Kimberley Boys' High School


Kimberley Boys' High School is a state secondary school or high school situated adjacent to the Honoured Dead Memorial, in the arc between Dalham and Memorial Roads, Kimberley, Northern Cape, South Africa – a site it has occupied since January 1914. The school was founded, along with what would become Kimberley Girls' High School, in 1887, under the name Kimberley Public Undenominational Schools. In July 1970 it gave rise to Kimberley Boys’ Junior School which in turn united with Belgravia Junior School in January 1977 to become what is today Kimberley Junior School.

History

Kimberley Boys' High School traces its origins to the establishment of the Kimberley Undenominational Schools, opened at the Woodley Street Schoolroom on 12 April 1887. The Boys' and Girls' Schools occupied separate wings of a purpose-built school in Lanyon Terrace in Kimberley from 1888 until 1913, when Kimberley Girls' High School moved to its present site in Elsmere Road. Kimberley Boys' High School moved to its present site in January 1914.

Headmasters

Episodes in the school’s history have been recounted in Leslie Moult's 1987 centenary book, K.H.Story: a history of Kimberley Boys' High School, relative to the terms of successive headmasters:
Many of the boys of this school volunteered to serve in the armed forces in World War I, World War II and the Korean War, some serving with distinction. A Memorial Library was built in honour of those who lost their lives. Conscripted school-leavers in the second half of the twentieth century acquitted themselves equally well in the South African Defence Force.

Centenary

Kimberley Boys’ High School celebrated its Centenary Year in 1987.

Hostels

The junior section of the school, which hived off as Kimberley Boys' Junior School in 1970, subsequently simply Kimberley Junior School, was served by a hostel known as Dugmore House. Leslie Moult who was hostel superintendent was also first headmaster of Kimberley Boys' Junior School.
The senior hostel was Francis Oats House.
Boys attending Boys' High were also housed at Bishop's Hostel, an institution owned by the Anglican Church until 1981 when it was transferred to Boys' High.

Sport

Sport has an integral role in the life of KHS where every learner is encouraged to take part in at least one summer and one winter sport. At least sixteen KHS alumni have gone on to represent South Africa in international sport.
Alumni who have achieved Springbok status in various sporting codes are listed below.
Sporting codes offered by the school today are:Athletics, Basketball, Cricket, Cross country, Golf, Hockey, Rugby, Soccer, Squash, Swimming, and Tennis.

The performing arts

Boys' High School Players

D.H. Sanders established a tradition of high quality theatrical productions running from 1930 to 1955.
Neil Small ran a Performing Arts Group from 1959 to 1962

Later generations - musicals

Musical theatre flourished from the 1970s under Johan Swart and later Aiden Smith.
The baton was taken up subsequently by Anne Solomon.

Prominent alumni

The Uniform of Kimberley Boys'High School has traditionally been black and white.

Alumni notable for their sporting achievements

Kimberley Boys’ High School has produced the following Springboks:
Athletics
H. Clark, T.R. Jones
Barefoot water-skiing
G. McEwen, Q. Posthumus.
Bowls
J.J. Armstrong, E.A. Williams
Boxing
J. Braine, T. White.
Canoeing
D.J. Walker
Clay pigeon shooting
J. Douglas, H.A. Herbert, J.A. Hill , D. Pogieter, R. van der Schyff , C.T.C. Westley, W. Wright.
Cricket
Xenophon Balaskas, Ernest Bock, Albert Powell, William Shalders, Ken Viljoen, Pat Symcox.
Cycling
J. Billett, R.A. Pressly , R. Robertson, R. Robinson.
Gymkhana
D. Brown, K. Brown
Hockey
W. Rosenberg, W. Ubsdell
Karate
H. Humphreys
Modern pentathlon
D. Sterley
Motor racing
B. Olthoff
Rifle shooting
G.W. Church
Rugby
F. Bennetto, J.S. Braine, W. Brune, W.H. Clarke, W. Cotty, J. de Lany, S.C. de Melcker, Frederick J. Dobbin, J.H. Gage, A.P. Gericke, B. Gibbs, Ian Kirkpatrick, S.H. Ledger, R.J. Lockyear, J.D. McCulloch, J.J. Meintjies, W.C. Martheze, A.W. Powell, J.M. Powell, J.W.E. Raaff, F.C. Smollen, A van der Hoff, J. van der Schyff
Show jumping
B. Taylor
Soccer
V. Marais
Tennis
F. McMillan
Weight-lifting
D. Benjamin, B. Engelbrecht, J. van Rensburg
Springbok trialists
Cricket: W. Dickens, C. Helfrich, J.E. Waddington
Rugby: W. Brune, W.H. Kokkinn, R. Roselt, W. Sendin