THE HISTORY OF BOKSBURG HIGH school

The REPTC was opened on 11 February 1920, with fourteen pupils (13 girls and a boy). With Mr Charter, the principal, were Mrs Crosse and Mr Vermeulen and for classrooms there were 6 shops in the Morris Arcade, Boksburg.  At the beginning of 1922 the scholars moved into Nobby’s Bar (Mr Henry) and the Voortrekker school took over the arcade. Bear in mind this took place at the time of the 1922 strikes and the Rand Revolt, a very volatile time on the East Rand and particularly in Boksburg.

At the beginning of 1923 Mr Charter was transferred to the Normal College, Johannesburg and his place was taken over by Mr ACM Orrey. At that time the years spent in high school was changed from four to five years and Grade 8 (Form 1) was added to those already at the school.  This change necessitated additional teachers - Ms Hilner and Ms Crutchfield were appointed. There was already a shortage of classrooms and the Grade 12s (Form V’s) were accommodated in the laboratory. More teachers followed - Mr Beuster and Mr JW Collin.  The name of the REPTC was a problem, because it was associated with a teaching training facility, which it was not. It was just a high school. It was the hope in 1924 that a new building could be built as the school was doing so well. In those days funds were raised for the making of tennis courts, a cadet corps, a shooting range, a radio society and the division of the pupils into Houses. The latter would facilitate the holding of inter house competitions.      

The first Magazine was produced in November 1924. The editor made various comments as to the value of a magazine:

“Through the medium of a school magazine, one of the greatest tragedies of school life averted, viz: that of forgetting of the existence of the old school after a student has left it. The days of our youth are undoubtedly the most enjoyable of our earthly span, and as such, the memories thereof are the most dwelt upon, and the most gratifying. Thus it is that, if a pupil has attended a school which makes absolutely no attempt to keep its memory alive in his life, he soon forgets about it. As regards name, locality and present events, and thus deprives it of a school’s greatest reward, being affectionately referred to as ‘the old school’. Nor is it right that a school should lose its influence over a former student just because he has stepped out into the World. Neither is it fair for any past student to fail to notify his old school of his progress in life. It is only through the school magazine that these connections can be maintained.”

The school officially changed its name to Boksburg High School in 1925.

The results of examinations were always published in the magazines. The Magazine of 1926 reported the following pupils names that had achieved exam success:

E Gorschel, Peggy Strick, E Kaminsky, R Caldwell, H Jones, Phyllis Rawlins, Jane Peters, Olive Lancaster (she also taught at the school after qualifying, and her son, Ron Webber, also taught here in the 1980s) M Jansen van Vuuren (became the chief traffic officer of the town – Tienie), K Murray, L Honey, K Hollow, Isabella Williamson, Patsy Harpur, Julius Berjak, Annie Gemmell, Bertha Blatchford, A Annfield, W Dalling (National sailing hero who sailed around the world) E Rex, Joyce Coombs, Mabel Greenslade, K Kalkschmidt, M Murdoch, D Murray-Seeth, F Taitz, G Wiliams and R Murray.

Sports fields were finally finished in 1926. In early 1930, the School managed to move into the new structures at the present site. The first part of the school is the area around the Acheson Quadrangle. All those buildings are the originals. The Media centre was the school hall.  Unfortunately the floors and windows of the classrooms had to be replaced in 1979. In the interim, more specialist rooms had to be constructed which included the now Computer centres, AVR, Consumer Studies venue, Art room and EGD rooms. These were built in the early 50s. The hall was part of this construction as was the Geography block.

In the early 1980s there was a great deal of building activity when the premises adjacent on the eastern side, which was Baanbreker Laerskool, were taken over. In spite of the move of many pupils to the new Sunward Park School in the late 1970s, more room was needed. The pool was a late addition and it was completed in about 1960.

Prefabs followed in the mid-eighties and the school continued to expand. This necessitated the adding of the Primary school on the western side, known as Leeuwpoort, to the whole. More classes were built and that area is known as the Maths centre.  The grandstand was built in the late eighties to make athletics more effective at home, around the athletics track. In 1980 the old gravel hockey field was grassed - what a change that made!

All sorts of other things have been taking place. The Media centre was renovated and a door opened to increase access on the southern side, the Charter quad was covered and then converted into an indoor sports centre. The Orrey quad was more recently covered too and that is very useful as we can fit the whole school there for assemblies.

The Finance department is safely located in the old offices and staffroom area of the Acheson quad. All the learner cloakrooms have been revamped and are as good as any found in any shopping centre. A new garage for a workshop was also completed. The Gym is now a health and fitness centre, thanks to the kind donation by the Wienand and Acheson family.  All classrooms have been wired and have access to Internet, through laptops and all have fixed projectors.

Headmasters:     

Mr Charter

Mr Orrey

Mr Acheson

Mr Van der Schyff

Mr Taylor

Mr Du Plessis

Mrs Boshoff   

Mr Thango

Houses:

Celts

Gauls

Picts

Scots

These were chosen as a representation of clans that lived in and around Europe. The school was essentially a traditional English style place. The ethos was such that there needed to be a way of maintaining this.