Codrington School

Staff and Pupils: Dec 1959 - Dec 1960

This information is extracted from the school magazine - The Duiker.

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Go to approximate year of birth 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954

Teaching Staff

Dec '58  Dec '59  Dec '60

Notes

Mr B V J O'Connell  ?  on leave  yes Headmaster
Mr G H Firth  ?  yes - Acting Headmaster. Transferred to Woodlands School as Senior Assistant and then Headteacher(?).
Mrs Olga Barratt yes  yes  yes  
Mrs Flo H Hartmann  yes  yes  yes  
Miss J Loots  ?  yes  yes  
Miss R Marshall  ?  yes  yes  
Mrs EV Newham  yes  yes  yes Heather Chalcraft reports that Eve Newham passed away in approximately 2000.
Mrs D Kirkpatrick  ?  yes  -  
Miss Jane Rodgers  ? ?  yes  
Mr G Crockett  ? ?  yes  

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 Other Staff

 Dec '58

 Dec '59

 Dec '60

Notes

Mrs I Anderson     yes  yes  Matron - husband was Groundsman.
Mrs N
Saunderson
    yes  yes  Matron
Mrs A Scott     yes  -  Matron
Mrs E Harvey     yes  yes  Secretary
Mr W Anderson     yes  yes  Groundsman
Mrs L Vevers    -  yes  Matron

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 Unclassified
Staff

 Dec '58

 Dec '59

 Dec '60

Notes

A W Hunter       Head teacher for much of the period 1953-58
Mrs Edmonds       Teacher during period 1953-58
Mr Mathiesson       Teacher during period 1953-58
         
         

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Pupils starting K1 after 1960 Notes
Helena du Plooy 1962 to 1969 My sister Annerina du Plooy still lives in Lusaka. She is married with two children, a boy and a girl.  My two brothers also still live in Zambia. Abie in Mazabuka and John in Lusaka. My mum is still alive and will be 70 in May this year (2005), my dad sadly passed away. I am in the UK and have been since 1978.
 Pupils  Dec '58  Dec '59

 Dec '60

 Notes - approx year of birth 1954

D Momberg    -  K1  
Neil Shenton    -  K1 Living in Australia.
A Walker    -  K1  

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     K1

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Pupils    Dec '59

 Dec '60

 Notes - approx year of birth 1953

Douglas Arnold    ?  K2  
J Fredrichs    ?  K2  
S Ras    ?  K2  
Christopher Wroth    ?  K2  
H Webster    ?  K2  

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Pupils  Dec '58  Dec '59

 Dec '60

 Notes - approx year of birth 1952

C Anderson    ?  S1  
D Dyason    ?  S1  
Kenneth Eva    K2  ? 'Kenny'
Peter Gosling    K2  ?  
Norman Gregor    K2  S1 CA in Edinburgh, Scotland
Andrew (Tich) Middleton    ?  S1 Ian Middleton, Tich's brother, reports (Jan 03) that he is in Franshoek in the Cape involved with waste recycling etc.
Susan Shaw    K2  ?  
Kathy Sheehy    K2  -  
Alexandra Smith    K2  S1  
Rina Smith    K2  ?  
R van Rensberg    ?  S1  
Freddie Weber    K2  S1  

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 Pupils

Dec '58

Dec '59

Dec '60

Notes - approx year of birth 1951

Colin Addis    S1  S2 Now in Malawi in a senior position with Stanbic Bank.
Michael Arnold    S1 ? Still in Mazabuka 2002.
Mike Berry       Last heard of in Zambia by Rob Buchanan. Brother in law to Tom Eva.
Norman Blyth         
Rob Buchanan    S1  S2 Living in Hilton, KwaZulu, Natal not far from John Whitaker. Has own business in Personnel specialising in Agriculture covering Southern Africa. In contact with Doug Cantley and Orville Horton.
Deryck Cantley    S1  ? Died in a motorcycle accident in Johannesburg in about 1970.
Guy Davidson       Living somewhere in Johannesburg.
Japie du Plooy    S1 S2 A message from his cousin, Helena du Plooy (1962-1969), in April 05 tells us that he is living in Potgiterus, married with two boys and a girl. See section below teachers  headed Pupils starting K1 after 1960 for info about Helena and her family.
Margaret Ellison   S1 S2 Margie Martin, as she is now, lives in Edenbridge, Kent, UK.She has provided a lot of information which has been incorporated into this list. Her sister Cynthia and brother Patrick have entries further down. The Slabbert family are cousins.
Ian Gauntlett       Ian's father was a medical missionary at the Salvation Army Mission at Chikankata - they once very kindly took me for a mid-term holiday - I still remember us having to be de-ticked after going through some long grass!
Fanie Geldenhuys    ?  S2 Fanie, if you read this please drop me an email! Ian
Tom Eva       Last heard of in Zambia by Rob Buchanan. Brother in law to Mike Berry.
Fiona Gregor    S1  S2 In UK
Orville Horton    S1  ? Still in Zambia 2002. Ranching near Kalomo and has a fishing operation at Sinazongwe.
Keith Luden       Twin to Olive. Thought to be in the UK.
Olive Luden    ?  S2 Twin to Keith. Thought to be in South Africa.
Marlene Sharpe    S1  ?  
Ian Singer    S1  S2 Living in Livingston, Scotland 2003 - Educational IT Adviser for primary and nursery schools.
Michael (Micky) Slabbert    S1  S2 Living near Sundays River, South Africa.
John Whitaker    S1  S2 Lives in SA and flies 747s for Korean Airlines. 2003 johnwhitaker@attglobal.net

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 Pupils

 Dec '58

 Dec '59

 Dec '60

Notes - approx year of birth 1950

June Allison    ?  S3  
Richard Blunt    S2  ?  
Grant Bowker    ?  S3 Rob Buchanan reports that Grant "was last
seen heading towards Mozambique during the Rhodesian Bush war."
Vaughan Burgess S1 S2 -

I was at Codrington between 1954 and 1959 when my family moved to Lusaka, where I went to Woodlands Primary and then on to Gilbert Rennie (Kabulonga).

I did O-levels at Rennie and A-levels in Romsey, England.

After school I lived in London for a few years (1968 - 1971) and then moved back to South Africa (Witbank for 8 years, Johannesburg for 5 and Pretoria for 18 years) until last year (2002) when we moved to the UK (Solihull) for a planned 5 years to develop some business interests. The intention after the five years is to settle finally in Australia (Brisbane) where I have had previous business interests for several years. I'm an IT and Projects Management Professional for my sins and I specialise in manufacturing industries, mainly in Supply Chain Optimisation. (Kind of far removed from the farming community of Mazabuka you might say!)

Some of the people I knew really well, were Japie du Plooy, Guy Davidson, Deryck Cantley, Keith and Olive Luden, Barry Davidson, Jenny Milner, Alan Wilson, Anthony Chowles, George Reeve, Moira Buchanan, Theo Goveia, Barry Woodhams, Kelvin Pruissen, Pat Sheehy, Neil Wright, Bevis Coventry, Gail Beukes, Susan Shaw, Alan Helliar, Peter Grey, Rudolph and Chris Colyn and Chusky Howard (to name a few, and I'll remember more if I think about it). I heard a year or two ago that Kelvin and Richard (Pookie) Pruissen have a veterinary supplies business in the Eastern Cape, Rudolph Colyn is wine farming at Robertson in the Cape while Chris Colyn is Hospital Administrator at Riversdale, also in the Cape. Mr Firth was my teacher at Codrington and at Woodlands and my memory is a little vague but I think he became headmaster of Woodlands? Mrs Edmunds didn't teach me in Mazabuka, but also if my memory serves me right she taught us French at Gilbert Rennie? Phil Edmunds (her youngest son) played cricket for England (left arm spin) for several years. Other sporting greats I'm aware of from around about the same time as I was in Zambia are Poenie Holm who played rugby for Pretoria University (Tukkies) and for Northern Transvaal, and not forgetting the inimitable Simon Hobday, professional golfer and hooligan par excellance.

I started at the school when it was the old site at the rondawels in town (near Dawoodji's Store) before it moved to the new sight in the north of town.

My parents and I lived on the Veterinary Research Station between 1953 and 1959.

I'm married to Lynn and we have two adult sons, Mike (22) and Colin (19). I'm 1950 vintage and looking 53 in the eye this coming April, although I'm mentally and physically much younger - it must have been the food and the sunshine in those early days!

Barry Davidson    ?  S3  Living somewhere in Johannesburg.
W Earl    ?  S3  
Carol Eglinton       Living in England.
Anthony Hopwood    S2  S3  
Tim Johnstone       Remembered by Vaughan Burgess.
W Marsden    ?  S3  
P Merry    ?  S3  
Ian Middleton       Heard from Ian in January 03. He works as Livestock Manager and Environmental Coordinator for Triangle Ltd, the largest sugar estate in Zimbabwe.
Jennifer Milner    S2  S3  
P van Wyk    ?  S3  
Philip Wessels    ? S3 'Pop'
A Wilson    ? S3  

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 Pupils

 Dec '58

 Dec '59

Dec '60

 Notes - approx year of birth 1949

A Anderson    ?  S4  
M Arnott    ?  S4  
Douglas Cantley    S3  ?  Still in Zambia 2002.
Anthony Chowles    S3  S4

I have had an email from Tony which includes the following admission "I also proudly claim that it was my gang that dug the "Colditz" tunnel by waking up at 2 in the morning to sneak out and go and dig. I still think of those days with wonder (wonder that we never killed ourselves)"
( At last after more than forty years the mystery is solved!)

He goes on to say, "I have been living in England for the last 30 years (I left Zambia in 1968) I travel around Europe and the Far East quite a lot, buying old furniture which we sell from our business in UK. My older brother Joe now lives in Bulawayo and has spawned a multitude of offspring. My sister, Wendy, still lives in Lusaka and helps to run Pete's Steak House. She went to the girl's boarding school in Choma.

Anthony Collett    S3  ? Still in Mazabuka 2002.
Heila de Smidt    ?  S4  
Robert Eglinton       Bob writes:

I will be the first to hold my hand up and admit that I paid little attention to schooling and was into outdoor activities at the drop of a hat. Mentally working back I left Gilbert Rennie end of 65 so four years off meant it was the end of 61 when I left Codrington. I can't work out when I joined Codrington as I started schooling in Broken Hill for a couple of years, then had six months at Woodlands in Lusaka before moving on to Mazabuka. In class with me at Maz was Doug Cantley, George Reeve and the three of us all went to Denny House to board when attending Gilbert Rennie. Doug and I mainly got into some troubles with the senior boys, we were not prepared to sit back and take it, and with George also got up to mischief which resulted in receiving the cane on a few occasions.

After leaving Gilbert Rennie (Lusaka) in 1966 went to Lincoln, England and undertook an apprenticeship with Rustons, a large engineering factory. In 1970 I started to undertake overseas installation, commissioning, operations work and have been doing this ever since. Mainly in the Middle East but also some other countries. Mainly Power Station projects but am now currently, for the last five years, in the middle of the desert on an oil and gas complex where I have a CSR role.

After independence my younger brothers and sister attended Codrington until 1970 when the family immigrated to England.

My home base is a small village just outside of Lincoln City, England.

Marlene George    S3  S4  
Susan Gorton    S3  ?  
Gael Haney    S3  ?  
Anthea Holmes S2?     Hi Ian,

I was fascinated to see so much info on Mazabuka and Codrington School. Thanks for your site. I started at the school as a 5 year old in about 1954 and was there for the next 3 or 4 years. I had a twin sister called Sandra Holmes (dob 1949), an older sister Margaret Holmes (dob 1946), and an older brother called John Holmes (dob 1947). We left Zambia for Malawi in 1958 and finally ended up in UK in 1964.

I am now married with two grown up daughters and three grand children. My husband and I are living in Coober Pedy, Australia. Coober Pedy is reputed to be the opal capital of the world and many of the locals (including ourselves) live in underground homes in order to escape the high temperatures of the harsh central desert. I'm teaching literacy skills to adult Aboriginal students at the TAFE college in the Australian outback.

I remember Mrs Edmonds, Mrs Barrett, Susan Gorton, Philip Dacre and a few of the other names on the site. Thanks for the insights.

All the best

Anthea Day (nee Holmes)
Sandra Holmes S2?     See Anthea Holmes (year of birth 1949)
Andrew Lean S2  S3  S4
I attended Codrington school from 1956 to 1961, my parents farmed outside Choma. We moved to RSA in December 1963. I am now living in Barberton, South Africa, and work at Barberton Mines as an accountant.
These notes bring back lots of memories, though rather faded I must admit. They were wonderful years. One thing I do remember was the opening of the new school, as I was the smallest it was my job to hand over the key to the door to some big wig (the Govenor I think). I remember being worried sick that I would trip and fall flat on my face in front of the whole school, terrifying stuff.
andrewlean@telkomsa.net
Stewart Middleton    ?  S4 Stewart is growing tobacco in Tanzania reports his cousin, Ian Middleton in Jan 03.
Michael O'Connell    ?  S4  
George Reeve    ?  S4 Picture (New Window)

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 Pupils

 Dec '58

 Dec '59

 Dec '60

Notes - approx year of birth 1948

I Barratt    S4  S5  
Barry Blyth    S4  S5  
Moira Buchanan       Younger sister of Bob Buchanan?
Daphne Drew    S4  ?  
Cynthia Ellison    S4  S5 Living in Swaziland.
Yvonne Eva    ?  S5  
John Holmes    S4  ? See Anthea Holmes (year of birth 1949)
Nicky Klopper    S4  S5  
Peter Lourens    ?  S5 Pete is in Harare.
Mary Jill McKay    S4  S5  
Mercia Milner    S4  S5  
Yvonne Milner    ?  S5  
Ian Rodwell    S4  ? Thought to be in UK and was/is in the RAF.
Ethne Slabbert    S4  S5 Living at Sundays River in South Africa. Her sister, Jennifer, has placed information on the Codrington Message Board.
Hendrik Smith    S4  ?  

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 Pupils

 Dec '58

 Dec '59

 Dec '60

 Notes - approx year of birth 1947

Anthony
Beardwell
 S4  S5  -  
Willy Boshoff  S4  S5  -  
Vernon Cantlay  S4  S5  - Vernon and Michelle Cantlay run the Sweetwater Guesthouse at Mkushi.
Joseph Chowles  S4  S5  - Joe lives in Bulawayo where hehas a borehole business, and according to brother Tony, a multitude of offspring!.
Bertram Cohen  S4  S5  -  
Alick Goveia  S4  S5  - Alick passed away in Zambia in January 2002.
Beresford de
Klerk
 S4  S5  -  
Paula Fourie  S4  S5  -  
Margaret Holmes       See Anthea Holmes (year of birth 1949)
Michael Hudson  S4  S5  -  
Gavin McKay  S4  S5  - Gavin became a Pastor and worked in the USA and Australia. He died in Australia in approximately 1997.
Barry
Woodhams
 S4  S5  - Picture (New Window)
Found the document on internet. Was interested and very surprised to find information on my old primary school including a photo of me!!!
So you can update my entry, a brief summary:
Codrington from 1953 - 1960 then King George VI High School Broken Hill/Kabwe
Returned to England in 1964 and completed school and University. PhD at London University. Since then worked in Switzerland, USA and France. Married with one daughter. Live in France. Have had no contact with any of my ex school friends since 1964.
Dorelle Morton  S4  S5    
Keith Ruddle  S4  S5   In Johannesburg
Richard (Dick)
Pruissen
 S4  S5   Kelvin and Richard (Pookie) Pruissen have a veterinary supplies business in the Eastern Cape
Challen Postma  S4  S5    
Dieni van Wyck  S4  ?    
Petra Carinus
(sp?)
 S4  ?    
B Cronje  S4  S5    
G Bezuidenhuit  S4  S5    
Patricia (Pat)
Sheehy
 S4  -   Pat was at Codrington from 53 to 58 and to the end of Std 4.

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Pupils

 Dec '58 Dec '59 Dec '60 Notes - approx year of birth 1946
Neil Wright  S5  - -  
         
Below are listed pupils who left school before Dec 1958 along with their year of birth
Greer Cantlay 1945?  
Patrick Ellison 1945 Brother of Margaret and Cynthia Ellison. Pat now lives in Karratha, Australia. He started and finished his junior schooling at Codrington leaving in 1957.
John Meadows 1945?  
Jane Tillett 1945?  
     

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Unclassified
Names

     

 Notes

M Armstrong        
N Armstrong        
B Berry        
Chris Colyn       Chris Colyn is Hospital Administrator at Riversdale, in the Cape.
Rudolph Colyn       Rudolph Colyn is wine farming at Robertson in the Cape.
Keith Coventry       Still in Zambia.
Jennifer Slabbert       Jennifer has placed information on the Codrington Message Board.
Amelia Jane Gregor        
'Spudsie' Ebersohn       Remembered by Vaughan Burgess as being younger than him.
T Kelly        
A le Roux        
Tony Middleton       In Kalomo involved with growing paprika and wildlife reports Ian Middleton.
Howard Morton        
Miles Parton        In South Africa
Timothy Parton        
Cornelius Ras        
H Smith        
C Viennings        
John Watson        
Rionda        
Jennings        
Peter(?)Fanshawe        
Jill Walker       went to school in UK - parents lived at the Research Station
Diana Walker       went to school in UK - parents lived at the Research Station
Elspeth Swan       parents lived at the Research Station
Steven Mee       Steven has placed information on the Codrington Message Board.
Michael
MacLaren
S3? S4?   parents lived at the Research Station
Margo
MacLaren
      parents lived at the Research Station - younger than brother Michael
Cooper        

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Possible
Pupils
      These are names of children known to have been likely pupils.
Michael Shaw        
Brian Shaw        
Sheena Macleod        
Lesmeri Postma        
Tony Postma        
Richard Hyam        
Melanie Hyam        
Gail Beukes        
Robert Lacey        

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