De Villiers Graaff High School

De Villiers Graaff High School is an academic state secondary school in Villiersdorp, a small town approximately 150 km from Cape Town, South Africa. It was founded in 1872 and is also known by the acronym "DVG".

De Villiers Graaff High School
The front of the school
Location
Villiersdorp

South Africa
Information
TypeMixed-sex education state school
MottoDoctrina Vim Promovet Insitam
Established1872
HeadmistressMs G Loubser
Grades8 - 12
HousesTheresa, du Raan
Websitehttp://www.dvghs.co.za/

History
David Graaff and his brother Jacobus Graaff presenting a £100,000 donation to the De Villiers Graaff High School in 1907. David Graaff is making a speech, Jacobus Graaff is sitting to the right and Jan Smuts is seated in the extreme right.

Though officially established in 1872, Sir David de Villiers Graaff and his brother Jacobus, financed the construction of the High School in 1907 with the Dutch style buildings being designed by Cape Town architectural firm Parker and Forsyth. Together the Graaff brothers established a GB£100 000 (equivalent to £41,100,000[1] or R471,195,167 in 2010[2]) endowment fund for the school. Originally consisting of three boys boarding houses, Malherbe House, Graaff Hall and du Raan (which housed high as well as primary school children), and one girls boarding house, Theresa House (which also housed high and primary school girls), in the last 15–20 years only du Raan and Theresa remain operational.

Culture

The school offers a range of cultural and social activities and societies.

On a social level, annual activities include the Matric Ball, Mr and Ms DVG, a Valentine’s dinner social and the Oscadis review concert. Culturally, the school offers Religious Youth Action, choir, first aid, drama, debate and the Representative Student Counsel.[3]

Sports

De Villiers Graaff has a proud sporting history beginning with inter school colour competitiveness and extending to rival schools like Hermanus, Caledon, Worcester and even as far as Bellville and Stellenbosch. With sports like Rugby, Netball, Hockey, Athletics, Cricket, Tennis and Swimming, the school has seen a few notable achievers pass through its doors.

Notable alumni
  • The boys hostel, du Raan House
    The boys hostel, du Raan House
  • The girls hostel, Theresa House
    The girls hostel, Theresa House
  • The vacant Malherbe House
    The vacant Malherbe House
  • The discontinued Graaff Hall
    The discontinued Graaff Hall

References
  1. Measuring Worth, Relative Value of a UK Pound Amount - average earnings, retrieved on 26 June 2010
  2. EX, Universal Currency Converter, retrieved on 26 June 2010
  3. "DVG Website". Archived from the original on 11 December 2010.
  4. , Colin Wells Eglin, retrieved on 16 January 2013

33°59′08″S 19°17′32″E

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