Muir College
Muir College is a public, English medium school for boys located in Uitenhage, South Africa. Muir caters for pupils from Grades 4 to 12.
History
Muir College is arguably the oldest English-speaking high school in South Africa, tracing its origin back to 1822 when a Scottish educationalist, James Rose-Innes, established Uitenhage’s first Free Government School in Cuyler Street on 12 July 1822 with 60 pupils. In 1865 the Proprietary School – more exclusive and fee-paying opened. The Rev. Dr Robert Templeton M.A. was the first headmaster. In 1873 the Government School and the Proprietary School amalgamated. In 1875, the school, now known as the Public Undenominational School moved to Park Avenue.
During 1892 the school’s name changed to the Muir Academy in honour of the new Secretary General of Education, Sir Thomas Muir. In 1904 a new school building was opened on the Park Avenue site by Dr Muir. The school’s name changed to Muir High School. In 1962 Muir Primary moved to separate premises. Muir Senior moved to Vanes Estate in 1987 and Muir Primary moved into the Park Avenue buildings. The Senior and Primary schools amalgamated in 1994 and occupy the Vanes Estate site. Boarding facilities for approximately 100 pupils are also situated on the Vanes campus.
There has been some conjecture about which is the oldest school in South Africa. For example, SACS in Cape Town claims on its website and in published material to be the oldest school in South Africa. However, it was only established in 1829 at which point Muir already had 70 pupils and is some 5 years older. There are primary schools in the Western Cape that are older than both Muir and SACS.
Origin Of The School Badge: The school badge had its origin with the Proprietary School in 1864 and shows the Rampant Lion of Scotland in the left quadrant, which honoured the first (Scottish) headmaster. Facing it is the Cross from Uitenhage’s coat of arms (from the founder of Uitenhage), General J. Uitenhage de Mist’s family crest. Below is the Xhosa Warrior, which represents the Eastern Cape. This figure appears on the seal of the proposed Eastern Cape Colony. Although the division of the Cape Colony into East and West did not occur, a seal was prepared and is on view in the Cuyler Manor Museum. The last quadrant shows the Anchor, representing the Cape Colony
School motto
"Nec Pluribus Impar", Latin for "Second to None"
School song
Stand and sing for auld lang syne,
Shout till the rafters ring.
Stand and sing our song once again,
Let every loyal heart now sing.
Then think of all the happy hours,
Think of the careless days.
Think of all who went before us,
Yet linger in our thoughts always.
Let us sing to the Muir,
To the school with the glorious memories,
To the men of the past, and the name they have handed down to us;
To the life and the strife, in the games that are stirring and calling us;
Carry on! Carry on! Carry on the good name of the Muir!
So - Stand and sing for auld lang syne,
Shout till the rafters ring.
Stand and sing our song once again,
Let every loyal heart now sing.
Then think of all the happy hours,
Think of the careless days.
Think of all who went before us,
Yet linger in our thoughts always.
Rugby at Muir
Photographic evidence of rugby at Muir College exists from as early as 1893, while Grey High School record their first ever game as played against the Muir Academy in 1894. Headmaster John Mitchell had recorded in his diary on the 13th of April 1893 that “a meeting of pupils to decide on the football club was held.” Unfortunately this teething period of rugby came to an abrupt end in 1897 when new headmaster John Sutherland introduced soccer as the winter sport. Rugby was reintroduced in only 1923, and performances climaxed in 1931 with the 1st XV of that year recording 9 wins and 2 draws out of 14 matches to show that Muir College rugby had finally arrived.
Traditional rivals
Muir College counts Grey High, Graeme College, St Andrew’s College, Union High and Gill College as their oldest traditional opponents.
Famous Muirites
Muir College has produced two rugby Springboks, namely Fred Smollan in 1933 and Garth Wright in 1986, while the writer on rugby Mel Channer was selected for Scotland shortly after the Second World War. Shane Gates, Michael Killian, Darron Nell and Marzuq Maarman are other notable Muirite rugby players.
Other famous Muirites include the Afrikaans poet A.D. Keet who passed his Intermediate exams at Muir where he also won the Nederlands school prize. He subsequently moved on to South African College School in Cape Town where he matriculated in 1905.
Sam Hobson was a classmate of A.D. Keet. He studied at Rhodes University in Grahamstown and he became a school inspector in 1908. Between 1934 and 1944 he served Rhodes as a member of Senate. In 1942 he became Chief Inspector of Native Education and in 1946 Secretary of Education. After retiring he served the United Party in the Cape Province as Caucus leader. Between 1949 and 1963 he served as Chairman of the Senate at Rhodes University. Hobson House at Rhodes is named after him.