A snippet of history (2)

ANOTHER snippet of history with Westlands School as the background location. 

First, a story in The Straits Times of 2nd July 1952 on the formation of a junior Red Cross unit:

PENANG, Tues - A new junior Red Cross unit was formed at Penang Westlands School yesterday at an inaugural ceremony attended by Mrs Spenser Wilkinson, Director of the Penang Red Cross Society.

The boys were addressed by Rev M. Dodsworth, North Malaya District Superintendent, Methodist Mission, and Mrs L J Brittain, assistant branch director for the youth section.

After the ceremony a film depicting Red Cross activities was shown.

One year later, this story appeared in The Straits Times of 23rd July 1953. 

The picture above shows Mrs R P Bingham, president of the British Red Cross Society, Penang & Province Wellesley, inspecting a guard of honour formed by Junior Red Cross units of Westlands School, Penang. With her is her son, Richard.

A snippet of history (1)

A SNIPPET of history with Westlands School as the background. This story appeared in The Straits Times of September 23, 1947.

Mr F C Sands, Scout Commissioner for Malaya, pinning a gilt cross for gallantry during the war on the breast of Troop Leader Hooi Seng Tuck during the scout rally held in Mr Sands' honour at Westlands School, Penang. District Commissioner Basha Merican is standing behind Mr Sands. (Photo by Kee Chun Studio, Penang)

History, establishment

AN EXCERPT from Let the Aisles Proclaim, authored by Quah Seng Sun in conjunction with Penang Free School's Bicentenary celebrations in 2016:

The Straits Times of 30th September 1930 had reported that “In Penang a new English boys’ school at Perak Road, the Francis Light School, accommodating 500 boys was opened in January.” The earliest reference to Westlands School was in the 31st July 1934 edition of The Straits Times when Mohamed Rouse spoke in the Legislative Council of “the new Westlands School in Penang is to be opened shortly.” On 25th May 1937, the same newspaper wrote of “the Westlands School Boy Scout Troop (Third Penang) repeated their 1934 victory in a competition for junior troops for the Victoria Shield on the Empire Day sports and rally.” The three feeder schools – Hutchings School, Francis Light School and Westlands School – in turn received their intake of boys from the Wellesley Primary School. The New Straits Times of 30th May 1990 quoted a former Wellesley Primary School teacher as saying that the school started in 1929, but the school was known earlier as the Hillview Government School (Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser, 9th December 1930). The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser of 7th October 1924 had reported that “In Penang the temporary Hillview School has been opened.”  The Straits Times of 8th December 1928 referred to “the Free School, Hutchings School and Hillview School at the present time corresponded to the upper, middle and preparatory schools of an English public school.”

Welcome

WE ARE from the Class of 1965, the former pupils of the old Westlands Primary School in Victoria Green Road, George Town, Penang. Most of us spent at least five of our early formative years here, studying hard and playing hard but more importantly, making new friends and establishing bonds that have lasted until today. 

This was the school crest. We do not know when it was introduced in the school but it was already in use when we joined in 1960 or 1961. We suspect it was introduced way before the country's Independence. WS of course referred to Westlands School because prior to 1957, there was only one Westlands school in Penang and that school provided a primary education. After Independence, a separate school for the older boys, one that provided secondary education, was established nearby and it became necessary to distinguish between the two institutions. Thus, we became the Westlands Primary School. But the crest remained unchanged.

Having left this educational institution more than 50 years ago in 1965, our hope is to use this platform to document the personal journeys of our primary school friends. We would like also to recollect and record our experiences of those days, in school and beyond -- the games we played, school activities, fashion, music, movies, etc, which were very much a part of growing up as pre-teen boys in George Town.

We believe that this project will be of relevance as it can add to the history and heritage of Penang, especially since the school itself ceased to exist many decades ago.