Kearsney College

Kearsney College
Carpe Diem
Location
Botha's Hill, KwaZulu-Natal South Africa
Information
Type	Private, Boarding
Established	1921
Locale	Suburban
Grades	Forms 2 - 6 (grades 8-12)
Number of students	600+ boys
Colour(s)	Maroon and White
School color(s)	Maroon, white
Mascot	Greyhound
Fees	R 181 350 p.a. (boarding)2014 R 124 800 p.a. (tuition)2014
Website	www.kearsney.com

Kearsney College is a private boarding school for boys in Botha's Hill, a small town between the provincial capital of Pietermaritzburg and Durban, in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa.

History

Kearsney's badge was designed by the then headmaster, R H Matterson, and the chaplain, the Rev. W H Irving, in about 1923. The greyhound is taken from the arms of the Founder, Sir James Liege Hulett. The scallop shells and the dividing chevron are from the arms of the founder of Methodism, John Wesley. The pheon, or arrowhead, is taken from the badge of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, where Matterson studied. The motto "Carpe Diem", traditionally at Kearsney translated "Seize the Day", comes from the Roman poet Quintus Horatius Flaccus, known as Horace, (Odes 1, xi, 8).

Kearsney College is named after Kearsney, Kent and originates from Sir Leige Hulett giving his family home on Natal's North Coast near Stanger to the Christian Church.

The school opened with 12 boarders and two day scholars in August 1921. During the mid-1930s, the Great Depression and threat of malaria on the North Coast caused there to be a search for a more suitable site for the school.

On hearing of this Clement Stott of Botha’s Hill donated 25 acres (100,000 m²) of land. At the same time J.J. Crookes offered to build a Boarding House. The move was completed a month before the beginning of World War II. The new Kearsney College opened with 196 boys.

Some of the college's buildings and facilities have been donated to it.

Headmasters

• D. Pyne Mercier (1921–1922)
• R.H. Matterson (1923–1946)
• S.G. Osler (1947–1964)
• J.H. Hopkins (1965–1974)
• E.W. Silcock (1975–1990)
• O.J. Roberts (1991–2000)
• E.D. van den Aardweg (2001 - present)

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Pembroke house Flag

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Sheffield house Flag

Boarding Houses

There are five boarding establishments, four senior houses and one junior house. They are Finningley (blue), Gillingham (red), Pembroke (green), Sheffield (yellow)and Haley (the junior house).

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Gillingham Coat of Arms

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Finningley Coat of Arms

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This is Sheffield Boarding house

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Finningley Boarding house

Sports

Sports facilities include several rugby fields, several cricket ovals, an artificial turf for field hockey and two swimming pools.

Notable alumni

• William Scott, dux (valedictorian) of 2005 was accepted directly into Harvard University.

External links

Official website