Hoërskool Franschhoek

In August 1850 Mr. FCM Voight was appointed by the Education Department as a teacher in Franschhoek. The Chapel (where the present church hall is situated) served as the school. In 1899 the school moved to the present site. The first boarders were also housed in Old La Rochelle (the present Group Accommodation Centre) in 1899. By 1903 the school had become too small and five new classrooms had to be added. The same situation occurred in 1907 and the hall (present old hall) and classrooms were added. The appointment of Mr. W E Malherbe (a son of the community) as principal in 1897, initiated an era of unknown prosperity. The school register of 1908 shows 380 pupils. Of these, 72 were matrics and 170 boarders were housed in the various hostels. Pupils came from the furthest corners of the country.

In 1905 Mr. Malherbe was offered a professorship by the University of Stellenbosch and he was replaced by Dr GG Cillié. In 1908 the latter also became a professor at Stellenbosch and his place was filled by Mr. JGR Lewis. It was under these three gentlemen that the school knew its greatest fame. During this prosperous period, here were pupils who were later to excel in various prominent posts. Among them were: Adv. JG Strydom, Prime Minister; Dr HJ van der Bijl; Chairman of Iscor and Eskom; Dr SH Pellissier; Director of Education of the OFS and the father of Volkspele; Dr DB Bosman, Union Envoy in the Netherlands; DS PJ Viljoen; Moderator of the DR Church in the Transvaal; Mr. JG Carinus; Administrator of the Cape.


School song :
In ‘n lieflike dorpie geleë
Deur magtige berge bewaak,
Waar murmelende stroompies hul kronkel
Deur lowergroen oewers steeds maak.
Daar pronk ons trots Alma Mater
Deur dennereuse omsoom-
Die vrug van die lyding en arbeid
Van Hug-note voorvaders vroom.

Ons kweek hier ‘n vaste karakter
Ons oefen ons brein, oog en hand;
Ons kweek ‘n gesonde sterk liggaam
En liefde vir Vaderland