Durban High School (Better known as D.H.S) is a public English medium high school for boys situated in the suburb of Musgrave in Durban in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa.

Durban High School
Address
Map
255 St. Thomas Road, Musgrave

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Coordinates29°50′40″S 30°59′52″E / 29.84444°S 30.99778°E / -29.84444; 30.99778
Information
Other nameD.H.S.
School typeAll-boys public school
MottoDeo Fretus
(In God We Trust)
Established1866; 158 years ago (1866)
Sister schoolMaris Stella
School districtDistrict 9
HeadmasterTony Pinheiro
Grades8–12
GenderMale
Age14 to 19
Number of students1000 boys
LanguageEnglish
Schedule07:30 – 15:00
CampusUrban Campus
Campus typeSuburban
Houses  Blackmore
  Campbell
  Grice
  Langley
  Payne
  Swales
Colour(s)  Blue
  Gold
NewspaperThe Herald
Boarding housesBlackmore
Websitewww.durbanhighschool.co.za

DHS opened its doors in 1866 in two rooms and with seven pupils in Smith Street. From there it moved to a disused granary in Cato Square in 1880, just after the Zulu War, and then to the Old Hospital on the foreshore. In 1895, it moved up onto the healthier Berea to its present site, where it flourished. The ten acres plot was granted to the School by the Durban Town Council. The first enrolled student was a boy called Eben Coates and he was also the first Head-boy. There is also a related primary school: Durban Preparatory High School. The school has approximately 1000 enrolled students, all boys, and includes a small boarding establishment and over 75 teachers. The headmaster is Mr. Tony Pinheiro. It is the oldest standing school in Durban and one of the oldest in South Africa.

Houses

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There are six houses:

  • Swales – old gold
  • Grice – turquoise
  • Langley – red
  • Campbell – green
  • Payn – Oxford blue
  • Blackmore (the boarders' house) – white

Blackmore House has capacity for over 130 boys. The boys' needs are catered for by boarder masters, food provision and dormitories with a maximum of six boys per dorm. The boys can go home most weekends and return on Monday mornings.

Headmasters

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  • 1866 – 1875: R Russell
  • 1875 – 1880:
  • 1880 – 1886: R P Sandford
  • 1886 – 1909: W H Nicholas
  • 1910 – 1930: A S Langley
  • 1931 – 1945: J Black
  • 1945 – 1952: Col. A C Martin
  • 1952 – 1959: G J Armstrong
  • 1959 – 1970: A W McIver
  • 1971 – 1983: D C Thompson
  • 1984 – 1993: K L Tomlinson
  • 1994 – 1996: R D Forde
  • 1997 – 2003: I T Bennison
  • 2004 – 2014: D A Magner
  • 2014 – 2016: L Erasmus
  • 2017–present: A D Pinheiro

Sports

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A wide range of sports and activities are offered including climbing, golf, fishing, surfing, chess, football, basketball, and hardball as well as the more traditional athletics, cricket, hockey, and rugby which have been played at the school for over 100 years. The school has produced over 140 international sportsmen in sports ranging from rugby and cricket to golf, badminton, baseball, surfing and powerlifting. Countries represented include France, New Zealand, England, Scotland, Germany and the United States. More than 30 old boys have played international cricket, six of whom were Wisden Cricketers of the Year. Five old boys played in the 1960 Lords test against England and four in the first two tests against Australia in 1969/70.

Notable people

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Staff

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  • 'Skonk' Nicholson, renowned schools rugby coach. Coached seven Springboks including Joel Stransky and Butch James, both world cup winning fly-halves when he coached the first XV at Maritzburg College. Coach of 14 unbeaten College teams. In his 35 seasons in charge of the College First XV his teams established a playing record of, Played 504, Won 403, Drew 49 and Lost 52. DHS First XV rugby, First XI cricket and Head Prefect. Natal School's Rugby.[1]
  • Cecil (Bill) Payn, Springbok rugby. Taught at the school from 1915 to 1953. Bill fought in both World Wars and was awarded the Military Medal in 1941, aged 47, while in action in the Western Desert. Prisoner of war in Germany with fellow DHS teacher Izak Van Heerden. Ran the 90 km Comrades Marathon in rugby boots. Provincial cricket, baseball, athletics and boxing.
  • Izak Van Heerden. School, Natal, Springbok and Argentina rugby coach. POW in Germany with another DHS teacher, Bill Payn. Taught at DHS for 39 years. Izak died at the school in 1973.

Alumni

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Politics

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Academics

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Business

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  • Graham Atkinson: Chief Executive Officer Umgeni Water (1987–1996), a state-owned entity. It is one of Africa's most successful organisations involved in water management, and is the largest supplier of bulk potable water in KwaZulu-Natal.
  • Stephen Mulholland,[3] CEO Times Media Limited (Formerly SAAN) 1986–1992. CEO Fairfax Group (Australia) 1992–1996. Two time All American Swimming Champion and South African national champion.
  • Stephen Bradley Saad, founder and CEO of Aspen Pharmacare, Africa's largest pharmaceutical manufacturer. First XV rugby.

Past president of NUSAS

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Judiciary

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Military

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Arts and media

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Rhodes Scholars

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Sports

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All international representatives unless indicated otherwise.

Cricket
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All represented South Africa except where noted:[a]

Rugby
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Athletics
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Triathlon
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  • Henri Schoeman, Bronze medal in 2016 Rio Olympics. Gold medal 2018 Commonwealth Games. Oakridge College also.
Surfing, swimming, lifesaving and canoeing
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Golf
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Tennis
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Hockey
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Other sports
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  • Eric Dalton[12]-SA Golf, Tennis and Cricket.
  • Rupert Ellis-Brown, represented SA in sailing in 1924 and 1928 Olympic Games.
  • Dave Hudson,[13] yachtsman. Represented SA in the Admiral's Cup (1975), the Olympic Games (1992), the ISAF Games (1994) and in 14 World Championships between 1968 and 2009.
  • Warren Lewis – Footballer, SA (2 caps in 2000), Durban City, WIts University, Amazulu, Orlando Pirates, Moroka Swallows. Scored the first goal in the PSL.
  • Ian McLeod, World Cup football referee (France 1998).

Notes and references

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  1. ^ Over 200 old boys have played provincial cricket in South Africa or county cricket in England.
  2. ^ a b c d All five played in the Lords test match in 1960. Richards, Goddard, Irvine and Gamsy all played in the first two tests against Australia in 1969/70.
  1. ^ "NATAL SCHOOLS RUGBY OVERVIEW". Schools Rugby Tribune. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
  2. ^ "Radclyffe Cadman". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 13 December 2018.
  3. ^ Stephen Mulholland
  4. ^ Laurence Gandar
  5. ^ "World Press Freedom Hero". Archived from the original on 4 June 2016. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
  6. ^ Michael Turner
  7. ^ Bertram Cooley
  8. ^ Dan Taylor
  9. ^ Springboks
  10. ^ Hank McGregor
  11. ^ Stephen Mulholland
  12. ^ Eric Dalton
  13. ^ Dave Hudson
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