Greek equivalent is Hera...
, queen of heaven who hated the Trojans led by Aeneas
Aeneas
Aeneas , in Greco-Roman mythology, was a Trojan hero, the son of the prince Anchises and the goddess Aphrodite. His father was the second cousin of King Priam of Troy, making Aeneas Priam's second cousin, once removed. The journey of Aeneas from Troy , which led to the founding a hamlet south of...
. When she saw the fleet of Aeneas on its way to Italy, after the sack of Troy by the Greeks, she planned to scatter it by means of strong winds. In her determination to accomplish her task she cried out "Incepto Ne Desistam" — "May I not shrink from my purpose!"
School Houses
The school houses are all named after people or symbols closely related to the history of the school.- Carr (after Mrs Gladys Carr)
- Cliff
- Hofmeyer (after Jan Hofmeyr)
- Swain
- Wandsbeck
- West (after Martin WestMartin WestSir Martin West was born in England, the son of a civil servant in the Treasury.Martin West studied at Balliol College, Oxford, before joining the British East India Company...
)
In 2004, two houses were added in order to account for expansion of the number of boys at the school.
- Bernard (after the donors of the school property)
- Outspan (after the Outspan tree or the outspan wagons which stopped in Westville)
Modern Times
E. W. Maddams (1991–1997) took over the School during the period which may be best described as the years of political uncertainty. 1991 heralded the introduction of Model B status and the School was for the first time permitted to open its doors to pupils of all races. In August 1992, as a result of an overwhelming majority vote by the parents, the School changed to Model C. This brought about additional financial burdens on the parent body but did give them more say in the development of the school.Further developments during this time included the Ted Maddams Media Centre and the modernisation and expansion of the computer facilities. Ted Maddams retired as Headmaster in 1997.
In 1998 Trevor Hall became the first WBHS Old Boy to be appointed Headmaster of the School. Hall's vision has focused on producing and moulding the typical all-round "Westville boy". The first major developments under Mr Hall's leadership have been the development of an upper level of Bowden's Pavilion, which has provided a domicile for the Westville Boys' High School Association, and the introduction of the integrated timetable and Sports Academy.
In 2002 the launch of the Pharos Sports Academy introduced a new programme for all pupils in the school to participate in a wide variety of sports. The integrated sports time table has resulted in improved results in swimming, athletics, squash, cricket and other sports
The most significant recent development at the school has been the opening of the R
South African rand
The rand is the currency of South Africa. It takes its name from the Witwatersrand , the ridge upon which Johannesburg is built and where most of South Africa's gold deposits were found. The rand has the symbol "R" and is subdivided into 100 cents, symbol "c"...
6.5 million multi-purpose centre. This facility caters for school assemblies, timetabled sport, afternoon sports practices, indoor field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
and four cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
nets (two for bowling and the other two have bowling machines), choir festivals, dramatic productions, a gymnasium and offices. The School has been granted a donation to cover this cost. The preferred site was originally the area where the swimming pool is currently situated, but costs in relocating the pool were prohibitive. Consequently, the centre is built on three of the four tennis courts adjacent to Commons Field.
Academics
In the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education matric exams each year WBHS students often feature in amongst the top performers provincially and nationaly. Of the 47 classes that have matriculated from WBHS since 1959, six WBHS learners have emerged as the top learners in the province and in 1999, the Dux of the school, Colin Bigg, achieved the top matric results in South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. In 1999 WBHS was also rated the best state-aided school in the country in a survey by the Sunday Times
The Sunday Times (South Africa)
The Sunday Times is a popular South African Sunday newspaper. It has an audited circulation of 504,000 and a weekly readership of 3.2 million, making it the largest weekly newspaper in South Africa. Recently it was involved in exposing a corruption scandal involving the South African government's...
newspaper. Following the 2006 matric examinations, WBHS was admitted to an elite group of only 13 schools in South Africa that achieved more than 100 passes for maths on the Higher Grade. It is the only school in KZN province to win this accolade. Following the 2008 matric examinations, two learners from WBHS, Michael Schmid and Christopher Guattari-Stafford, were placed first and second in the province respectively. As of the 2010 matric examinations, Westville Boys grabbed 3 places in the top 10 of KZN. Ronald du Toit, Lance Oom and Parushan Moodley, who were placed 2nd, 5th and 9th in KZN respectively.
Notable alumni
- Errol StewartErrol StewartErrol Leslie Rae Stewart is a former South African cricketer and rugby union player. He attended Westville Boys' High School in Westville, Durban where he was selected for the SA schools cricket and rugby sides. He also was selected for Natal schools for Hockey and athletics...
(SA cricketer & Natal rugby player, the record as the only South African to be part of the winning Currie Cup teams in both Rugby and Cricket in the same year) - Mickey ArthurMickey ArthurJohn Michael "Mickey" Arthur is a South African cricketer who played South African domestic cricket from 1986 to 2001. He coached the South African national team from 2005 to 2010, and has been recently appointed coach of the Australia national cricket team.-Biography:Arthur was born in...
(Free State, Griquas and SA 'A' cricketer, SA national cricket coach (2005–present)) - George KoumantarakisGeorge KoumantarakisGeorgios "George" Koumantarakis is a retired South African football player of Greek descent. He was born in Athens, Greece but grew up in Durban, South Africa....
(SA Footballer in 2002 FIFA World Cup2002 FIFA World CupThe 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
) - Ellis FerreiraEllis FerreiraEllis Ferreira is a former professional male tennis player from South Africa. He played collegiately at the University of Alabama, earning all-SEC and all-American honors. He won 2 Grand Slam doubles titles, the Men's title at the 2000 Australian Open with Rick Leach and the mixed doubles at the...
(SA Davis Cup Tennis, Olympics 1996, Men's Doubles champion Australian Open 2000, Mixed Doubles champion Australian Open 2001) - Waylon MurrayWaylon MurrayWaylon Murray is a current player in a provincial rugby union team, the Lions. He stands 190 cm tall and weighs in at 105 kg and plays the position of centre.-Career:...
- Matric 2003 (Natal SharksNatal SharksThe Natal Sharks are a South African rugby union team that participate in the annual Currie Cup and Super Rugby tournaments. The Sharks home stadium is Kings Park. They draw most of their players from the KwaZulu-Natal Province. The Sharks are the current representative team of the Natal rugby...
and SpringbokSouth Africa national rugby union teamThe South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
Rugby Union Player) - Gareth Morgan (politician) - Matric 1994
- Jim Sutcliffe Former CEO of Old Mutual
- Steven Van Coller CEO of Absa Capital
- Chad Ho Olympic Long Distance Swimmer
- Chad le ClosChad le ClosChad Guy Bertrand le Clos is a South African swimmer who is currently the Commonwealth Games champion and record holder in the 200 metre butterfly. He also won five medals at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics in Singapore....
2 X Gold Medal winner at 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games - Ryan PretoriusRyan PretoriusRyan Pretorius is a former South African American football place kicker with the Ohio State Buckeyes.-References:...
(American football place kicker with the Ohio State BuckeyesOhio State BuckeyesThe Ohio State Buckeyes are the intercollegiate sports teams and players of The Ohio State University, named after the state tree, the Buckeye. The Buckeyes participate in the NCAA's Division I in all sports and the Big Ten Conference in most sports...
.)