Pretoria Boys High School
Encyclopedia
Pretoria Boys High School, also known as Boys High or PBHS, is a public, fee charging, English medium
high school for boys located in Brooklyn
, Pretoria
, in the Gauteng
province of South Africa
.
The school's distinctive red-brick buildings, which have national monument
status, were built in the Neoclassical
style and date from 1909. The main building of the school, sited on Waterkloof Hill, sits opposite to the distant Union Buildings
on Meintjieskop
.
The school currently has around 1500 pupils, including 300 boarders. There are three boarding houses located on the school grounds. Rissik House and Solomon House are part of the original school complex completed in 1909, while School House was built a few years later.
Sporting facilities include rugby union
, cricket
and hockey
fields, a gymnasium
, two swimming pools (one for waterpolo), Olympic standard athletics grounds, several tennis and squash courts, several basketball courts, an AstroTurf, and a rock-climbing wall. The school grounds also includes a second campus (Pollock Campus), a man-made pine forest, a now-disused shooting range, an amphitheatre and an artificial lake (Loch Armstrong). The grounds form a protected bird sanctuary and are home to several species of birds.
The school has a well-established musical tradition and has a formal symphony orchestra
, jazz ensemble, dixie band, choir, pipe band and folk group.
, built in the 1880s by the Government of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek
(later Transvaal) in central Pretoria. This school was not in operation for very long owing to the outbreak of the Second Anglo-Boer War
in 1899, during which time the building served as a prison; Winston Churchill
was briefly imprisoned there.
was duly refurbished. It was renamed Pretoria High School and became the first of the so-called "Milner" schools in the Transvaal, opening on 3 June 1901 with Charles Hope-who also founded Potchefstroom Boys High as headmaster. Initial enrolment was 32 pupils, both boys and girls, which increased to 132 by August of that year. Mr Hope left 15 months later, along with the girls, who were finally accommodated into the old building of the former Transvaal Republic's Staatsmeischjeskool (State Girls' School). This was renamed the Pretoria High School for Girls
.
Kop (Waterkloof Hill), was chosen as the new site for Pretoria Boys High School. The architect, Patrick Eagle, met the challenge admirably and designed an impressive edifice rivalling its larger contemporary, Sir Herbert Baker's Union Buildings
. Eagle chose to site the main buildings on the ridge of the hill giving the school its well-known dramatic setting.
The new school buildings were officially opened in 1909 by General Smuts
, then colonial secretary of the Transvaal. One year later, the four colonies of the Transvaal, Orange Free State
, Natal
and the Cape
formed the Union of South Africa
. Keen to forge unity between English and Dutch (Afrikaner) South Africans, Smuts' influence was evident when, on 6 April 1910, the school absorbed 100 boys and staff from the Dutch-medium Eendracht High School to form a dual-medium high school. The combined school was now named Pretoria High School for Boys - Pretoria Hogerskool voor Jongens. Smuts would later send his own sons to the School.
was formed immediately south of its parent, becoming the first Afrikaans-medium high school in the country, several years before Afrikaans
attained official recognition as a language (and not a semi-creole of Dutch). The two schools enjoy close ties to this day, especially in an enthusiastic but friendly rivalry in sporting events. PBHS would now be left in its present form, known only as Pretoria Boys High School, an English-medium public school.
graduate who would become the school's longest serving headmaster. He was with the school for 25 years. Hofmeyr had seven sons and they all attended the School; three went on to become Rhodes Scholars
. One of his sons, Will, became a member of staff and a famous coach. The Hofmeyr Cricket Oval, named after him, is regarded as one of the finest school cricket ovals in the country. Hofmeyr senior stayed as headmaster throughout the First World War. The war cost the school 28 Old Boys and a memorial in front of the main building, along with a bell chime, was erected in their memory with the inscription, "To the Glory of God and in memory of those of this school who gave their lives in the Great War this clock is dedicated". The chimes are identical to those of the Union Buildings
and are based upon the Westminster Chimes.
, Larry Scully and Clinton Harrop-Allin. Music became very popular as a school subject and Boys High produced Leo Quayle, a renowned musician.
In the early 1960s, renovations began once again as new classrooms were built and the old school hall was demolished and replaced by the current school hall, opened on 26 August 1964 by the Hon Mr Fox Odendaal
. This hall was named 'The Abernethy Hall', following the death of D.F. Abernethy in the late 1990s. 1961 saw another record when Alan Hector, Peter Corbett and Neville Holmes were awarded their S A Schools' Caps. 1972 saw one of the greatest years in Boys High rugby when the school lost only one match.
, Schroder embraced the changing political landscape of South Africa and successfully oversaw racial integration, private funding for additional staff (beyond the government-subsidised quota), extensive administrative modernisation while maintaining the school's high academic, cultural and sporting standards. Schroder has been quoted as saying: "I have no doubt that we can withstand any problems that the future may throw at us. I believe that a school such as ours must try to remain ahead of change, as it has in the past. I believe Boys High can become a genuine microcosm of the new South Africa."
The School has produced eighteen Rhodes scholars
, several Supreme Court
judges, an archbishop, a bishop, thirty-two high-school headmasters, five national cricketers, four Springbok rugby players (two of whom have captained the side) and two English Premier League football players.
(originally the School song of Harrow School
.) It is this song that is sung at all School Valedictions. The official school song was relegated to obscurity until it was revived as the School's rugby anthem.
'Tis Here We Learn To Live
We are entering life together,
Free of sorrow, and of care,
With a youthful fire and vigour,
Naught can e'er our hope impair.
Though we know indeed but little
Of the life we have to dare,
Tis here we learn to live;
Tis here we learn to live.
Forty Years On
Forty years on, when afar and asunder
Parted are those who are singing today,
When you look back and forgetfully wonder
What you were like in your work and your play.
Then, it may be, it will often come o'er you,
Glimpses of notes like the catch of a song,
Visions of boyhood shall float them before you,
Echoes of dreamland shall bear them along.
Follow up, follow up, follow up, follow up, follow up!
Till the fields ring again and again,
With the tramp of the thirty good men -
Follow up!
Follow up!
The School Prayer
O Lord, God of Truth, Whom to know is everlasting life, and to serve is perfect freedom, grant that we may draw near to Thee in thought, word and deed.
Inspire us with the love of Thy creatures and Thy laws, that in all humility and teachableness, with patience and understanding, by honest and earnest labour, we may seek after knowledge as a blessing that cometh from Thee.
Whether it be our part to teach or learn, to rule or obey, make us feel Thy presence in our several duties, filling us with reverence for the beauty and wonder of Thy universe, and pouring on us a spirit of justice, gentleness, and mutual goodwill.
Thus by Thy grace, may we use this house of learning, that we may prepare our powers of body, mind and spirit, to advance the good of man and the Glory of God.
Amen.
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
high school for boys located in Brooklyn
Brooklyn, Pretoria
Brooklyn is a suburb of the city of Pretoria, South Africa. It is a well-established area, lying to the east of the city centre, encompassing high-end residential properties and several upmarket mall developments. It borders the University of Pretoria to its north and the suburbs of Groenkloof and...
, Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
, in the Gauteng
Gauteng
Gauteng is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. It was formed from part of the old Transvaal Province after South Africa's first all-race elections on 27 April 1994...
province of 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...
.
The school's distinctive red-brick buildings, which have national monument
National heritage sites (South Africa)
National heritage sites in South Africa are structures or defined areas of land declared to be of historic or cultural importance and granted certain legal protections...
status, were built in the Neoclassical
Neoclassicism
Neoclassicism is the name given to Western movements in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that draw inspiration from the "classical" art and culture of Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome...
style and date from 1909. The main building of the school, sited on Waterkloof Hill, sits opposite to the distant Union Buildings
Union Buildings
The Union Buildings form the official seat of the South African government and also house the offices of the President of South Africa. The imposing buildings are located in Pretoria, atop Meintjieskop at the Northern end of Arcadia, close to historic Church Square and the Voortrekker Monument...
on Meintjieskop
Meintjieskop
Meintjieskop is a hill in Pretoria on which the Union Buildings were constructed.Marthinus Wessel Pretorius, later to become first president of the Transvaal Republic, was the original owner of the farm 'Elandsfontein' on which Meintjieskop stands...
.
The school currently has around 1500 pupils, including 300 boarders. There are three boarding houses located on the school grounds. Rissik House and Solomon House are part of the original school complex completed in 1909, while School House was built a few years later.
Sporting facilities include rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, 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...
and 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...
fields, a gymnasium
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
, two swimming pools (one for waterpolo), Olympic standard athletics grounds, several tennis and squash courts, several basketball courts, an AstroTurf, and a rock-climbing wall. The school grounds also includes a second campus (Pollock Campus), a man-made pine forest, a now-disused shooting range, an amphitheatre and an artificial lake (Loch Armstrong). The grounds form a protected bird sanctuary and are home to several species of birds.
The school has a well-established musical tradition and has a formal symphony orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
, jazz ensemble, dixie band, choir, pipe band and folk group.
History
The antecedent of the current school is the historic Staats Model SchoolStaats Model School
The Staatsmodelschool is situated on the corner of Van der Walt and Visagie Streets in Pretoria, Gauteng Province, Republic of South Africa. It originated from a school established in 1893 to train teachers in the Zuid Afrikaansche Republik, or ZAR....
, built in the 1880s by the Government of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek
South African Republic
The South African Republic , often informally known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent Boer-ruled country in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century. Not to be confused with the present-day Republic of South Africa, it occupied the area later known as the South African...
(later Transvaal) in central Pretoria. This school was not in operation for very long owing to the outbreak of the Second Anglo-Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
in 1899, during which time the building served as a prison; Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
was briefly imprisoned there.
Pretoria High School (1901-1903)
With Pretoria under British control, it became apparent to Lord Milner, the Colonial Secretary at the time, that the educational facilities in the city needed attention as there was no secondary school for English-speaking pupils. The Staats Model SchoolStaats Model School
The Staatsmodelschool is situated on the corner of Van der Walt and Visagie Streets in Pretoria, Gauteng Province, Republic of South Africa. It originated from a school established in 1893 to train teachers in the Zuid Afrikaansche Republik, or ZAR....
was duly refurbished. It was renamed Pretoria High School and became the first of the so-called "Milner" schools in the Transvaal, opening on 3 June 1901 with Charles Hope-who also founded Potchefstroom Boys High as headmaster. Initial enrolment was 32 pupils, both boys and girls, which increased to 132 by August of that year. Mr Hope left 15 months later, along with the girls, who were finally accommodated into the old building of the former Transvaal Republic's Staatsmeischjeskool (State Girls' School). This was renamed the Pretoria High School for Girls
Pretoria High School for Girls
Pretoria High School for Girls, also called Girls High or PHSG, is a public, fee charging, English medium high school for girls located in Hatfield, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa.-Second Anglo-Boer War:...
.
Pretoria College (1903-1909)
Under the new headmaster, Harold Atkinson, enrolment increased to 100 boys by 1903. The name of the School was also changed to Pretoria College. Mr Atkinson left at the end of 1905 and was succeeded by J F Acheson who stayed with the School until it moved from Skinner Street to its current site in 1909. Formal devolution between primary and high school pupils only occurred in 1905.The New Buildings and Bilingualism
Milner's intention was to create a stable educational infrastructure in the new colony's capital and duly set aside 2 km² of ground to the south-east of central Pretoria for the construction of new academic institutions. The southern most 0.6 km², which included the WaterkloofWaterkloof
Waterkloof is a suburb of the city of Pretoria, South Africa. It is named after the original farm that stood there when Pretoria was founded in the 19th Century. Located to the east of the city centre, Waterkloof is a leafy, established area that is home to some of the city's most expensive real...
Kop (Waterkloof Hill), was chosen as the new site for Pretoria Boys High School. The architect, Patrick Eagle, met the challenge admirably and designed an impressive edifice rivalling its larger contemporary, Sir Herbert Baker's Union Buildings
Union Buildings
The Union Buildings form the official seat of the South African government and also house the offices of the President of South Africa. The imposing buildings are located in Pretoria, atop Meintjieskop at the Northern end of Arcadia, close to historic Church Square and the Voortrekker Monument...
. Eagle chose to site the main buildings on the ridge of the hill giving the school its well-known dramatic setting.
The new school buildings were officially opened in 1909 by General Smuts
Jan Smuts
Jan Christiaan Smuts, OM, CH, ED, KC, FRS, PC was a prominent South African and British Commonwealth statesman, military leader and philosopher. In addition to holding various cabinet posts, he served as Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa from 1919 until 1924 and from 1939 until 1948...
, then colonial secretary of the Transvaal. One year later, the four colonies of the Transvaal, Orange Free State
Orange Free State
The Orange Free State was an independent Boer republic in southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, and later a British colony and a province of the Union of South Africa. It is the historical precursor to the present-day Free State province...
, Natal
Natal Province
Natal, meaning "Christmas" in Portuguese, was a province of South Africa from 1910 until 1994. Its capital was Pietermaritzburg. The Natal Province included the bantustan of KwaZulu...
and the Cape
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
formed the Union of South Africa
Union of South Africa
The Union of South Africa is the historic predecessor to the present-day Republic of South Africa. It came into being on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the previously separate colonies of the Cape, Natal, Transvaal and the Orange Free State...
. Keen to forge unity between English and Dutch (Afrikaner) South Africans, Smuts' influence was evident when, on 6 April 1910, the school absorbed 100 boys and staff from the Dutch-medium Eendracht High School to form a dual-medium high school. The combined school was now named Pretoria High School for Boys - Pretoria Hogerskool voor Jongens. Smuts would later send his own sons to the School.
Devolution and Re-Establishment (1920)
The dual-medium institution would last ten years. By 1920, the divide between English and Afrikaans speakers had become apparent nationwide; this was reflected in the need for a separate Afrikaans high school in Pretoria. Consequently, the Afrikaanse Hoër SeunskoolAfrikaanse Hoër Seunskool
The Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool also known as Affies, is a public high school for boys situated in the city of Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa, opposite Loftus Versfeld, the rugby stadium and home of the Bulls and Blue Bulls.The school's founding on 28 January 1920 marked the establishment of the...
was formed immediately south of its parent, becoming the first Afrikaans-medium high school in the country, several years before Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
attained official recognition as a language (and not a semi-creole of Dutch). The two schools enjoy close ties to this day, especially in an enthusiastic but friendly rivalry in sporting events. PBHS would now be left in its present form, known only as Pretoria Boys High School, an English-medium public school.
William Hofmeyr (1909-1935)
General Smuts handpicked the first headmaster of the institution - William Hendrik Hofmeyr, a CambridgeUniversity of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
graduate who would become the school's longest serving headmaster. He was with the school for 25 years. Hofmeyr had seven sons and they all attended the School; three went on to become Rhodes Scholars
Rhodes Scholarship
The Rhodes Scholarship, named after Cecil Rhodes, is an international postgraduate award for study at the University of Oxford. It was the first large-scale programme of international scholarships, and is widely considered the "world's most prestigious scholarship" by many public sources such as...
. One of his sons, Will, became a member of staff and a famous coach. The Hofmeyr Cricket Oval, named after him, is regarded as one of the finest school cricket ovals in the country. Hofmeyr senior stayed as headmaster throughout the First World War. The war cost the school 28 Old Boys and a memorial in front of the main building, along with a bell chime, was erected in their memory with the inscription, "To the Glory of God and in memory of those of this school who gave their lives in the Great War this clock is dedicated". The chimes are identical to those of the Union Buildings
Union Buildings
The Union Buildings form the official seat of the South African government and also house the offices of the President of South Africa. The imposing buildings are located in Pretoria, atop Meintjieskop at the Northern end of Arcadia, close to historic Church Square and the Voortrekker Monument...
and are based upon the Westminster Chimes.
Daniel Matheson (1936-1949)
Hofmeyr was succeeded by Daniel Duff Matheson in 1935 and under him the enrolment increased from 450 to 800 boys. Matheson saw the School through the Second World War when once again the cost was felt and the School lost 93 Old Boys. Matheson left in 1949 and in 1960 a drinking fountain at the pavilion was erected in his memory.Noel Pollock (1950-1955)
Noel M Pollock was the first Old Boy to assume the position of headmaster. Pollock's office was marked by many changes and he did well in maintaining morale within the School. In his final year, 1955, the School achieved their best matric results and the first cricket side went through the season unbeaten. It was at about this time that Boys High had a fruitful turnout of great cricketers. Among others were Ken Funston, Eddie Barlow, Syd Burke, Glen Hall and Jackie Botten. Hockey was also introduced at the school and in 1976 Boys High became the first school to send a hockey team to England.Desmond Abernethy (1956-1973)
Another Old Boy, Desmond Abernethy, left his post as an Inspector of Education to become a headmaster, a move he described as "downward promotion". Before Abernethy left in 1973, the School reached an enrolment high of 1000 boys and Art became a popular subject. Great schoolmasters of the time included Walter BattissWalter Battiss
Walter Whall Battiss was a South African artist, generally considered the foremost South African abstract painter and known as the creator of the quirky "Fook Island" concept....
, Larry Scully and Clinton Harrop-Allin. Music became very popular as a school subject and Boys High produced Leo Quayle, a renowned musician.
In the early 1960s, renovations began once again as new classrooms were built and the old school hall was demolished and replaced by the current school hall, opened on 26 August 1964 by the Hon Mr Fox Odendaal
Fox Odendaal
Frans Hendrik Odendaal was a South African politician, governor of the Transvaal province, best remembered for heading the commission that became known by his last name.-Odendaal Commission:...
. This hall was named 'The Abernethy Hall', following the death of D.F. Abernethy in the late 1990s. 1961 saw another record when Alan Hector, Peter Corbett and Neville Holmes were awarded their S A Schools' Caps. 1972 saw one of the greatest years in Boys High rugby when the school lost only one match.
Malcolm Armstrong (1974-1989)
Malcolm Armstrong was the eighth headmaster of the School, while being only the second born in South Africa. Armstrong placed great emphasis on a balanced life and for this reason a great number of clubs and societies were founded during his term of office. In 1989, 90% of the matriculants gained a university entrance certificate, a great achievement in terms of academics. He was also responsible for the building of 13 staff houses, a new gymnasium, laboratories, a new swimming pool and the moat that would be named Loch Armstrong in his honour.William E. Schroder (1990-2009)
In 1990, William ("Bill") Schroder succeeded Armstrong as headmaster. A former head prefect of Rondebosch Boys' SchoolRondebosch Boys' School
Rondebosch Boys' School may refer to:* Rondebosch Boys' High School* Rondebosch Boys' Preparatory School...
, Schroder embraced the changing political landscape of South Africa and successfully oversaw racial integration, private funding for additional staff (beyond the government-subsidised quota), extensive administrative modernisation while maintaining the school's high academic, cultural and sporting standards. Schroder has been quoted as saying: "I have no doubt that we can withstand any problems that the future may throw at us. I believe that a school such as ours must try to remain ahead of change, as it has in the past. I believe Boys High can become a genuine microcosm of the new South Africa."
Antony Reeler (from 1st July, 2010)
Tony Reeler was a Deputy Headmaster at Rondebosch Boys' School in Cape Town from 1999 to 2003. Between 2004 and 2009 he was Headmaster at Pinelands High in Cape Town.Notable alumni
- Eddie BarlowEddie BarlowEdgar John Barlow was a South African cricketer . Barlow played first-class cricket for Transvaal and Eastern Province from 1959-60 to 1967-68 before moving to Western Province for the seasons from 1968-69 to 1980-81...
, Springbok cricketer - Jackie BottenJames BottenJames Thomas "Jackie" Botten was a South African cricketer who played in three Tests in 1965.-References:...
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, Supreme Court judge and AIDS activist - David Epstein, mathematician and Fellow of the Royal Society
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, South African national football player - Bernard FriedmanBernard FriedmanDr Bernard Friedman , was a surgeon, politician, author, businessman, and outstanding orator who co-founded the anti-apartheid Progressive Party . He was educated at Pretoria Boys' High School and then he read medicine at Edinburgh University, where he was a gold medalist...
, politician, writer and surgeon and founder of the Progressive Party - Mark FishMark FishMark Anthony Fish is a retired South African footballer.-Club career:Fish started his career in his native South Africa under the guidance of renowned coach Steve Coetsee, playing for Arcadia Shepherds, an amateur team based at the Caledonian Stadium in Pretoria...
, South Africa internationalSouth Africa national football teamThe South Africa national football team represents South Africa in association football and is controlled by the South African Football Association, the governing body for football in South Africa. South Africa's home ground is Soccer City, known as FNB Stadium due to a naming rights deal, in...
football player - Ken Funston, Springbok cricketer and hockey player
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, British Cabinet Minister - Glen HallGlen Hall (cricketer)Glen Gordon Hall was a South African cricketer who played in one Test in 1965....
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, Australian politician - Gerard MoerdijkGerard MoerdijkGerard Leendert Pieter Moerdijk , also known as Gerard Moerdyk, was a South African architect best-known for designing the Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria....
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, South African politician and leader of the New Republic Party (NRP) - Chiliboy RalepelleChiliboy RalepelleMahlatse "Chiliboy" Ralepelle , generally referred to by his nickname, is a South African rugby union footballer. His usual position is at hooker...
, Springbok Rugby player - John SmitJohn SmitJohn William Smit is the 50th and current captain of the South African national rugby union team, the Springboks. He has played most of his career as a hooker, but played twice for the Springboks off the bench as a prop prior to the South Africa coaching staff's decision to use him as a tighthead...
, captain of the RWC 2007 winning Springbok team - Max TheilerMax TheilerMax Theiler was a South African/American virologist. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1951 for developing a vaccine against yellow fever.-Career development:...
, Nobel PrizeNobel PrizeThe Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
laureate who produced the vaccine against yellow feverYellow feverYellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family.... - Francois ViljoenFrancois ViljoenFrancois Viljoen is an American rugby union fullback. He is a member of the United States national rugby union team and participated with the squad at the 2007 Rugby World Cup.-References:...
, U.S.A men's national rugby union Eagles player - Roy WegerleRoy WegerleRoy Wegerle is a South African-American former soccer player, who played for the United States in the 1994 and 1998 World Cups. He is one of two players who played in both the NASL and MLS; the other is Hugo Sánchez....
, US internationalUnited States men's national soccer teamThe United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
football (soccer) player
The School has produced eighteen Rhodes scholars
Rhodes Scholarship
The Rhodes Scholarship, named after Cecil Rhodes, is an international postgraduate award for study at the University of Oxford. It was the first large-scale programme of international scholarships, and is widely considered the "world's most prestigious scholarship" by many public sources such as...
, several Supreme Court
Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa
The Supreme Court of Appeal is an appellate court in South Africa; it is the highest appeal court except in constitutional matters, which are ultimately decided by the Constitutional Court...
judges, an archbishop, a bishop, thirty-two high-school headmasters, five national cricketers, four Springbok rugby players (two of whom have captained the side) and two English Premier League football players.
The Old Boys Association
PBHS has a vast and active network of Old Boys, forming one of the largest alumni organisations in South Africa. The Association publishes an annual journal and review, The Phobian, which is distributed to Old Boys across the globe. Members of the Association meet annually at the School for the Annual Dinner, and regular reunions of each matriculating group are organised 10, 20, 30 and 40 years on (echoing the refrain of the School song, "Forty Years On.")The School songs and prayer
The official school song, Tis Here We Learn To Live, was written in the 1930s by two Old Boys (the composer of the music, Dr George Findlay, was a prominent Pretoria dermatologist). However, the School later adopted Forty Years OnForty Years On (song)
Forty Years On is a song written by Edward Ernest Bowen and John Farmer in 1872.It is specifically about life at school and is meant to give pupils now an idea of what it will be like in forty years when they return to their old school, and to remind old boys about their school life...
(originally the School song of Harrow School
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
.) It is this song that is sung at all School Valedictions. The official school song was relegated to obscurity until it was revived as the School's rugby anthem.
'Tis Here We Learn To Live
We are entering life together,
Free of sorrow, and of care,
With a youthful fire and vigour,
Naught can e'er our hope impair.
Though we know indeed but little
Of the life we have to dare,
Tis here we learn to live;
Tis here we learn to live.
Forty Years On
Forty years on, when afar and asunder
Parted are those who are singing today,
When you look back and forgetfully wonder
What you were like in your work and your play.
Then, it may be, it will often come o'er you,
Glimpses of notes like the catch of a song,
Visions of boyhood shall float them before you,
Echoes of dreamland shall bear them along.
Follow up, follow up, follow up, follow up, follow up!
Till the fields ring again and again,
With the tramp of the thirty good men -
Follow up!
Follow up!
The School Prayer
O Lord, God of Truth, Whom to know is everlasting life, and to serve is perfect freedom, grant that we may draw near to Thee in thought, word and deed.
Inspire us with the love of Thy creatures and Thy laws, that in all humility and teachableness, with patience and understanding, by honest and earnest labour, we may seek after knowledge as a blessing that cometh from Thee.
Whether it be our part to teach or learn, to rule or obey, make us feel Thy presence in our several duties, filling us with reverence for the beauty and wonder of Thy universe, and pouring on us a spirit of justice, gentleness, and mutual goodwill.
Thus by Thy grace, may we use this house of learning, that we may prepare our powers of body, mind and spirit, to advance the good of man and the Glory of God.
Amen.
External links
- Pretoria Boys High School Official Website
- Pretoria High School School Old Boys Association is at coordinates 25°45′38"S 28°13′26"E