Hilton College

"For the academic college at the University of Houston, see Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management."Infobox School2
name = Hilton College


motto = "Orando et Laborando"
established = 1872
type = Private, Boarding
locale = Rural
grades = 8 - 12
head_name = Headmaster
head = Dave Lovatt
head_name2 = Exam board
head2 = IEB
city = Hilton
state = KwaZulu-Natal
country = South Africa
students = 550 boys
school_colors = Black and white
free_label = Fees
free = R 129 560 p.a.
website = [http://www.hiltoncollege.com/ www.hiltoncollege.com]

Hilton College is a private full boarding senior school for boys located near the small town of Hilton in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands of South Africa. It is one of the most prestigious schools in South Africa.

History

It was founded in 1872 by Gould Arthur Lucas and William Orde Newnham, an Anglican priest when Natal was a British colony, as a non-denominational Christian school for boys. It is located on a 17 square kilometre estate.

The original school buildings were red brick but with development this changed to the present Cape Dutch style.

Hilton has established a friendly rivalry with other schools in the province including: Maritzburg College, Michaelhouse and Kearsney College.

Hilton is a member of the unofficial Elite Seven.

Nelson Mandela was a guest speaker at the school's annual prizegiving and speech day in 2001.

Relationship with Michaelhouse

Besides being the two most expensive schools of their kind in South Africa, Hilton College and Michaelhouse have much in common in that they are both boarding schools, with Hilton being full-boarding. Both are located near one another in the somewhat remote KwaZulu-Natal Midlands.

A friendly rivalry on the sportsfield has developed since 1896, and the high point of this is the Hilton-Michaelhouse Day, which alternates every year between the two campuses and during which the schools play one another in sport. The day cumlinates in a rugby match between the two 1st XVs, followed by a "friendly" foozeball match between the headmasters of the two schools, after which the host school's anthem is performed on a Theremin.

Headmasters

*William Orde Newnham (1872 - 1877)
*Henry Vaughan Ellis (Old Rugbedian) (1878 - 1904)
*William Falcon (1906 - 1933)
*T.W. Mansergh (1934 - 1947)
*J.A. Pateman (1947 - 1953)
*J.W. Hudson (1953 - 1957)
*E.L. Harrison (1958 - 1967)
*R.G. Slater (1967 - 1980)
*R.H. Todd (1981 - 1983)
*D.V. Ducasse (1984 - 1986)
*P.W. Marsh (1987 - 1993)
*Michael J. Nicholson (1994 - 2007)
*Dave Lovatt (2008 - present)

Academics

The years of study at Hilton are referred to as forms 1 to 5. "Fifth form" is the equivalent of grade 12 or year 12 and has boys aged 17 or 18 and "First form" is the equivalent of grade 8 or year 8 and has boys aged 13 or 14.

The pupil-teacher ratio is 10:1. [cite web|url=http://www.isasa.org|title=ISASA Schools Guide]

Hilton College leavers write the Independent Examinations Board exams.

Most of Hilton's leavers go on to attend South African universities such as the University of Cape Town, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Stellenbosch University, Wits University and Rhodes University. Fact|date=April 2007

Hilton has also produced over 15 Rhodes scholars for study at the University of Oxford and two Elsie Ballot scholars for study at the University of Cambridge. [cite web|url=http://www.genealogyworld.net/hilton/rhodes.html|title=Genealogy World]

piritual

Hilton is a non-denominational Christian college, and Christian worship, values and principles are the foundation of College life. Pupils attend chapel service twice a week, including Sundays. About 40% of the school pupils come from Anglican backgrounds; 15% from Roman Catholic; 13% from Methodist; the other denominations are less than 10% each. The school chaplain is Fr. Kevin Robertson (Anglican).

The Old Hiltonian Club

Old boys of Hilton College are called old Hiltonians and they meet regularly at venues throughout South Africa, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States (the largest gathering at the Harvard Club in New York.)

Notable Old Hiltonians

*Keagan Africa, Dolphins cricketer
*Lionel "Rusty" Bernstein, anti-apartheid activist and political prisoner
*Michael Bush, better known as nudist, Beau Brummel
*Bruce Campbell, CEO of Mutual & Federal
*Derek Crookes, former Dolphins and South African cricketer
*John Mowbray Didcott (1948), justice of the Constitutional Court 1995-1998
*Paul Maritz a senior executive at Microsoft from 1986 to 2000
*Sir RH John Don-Wauchope, Bt.
*Wayne Fyvie, former Springbok rugby footballer
*Peter Hassard, president of the Sharks rugby franchise [ [http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=6&click_id=18&art_id=vn20061201132835437C558885 Cape Argus - 1 December 2006] ]
*David Hathorn, businessman and director of Anglo American and De Beers
*Sven Koenig, first-class cricketer
*Hentie Martens, former Springbok rugby footballer
*Roy McLean, South African cricketer 1951-1965
*Mike Melvill, first commercial astronaut and the 433rd person to go into space
*Mike Procter, former South African cricketer and coach
*Bobby Skinstad, former Springbok rugby union captain
*Russel Symcox, Dolphins cricketer
*Gary Teichmann, former Springbok rugby captain
*John Waite, South African cricketer 1951-1965
*Michael J Owen, Shoprite Checkers veteran bagpacker.
*Kgosi Leruo Molotlegi, King of the Bafokeng Nation
*Michael Paff, is the Chief Executive officer of Rand Merchant Bank and is a former hiltonian
* Sandile Zungu, is the Chief Executive Officer of Zico investments.

Hilton today

Hilton is the most expensive boarding school in South Africa with relatively high fees of approximately R129,560 in 2008, although it is also considered one of the best.

The headmaster between 1994 and 2007 is Mike Nicholson, an Old Hiltonian who taught at Kearsney College before joining the teaching staff at Hilton in 1977. Dave Lovatt became the new headmaster in 2008.

Various performers and audiences gather every year for the Hilton Arts Festival held at the Hilton College Theatre - the second largest theatre in the province.

It has a student exchange programme with Eton College, Harrow School, Wrekin College, The King's School, Canterbury in England, Gordonstoun in Scotland, Schule Schloss Salem in Germany and The Scots College in Australia.

Development

Hilton College has an endowment of approximately R37 million. A new Pearce boarding house, is being built in 2006 after a R12 million donation.

Feeder schools

*Highbury Preparatory School, KwaZulu-Natal
*Clifton Preparatory School, Nottingham Road, KwaZulu-Natal
*Cowan House, KwaZulu-Natal
*Cordwalles Preparatory School, KwaZulu-Natal
*Clifton School, KwaZulu-Natal
*The Ridge School, Gauteng
*Pridwin Preparatory School, Gauteng
*St. Peter's Preparatory School, Gauteng
*Waterkloof House Preparatory School, Gauteng

Memberships

*Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa
*Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
*International Boys' Schools Coalition

See also

*List of boarding schools

External links

* [http://www.hiltoncollege.com/ Hilton official site]
* [http://www.hiltoncollege.com/oldboys/index.asp Old Hiltonian Club]
* [http://www.ohc-uk.org/ Old Hiltonian Club United Kingdom branch]
* [http://www.isasa.org/component/option,com_hotproperty/task,view/id,18/Itemid,147/ ISASA School Directory]

References