With a history spanning 111 years, we encourage all former Cordwalles boys to maintain ties with the school after they leave. We are rightly proud of our Old Boys’ Club, and we hope you will be part of the journey. We look forward to welcoming you back to school!
History of the Old Boys’ Club
2012 was a momentous centenary year for Cordwalles. Headmaster at the time, Simon Weaver (Headmaster 2004-2015, Class of 1975 at Cordwalles), along with the Board of Governors, felt it was necessary to commence tracking down as many Old Boys as possible to make these celebrations more meaningful.
It was widely felt that it was vital for the health of the school to maintain ties with its past pupils and to preserve their knowledge of the heritage of Cordwalles.
In 2007, parent Charlotte Usher was given the task of tracking down Cordwalles Old Boys and creating a detailed database, armed with the Admissions Books and with the help of the high schools and knowledge of local Old Boys.
This work helped unite many Old Boys and their partners at a magnificent ball held in a marquee on rugby field, where we welcomed Old Boys from afar afield as Hong Kong and the UK. It was a night for everyone to remember; most importantly, it placed the Club firmly at the heart of the school and the Cordwalles family.
Get In Touch With The Old Boys’ Club
Structure of the Old Boys’ Club
The Club Committee meets termly to discuss and instigate various initiatives and plan the annual functions.
Chairman
James Wardlaw (Old Boy Class of 1987)
Committee
- Lance Veenstra (Headmaster)
- Kerry Koller (Head of Marketing)
- Ntando Dlamini-Wilson (Social Media)
- Andrew Flavell (Old Boy Class of 2000)
- Sibusiso Shelembe (Old Boy Class of 2000)
- Matthew Tatham (Old Boy Class of 1999)
- Aphiwe Mthalane (Old Boy Class of 2011)
Initiatives
- Support the Grade 7 Leavers gift package
- Sponsor items for the Old Boys’ Day Cricket
- Digitisation of the archives (partly sponsored by the sale of Green Name Bricks)
Old Boys Involved In the Running or Upkeep of the School
Murray Armstrong (Class of 1948)
- Sons: Simon Armstrong (Class of 1979), Gillespie Armstrong (Class of 1985)
- Numerous cousins and their sons
Fred Palmer (Class of 1950)
- Son: Richard Palmer (Class of 1980)
Nigel Tatham (Class of 1970)
- Sons: James Tatham (Class of 2003)
- Brother: Douglas Tatham (Class of 1976)
- Father: Errol Tatham (Class of 1941)
- Grandfather: A. T. Tatham, First Secretary of the Board and life-long member
- Great-grandfather: F. S. Tatham, co-founder of the school
Tatham House is named after F. S. Tatham.
Yann Leclezio:
- Son: Chris Leclezio (Class of 2005)
Graham Evans:
- Son: Murray Evans (2008)
Locke Purdon:
- Sons: Luke (Class of 2005), Simon (Class of 2008), Andrew (Class of 2010)
It was the partnership of Simon Weaver and Locke Purdon that saw the re-launch of the Old Boys’ Club.
Michael Rattray (Class of 1945)
Donated the funds to build the Andrew Rattray Pre Primary in memory of his late son, Andrew Rattray (Class of 1977).
John Hamilton (Class of 1946), Robin Hamilton (Class of 1950)
The Hamilton brothers’ generous donation provided the school with the Hamilton Media Centre in 2007 along with a contribution to the Ronald Brooks Administration Block.
The Christopher Family
Funds were donated by Mr & Mrs Christopher for the building of the Chapel in memory of John Christopher (Class of 1929), who died the year after he left Cordwalles.
- Brother: Benjamin Christopher (Class of 1933) was on the Board of Governors.
- His son: William Anthony (Class of 1961) was a member of the Board.
- Grandchildren: Benjamin Davis (Class of 1989), Timothy Davis (Class of 1991)
James Christopher (Class of 1994)
Part of the Centenary Appeal was the restoration and extension of the Chapel. The Christopher family donated the funds once again for this project.
With the restoration and extension of the Chapel, sponsorship of a Brass name plaque was offered to Old Boys, and many old boys and their families are represented within the Chapel.
The Mkhulisi Family
Old Boy Ray Mkhulisi (Class of 2006) and his brother, Michael Mvelase (Class of 2007), were instrumental in the redevelopment of the old Art Room into the Mkhulisi Creative Centre, which was formally opened at the 110th Birthday Celebrations in 2022.