William Orde Newnham was an English cleric and educator who is best known as the co-founder and first headmaster of Hilton College which was established on 29 January 1872 in the Midlands of the former Natal Colony. Newnham was born in England, educated at St John’s College, Cambridge and was enticed to Natal by Bishop John Colenso where he would establish a grammar school for settlers’ sons.
How Did Hilton College Begin?
In the mid-1800s, Newnham opened a school in Pietermaritzburg, with magistrate Gould Arthur Lucas who survived the sinking of the HMS Birkenhead. Lucas obtained farm land named later “Upper Hilton” which is situated north of the city, to set up a boarding school. So on 29 January 1872 Newnham moved the school with 50 boys from Pietermaritzburg to the farm by ox-wagon and horseback which was the official opening of Hilton College.
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What Legacy Did Newnham Leave?
Newnham structured Hilton based on the English Victorian public school introducing the prefect system in 1873 and cultivating an identity focused on character, discipline and scholarship. In his first speech, he hoped that being a “Hilton boy” would mean being a gentleman who is honest, upright and trustworthy, values that are still the culture of the school today.
While Newnham returned to England in 1877, his foundational ideals remain. Under headmasters such as Henry Vaughan Ellis, Hilton College continued to grow, eventually becoming the most esteemed and some of the most expensive private boys’ boarding schools in South Africa, situated upon an expansive estate, now totaling over 1700 hectares including a wildlife reserve.
What Makes Hilton College South Africa’s Most Expensive Private School?
Hilton College is the most expensive school in South Africa and charges approximately R430 054.00 per annum. This fee includes full boarding for students as well as world-class amenities and elite education modelled on British public schools. The prestige of Hilton and its ‘all inclusive’ model justify Hilton’s cost.
