MR TONY WILKES AND THE DESK HE MADE WHILE SCHOOL SECRETARY
“At the time that I was appointed as school secretary on 14 February 1968, the school fund was R10 per boy per year. There were approximately 600 pupils at the time and as a consequence there was no way Boys High could spend money on such luxuries as new furniture or much needed office equipment. The following year, due to a substantial donation by one of the parents, we were able to purchase an electric adding machine which benefitted the office beyond all expectations. However at the time we did not have a suitable table or on which it could be mounted close to an electric power point. I decided to make a small table and purchased the shelf and 4 table legs and for a number of years, that is where the adding machine stood. I must say, as the years wore on I had forgotten about the incident until last year, 53 years later, Mr Paul Ewart-Phipps told me that he had discovered a small table that belonged to me. You see on the back of the little table top I had written PRIVATE PROPERTY OF AR Wilkes” – By Mr Anthony (Tony) Wilkes
Mr Wilkes was School Secretary from 1968 to 1992 and is currently the Life President of the Old Boys’ Association. With his wife Phyllis, he regularly attends reunions, assemblies and the Annual Old Boys’ Dinner.
Mr Tony Wilkes and Mr Paul Ewart-Phipps
OLD BOY PAUL WOMBO SELECTED AS FINALIST IN SAICA TOP 35 UNDER 35 COMPETITION
Paul Wombo (Class of 2013, Armstrong House) has been selected as the 2nd youngest finalist of the SA Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) Top 35 Under 35 Competition.
On 7 November 2023, we asked Old Boys via social media to vote for Paul to ensure that he reaches the finals and the PBHS family responded in droves. Thank you! Voting ended on Friday 17 November 2023 and the overall winner will be announced at a gala dinner on the 25th November 2023. We will keep you updated on the results.
The reason for Paul’s nomination was that, in his role as Asset Origination Transactor at Momentum Metropolitan Holdings, he was instrumental in the origination and closing of Momentum Metropolitan’s R1.5 billion investment into the world’s largest solar PV and battery energy storage system in Kenhardt.
Paul’s line manager at Momentum Metropolitan Holdings is Kagiso Tsatsane who is also a PBHS Old Boy (Class of 1999).
REUNION NEWS
50 Years On – Friday, 25 August 2023
In the last newsletter we promised to give you firsthand accounts of reunions as provided by the convenors. Hereunder, Eric Johnson (Class of 1973) describes the 50 Years On.
Friday 25 August 2023 was a very special day, for many reasons:
-The incredible welcome received at the School
-The joy of seeing and reconnecting with old friends – no pun intended….
-The true pride in seeing the School, the boys, the fields, the facilities
-For some of us, the surprise in seeing our son’s junior master as the headmaster!
-The most incredible Assembly and the warm welcome by the boys
-In seeing how the School treasure these reunion visits• In the delectable long lunch with lots of banter and joy
-In paying tribute to absent friends
-In the casual after kuier where everyone chatted a lot but drank very little!
A very warm thank you are in order to the school, to Mr Hassenkamp, to Sally de Beer who organised it all, to Karen Botha who made the Media Centre special with pictures and snippets from ’73, to Minky and Heather Gioia, Faan & Ilse de Wet with whom we met over many pizzas to firm up the arrangements, to John Thomas for his message at assembly, to Mike Green, our MC and to everyone else involved with the arrangements. And yes, I did buy flowers for Heidi!
And then of course to everyone who travelled from far and wide and across the country to attend the day – the Western and Southern Cape was very well represented! I will forget if I start naming names but I do need to say a special thanks to Alan Batty who came all the way from Australia. Your special efforts are greatly appreciated – Head Prefect, Class of 1973, Eric Johnson
The Class of 1973 with Headmaster Greg Hassenkamp
40 Years On – Friday and Saturday 27 & 28 October 2023
The 40 Years On Reunion of the Class of 1983 took place on Friday 27th and Saturday 28th October 2023. We will share a write-up on the reunion in our next newsletter.
The 40 Years On group
BRANCH GET-TOGETHERS
The Last Branch Get-Together of 2023 was the Johannesburg event on Thursday, 2 November 2023. Ross Phillips tells us more about it.
“On Thursday, November 2, 2023, a cohort of approximately 30 Old Boys convened for the Annual JHB Old Boys gathering at The Country Club Johannesburg Woodmead.
Marking its third consecutive year, this event has experienced consistent growth, both in terms of attendance figures and the inclusion of a diverse range of age groups—an encouraging trend.
These gatherings serve as an invaluable opportunity to rekindle longstanding friendships, exchange nostalgic anecdotes, and engage in networking with individuals who share a common background. A selection of pizzas and beverages were made available, fostering an atmosphere of camaraderie marked by laughter and meaningful conversations.
The allure of the ‘Boys High Magic’ as affectionately coined, is undeniable. We remain committed to continuing the growth of this event annually, extending an invitation to all Old Boys in the JHB area to actively participate.
During the event, a brief address was delivered by one of the Old Boys, expressing gratitude for the attendees and highlighting the monthly lunches hosted at The Thundergun Restaurant. He encouraged increased participation in these lunches to preserve its special legacy!
Headmaster Mr Greg Hassenkamp shared insights into the school’s current affairs and emphasised the pivotal role Old Boys play in shaping the future of Pretoria Boys High.
Anticipating increased participation in the coming year, we extend an invitation for more Old Boys to join us, as we aspire to make 2024 an even more substantial and enriching experience” – Ross Phillips (School House, Class of 2003)
PS The Joburg Get-Together in 2024 will take place on Thursday, 7 November.
Johannesburg Old Boys at the Joburg Country Club Woodmead
2024’s Calendar of Events
Summer Sports Day – Saturday 20 January 2024
KZN Branch Get-Together – Friday 1 March 2024
Bloemfontein Branch Get-Together – Wednesday 8 May 2024
60 Years On – Friday 17 May 2024
Annual Old Boys’ Dinner – Saturday 8 June 2024
20 Years On – Saturday 13 July 2024
Cape Town Branch Get-Together – Wednesday 24 July 2024
George/Knysna/Plett Branch Get-Together – Thursday 25 July 202
10 Years On – Saturday 17 August 2024
30 Years On – Friday & Saturday 30 and 31 August 2024
50 Years On – Friday 13 September 2024
40 Years On – Friday & Saturday 25 and 26 October 2024
Joburg Branch Get-Together – Thursday 7 November 2024
BOYS HIGH HISTORY
The following historical research was submitted to Second Master John Illsley by Old Boy Dr Rob Dowdeswell:
Finding Donald McCallum
Donald McCallum attended Pretoria Boys High School between 1909 and 1913. He was killed in World War 1 and commemorated on the School’s WW1 Memorial. No information was known as to when or where he was killed, or where he was buried.
Early copies of the School magazine, The Pretorian, are missing (no copies for 1911 and 1913 and missing copies for 1912, 1914 and 1915) but it is recorded that he was active in School Cadets and excelled as a marksman, winning many prizes. The Pretorian vol III no 4 December 1917, under the heading “Who’s Who at the Front”, recorded “McCallum D., Despatch Rider, RE [Royal Engineers] in France”. The 1920 edition, under the heading “Roll of Honour” recorded “McCallum D., Killed in Action, France” provided a possible lead.
The South Africa War Graves Project (SAWGP) and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) are readily available sources on the internet to find records of South African war dead. The SAWGP holds no record for a McCallum killed in WW1. Records for all the other 27 names on the School Memorial were found in both the SAWGP and CWGC.
The CWGC holds 28 records for ‘D McCallums’ and six for ‘Donald McCallums’ killed in WW1. Searching for D McCallum’s killed while serving in the RE yielded only 2 records: Sergeant Daniel McCallum, “P” Special Coy, Royal Engineers, service number 147151 who was killed on 6th July 1917 and buried in Essex Farm Cemetery, Belgium; and Sapper Duncan McCallum, 205th Field Coy, Royal Engineers, service number 164598 killed on 2nd April 1918 and buried in Warloy-Baillon Communal Cemetery Extension. With no date of death or unit served in it is not possible to make a positive identification from the CWGC records of the Donald McCallum who attended Pretoria Boys High.
While randomly searching the McCallum name I came across a blog of one Graham Leslie McCallum posted in 2014 while researching his family name: “Donald McCallum ? – Unknown but not Forgotten”. He had contacted the archivist at Boys High who must have given him the 1917 report of “Who’s Who at the Front” that D McCallum was reported as a despatch rider with the RE in France. He identified the same two McCallums’ found in CWGC records mentioned above but did not obtain their service records (objecting to having “…to cross their palms with silver”). He did, however, establish that one of the two was named Daniel (service number 147151) and eliminated him from his search.
In 2015 the blog was updated:“I have not been able to determine what the ‘D’ in Sapper D. McCallum’s name stood for, or any other information on his parents. Sadly – for the time being, his origins remain a mystery. I remain ever hopeful that we will be able to restore D. McCallum to contemporary memory”.
In 2017 the blog was updated for the last time: “As of 2017, new information emerged from newly released records and I was able to determine that D. McCallum is indeed Donald McCallum. He was resident in Pretoria, South Africa and attending Pretoria Boys’ High School as his father was serving in the Overseas Military. Donald’s father was Lieutenant-Colonel Donald McCallum (senior) and his mother was Charlotte Kathleen Lily McCallum (born c1867 in Dublin, Ireland). Stationed in 1911 at the Army Headquarters, Artillery Barracks in Pretoria, Donald McCallum was a Lieutenant and Quartermaster in the Army Services Corps and was born in 1867 at Glencoe, Argyllshire, in Scotland. Residing with him were his wife and two sons, Frank McCallum who was born 1900 in Cairo, Egypt; and our Donald McCallum (junior) who was born 1896 at Chester, Cheshire, England. Their mother Charlotte was born in 1867 …Sapper Donald McCallum died on the 2nd of April 1918. His remains lie buried at Warloy-Baillon Communal Cemetery Extension. Grave – VIII.E.22.”
Unfortunately, having found the information above, Graham Leslie erroneously assumed that Sapper D McCallum, service number 164598, 205th Field Company, Royal Engineers, who died at the 13th Australian Field Ambulance on the 2nd of April 1918, was the Donald of Pretoria Boys High.
Interestingly he had an oblique connection to Boys High in that he was a pupil at the Pro Arte School in the 1980’s when it occupied the present-day Pollock Campus.
Finally, I contacted Chris Baker, a respected researcher and owner of the website fourteeneighteen specializing in WW1 British Army records research. I sent him the details of the McCallum family found by Graham Leslie and virtually, by return post, he sent me copies of documents that finally provided positive identification of our Donald McCallum. The fact that Donald’s family was British explains why there is no record for him in the SAWGP records.
During the Boer War Donald’s father was a Quartermaster with the rank of Lieutenant in the Royal Army Service Corps, base at Army Head Quarters in Pretoria. In June 1902 his wife Charlotte and sons J and F(rank) sailed from Southampton aboard the Arundel Castle to join him in Pretoria. In 1902 Donald was six years old doing his primary schooling in Scotland where he attended George Watson’s College in Edinburgh and Aberdeen Grammar School. We learn from the 1911 (UK) Census that Donald (junior) age 15 and brother Frank, age 11 were with their parents, resident at the Artillery Barracks, Army Headquarters, in Pretoria. I have not found any information on the third brother “J” who was possibly in Scotland at the time for his primary schooling.
The references to Sergt. McCallum in The Pretorian Vol III no 1 July 1914 are problematic in that the date (1914) is at odds with dates found in the obituary for Donald in a paper entitled “The War Memorial and Roll-of-Honour of the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies” (Journal Veterinary History 2016: 18; 2 p117-214), which records as follows: “…He entered the Royal (Dick) Veterinary College in September 1913 and was a member of the College Officer Training Corps. He passed the first year of the course with 2nd Class Honours but left for active service in September 1914. He joined the 12th Battalion of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders as a Private and quickly attained the rank of Sergeant. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the 10th Battalion of the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) in January 1915 and crossed to France six months later. He was last seen during the Battle of Loos and was reported missing believed killed on that date. He was 19 years old.
He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Loos Memorial, Ps de Calais, France.”The explanation may be that Donald left Boys High in 1913 (age 17) but the results of the last shooting competition were only reported in The Pretorian in July 1914. I have posted an update to Graham Leslie’s blog, finally closing the search for Donald McCallum of Pretoria Boys High. I am sure that Graham Leslie would be pleased that Donald has, at last, been restored to contemporary memory.
View Graham Leslie McCallum’s blog here: https://wp.me/p3WzEy-Sj
Researched and written by Dr Rob Dowdeswell (Class of 1963, School House)
NEWS FROM OLD BOYS AND FORMER MASTERS
We recently heard from the former Music Department Head Dr Niel van der Watt who retired in November 2022. He wrote:
“I have had a webpage designed, by an old boy, Michael Ferguson, containing my music much of which is related to Boys High since that is where I composed most of it! It is especially true of this first CD which I released in 2004. Many of the pieces date back to the 1990s and were written for specific boys that I mention in the programme notes” .
Past pupils of Dr Van der Watt are welcome to view the page at: www.nielvanderwattmusic.com
–o0o–
Mrs Joan Hill, wife of Old Boy Derek Hill (Class of 1959) and now residing in Adelaide, South Austrialia, sent us a news article on Old Boy Wayde Thomas (Class of 2015, Abernethy House) and it is well worth sharing.
Mr and Mrs Hill lived in Kei Mouth in the Eastern Cape for 20 years and shared an article from the Mor Kei Echo a monthly newsletter for residents, home owners and friends of Kei Mouth, Morgan Bay, Haga-Haga and the surrounding area of the Wild Coast. She explained that “each month an article ‘In the Spotlight’ focuses on a person who has made a noteworthy contribution to the community. In November this was Wayde Thomas, an Old Boy of PBHS who has made an outstanding contribution to Ferndale School, a small primary school outside Morgan Bay”. She went on to say: “I believe that Wayde’s work at Ferndale School is worthy of recognition. He is an unsung hero of Boys’ High and has done the school proud. The editor of the Morr Kei Echo has given permission for this article to be published elsewhere. She also obtained Wayde Thomas’s approval”.
Hereunder the article and we would like to add our thanks to Wayde for making us proud!
In the Spotlight
Wayde Thomas hails from Pretoria. He went to Pretoria Boys High. Obtained a BSc Food Science at Pretoria University. He is presently studying for a Bachelor of Education in Physical Science and Maths.
Wayde was working at St Martins school in Rosettenville, Gauteng. He accompanied the children on an outreach tour to Ferndale School. He saw that there was lots of work that needed to be done. His headmaster, Thomas Hagsphil offered to sponsor him for a year to come and see what he could do to make a difference. Rob Jackson (organiser of the Investec Great Kei cycle race) heard about this and came to the party and provided much needed funds. He arrived on the 2 January 2023. The school was not in the best condition. The ground had knee high grass, the building was rundown and the pit toilets were unusable. There were only two staff members to teach from grade R to Grade 8.
Wayde slowly made small changes. He wrote to the Department of Education about the vacant posts and successfully managed to get two more teachers. He also taught the grade4-7 class.
He then encouraged the community to come and help clean up the grounds. Our soccer team, Pres Milan spent a number of hours cleaning up and some Morgan Bay residents went to help.
In partnership with Investec Great Kei trek and other sponsors improvements of the infrastructure began. There were many headaches but slowly things started to happen. Proper flushing toilets have been installed. The roof was asbestos. It has been replaced. The water tanks were also made of asbestos. They now have four 5000l tanks. The property has been fenced. In the next couple of weeks, the school will get a coat of paint.
Unfortunately, his sponsorship will run out at the end of the month and he will be leaving us. If, however, further sponsorship comes his way he would love to spend another year here. In addition to making a huge difference to Ferndale School he has actively worked in the community.
His future wish is to establish a NPO that will train people to do what he has done. He believes that the community of Morgan Bay can get more involved in the school. Some ideas were, teaching the kids some crafts, giving the kids some lessons (we do have a few retired teachers), teaching some ball skills or getting a vegetable garden going. Some needs at the moment are curtains, cleaning supplies, sports equipment, benches for the kids to sit on at break and some shading.
Thank you Wayde for the difference you have made in so many children’s lives and for all you have done in Morgan Bay. You will be sorely missed. We wish all the best in whatever your next venture is.
“History will judge us by the difference we make in the everyday lives of children” Nelson Mandela – Article published in the Mor Kei Echo, November 2023.
Wayde Thomas (Photo: Mor Kei Echo)
TRIKES SPORTS PUB IN PRETORIA HAS PBHS WALL MURAL
On Saturday 18 November 2023 Trikes Sports Pub, owned by an Old Boy, unveiled a “school facade wall”. Old Boys were invited to buy a brick for R50.00 and a laser printed plaque with their name and year was made instantly and placed on the wall. PBHS master Paul Anthony provided the entertainment for the afternoon. Headmaster Greg Hassenkamp, also an Old Boy from the Class of 1990, attended the wall unveiling and his name and year were placed on the wall. The Sports Bar can be found in Boendoe Avenue, Garsfontein East, just past Woodlands Shopping Centre.
PBHS Headmaster Greg Hassenkamp in front of the mural at Trikes Sports Pub
SUMMER SPORTS DAY 2024
Save the date! The first event of 2024 will be the ever-popular Summer Sports Day also known as Old Boys Day and it will be held on the first Saturday after school resumes in the new year ie SATURDAY 20 JANUARY 2024.
It is helpful to pre-register for events so that the School and MIC’s can adequately prepare for the various activities. The link to book your place is: https://pbhsoba.alumnet.co.za/Event/SUMMER2520SPORTS2520DAY25202022-1-1
- there are no costs involved.
The following sports are on offer:
- Basketball
- Climbing
- Cricket
- Cross Country
- Fencing
- Soccer
- Squash
- Tennis
- Table Tennis
- Water Polo
The following cultural activities are also on offer:
- Chess
- Debating
- Fantasy War Games
- Photography
- Sketching
Registration for Old Boys will take place at the Sommerville Cricket Pavilion at the following times: 08:00 to 09:00 and 12:00 to 13:00. Registration forms will be available at the Old Boys gazebo or email info@phsob.com. Again, please consider pre-registration. The cricket teams are usually pre-arranged but you can put your name down as a reservist.
The PBHS Parents Association will have two tuck shops open at the water polo pool and basketball courts and will be serving hot and cold snacks. Please note that NO ALCOHOL may be brought onto the school premises.
The starting times for all events will be published early in January 2024.
SCHOOL NEWS
The 2024 Prefect Body announced
The 2024 prefect body was announced late in October with Murray Rogers (Rissik) having been appointed as Head Prefect and Matthew Moorhouse (Sunnyside) as Deputy Head Prefect.
The Old Boys’ Association’s Chairman Jason Webber wrote to both boys on behalf of the Association congratulating them and pledging the Association’s support.
SCHOOL SPORTING ACHIEVEMENTS
Adam Cannata (Form 4 – Arcadia) has been selected in the Provisional CSA u19 World Cup Squad. The World Cup will take place on 13 and 14 February 2024 in South Africa.
Tumelo Mahan, a Form IV Town House boy and school prefect, has been selected to represent South Africa at the 2023 Junior Africa Aquatics Championships in December in Mauritius.
Ruard Booysen (Form 4 – Armstrong) made his debut for the SA u17 hockey team in the Dato Mirnawan Cap hosted in Malaysia from 18-26 November.
WELL DONE! PBHS Old Boys are exceptionally proud of you and all boys who have excelled in sports and cultural activities.
Adam Cannata : Cricket
Tumelo Mahan : Aquatics
Ruard Booysen : Hockey
IN MEMORIAM
EMILE PAULSEN
7 November 1976–28th July 2023; PBHS Class of 1994 (Town House)
It is with extreme sadness that I inform you of the death of Emile Paulsen, who died suddenly after an unexpected and tragic accident in July 2023.
Emile attended PBHS from 1990 to 1994, where he distinguished himself as a musician. He was a gifted pianist and cellist who consistently won the Music Prize during his high school career and was a fixture in the school orchestra.
Besides music, a love of architecture had possessed him from an early age, so it was destiny that he pursued this as a career. After matriculating from PBHS, Emile spent a year in the Netherlands and returned to Pretoria to study building science and architecture at the University of Pretoria and Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), graduating from the latter as an architect. He rejoined his alma mater in 2016 as a lecturer in the Department of Architecture and Interior Design at TUT, specialising in professional architectural practice. As a lecturer and mentor, Emile was much loved by his students.
His significant contributions to the field of architecture in South Africa included authoring several practice guidelines for the South African Institute of Architects where he served as Interim Executive in Practice, Continuing Professional Development and Education. For his many endeavours at regional and national level, the Pretoria Institute of Architecture conferred on him the 2023 President’s Award posthumously.
Emile continued his musical studies in tandem with his architectural career, which included a Licenciate in piano performance through the University of South Africa (UNISA).
His death is an enormous loss to everyone who knew him, whether personally and professionally. His kind and gentle nature left a deep impression on all of us. His close friends and fellow Old Boys will always treasure his offbeat and deadpan sense of humour, which could leave one breathless with laughter in a matter of seconds. In his memory, the cohort of Old Boys attending the 2023 Cape Town dinner reminisced and raised a glass to him, remembering his talents as a musician and genteel personality. To his best friends, myself included, Emile was a de facto brother, and we are shattered by his passing.
The funeral service took place on Saturday, August 5th 2023 at the Brooklyn Methodist Church, with several Old Boys attending.
Emile is survived by his partner Alain, his sister Inge (who worked for the PHSOB Association from 2014 to 2021), his mother Ronel, and his nephew Alex, who matriculated from PBHS in 2019 – submitted by Adalbert Ernst (Class of 1994)
The late Emile Paulsen
VISIT THE OLD BOYS CLUB, 378 QUEEN’S CRESCENT LYNNWOOD for good food, drinks specials, quiz night, live music and the Joker’s Draw on Wednesdays
