Durbieland

Durbanville Primary School is situated in the heart of the wheat and wine farming areas about 45 km North of Cape Town. The town is surrounded by centuries old wine and dairy farms. The ethos of the school rests on four pillars namely: Academic; sport; culture and spiritual. We can proudly say that all four pillars in our school share equal status.... The history of "Our Own" dates back to the previous century when farmers brought their animals to outspan at Pampoenkraal. After a settlement developed here, a school was established in 1851 for 105 pupils. Later the name Pampoenkraal was changed to D'Urban and in 1886 the name changed to Durbanville. This ended the confusion between the two D'Urbans, the one in the Cape and the other in Natal. The children from the old family farms, Loevenstein, Welgemoed, Stikland, Oosterzee and others, all attended school in Durbanville. On 25 February 1827 Hendrik Francois Mellet was appointed as the verger and reader for the community at Pampoenkraal (Durbanville). As school master, he had to abide by the following rules: • He had to tutor the pupils in Reading, Writing and Religion; • Teach for six hours every day except on Wednesdays and Thursdays; • The pupils were to be treated with kindness and respect; • In his dress and behaviour the master had to set an example of neatness and orderliness. From 1827 to 1886 fourteen different schoolmasters had already served the community. Pupils were taught in various buildings, even in the court room. In 1897 there were 91 pupils in the school and four new classrooms were built on the site where the present municipal offices are situated. The Durbanville Primary School was established in 1955 after the Department of Education agreed to allow the Primary School to be separated from the High School. The first principal, Mr De Wet was appointed on 1 April 1955 and he was instrumental in designing the school badge, the motto, as well as the lyric for the school song. The music was composed by a music teacher, Mr Freddie Carle. On 3 ...Read More