History

Club Woodlander, Club house of Woodlands Ex-Students’ Club, is the culmination of a long cherished dream.

Woodlands Old Boys’ Club (Later changed to Woodlands Ex-Students’ Club) was founded in 1957 by a small group of ex-students.

The Club flourished as former students returned to Pietermaritzburg as newly qualified teachers. Soon former pupils, now working in offices and employed in other professions, as well as young businessmen swelled its ranks . 

In the 60’s the Club engaged itself in a multitude of activities, mostly serving its members and supporting its alma mater and some providing a social outlet for the broader community. In addition to providing bursaries to ex-students attending Springfield Training College, the Club organized essay competitions, speech-contests and a “Festival of Plays” in which pupils from schools throughout the Province participated. “Braai at Baijoo’s Farm”, a “Road Marathon” to Thornville, “Waiter’s Race” down Church Street, ” Float Parade” and “Debs Ball” were some of the events which were organized by the Club during this period.

However, throughout the subsequent years a regular item on the Agenda of the Management Committee of Woodlands Ex-students’ Club was that of building a Club House.  To this end, the Club was granted land by the City Council in the newly declared Indian Area of Northdale. With equal enthusiasm members met each weekend at the “Club House” site and set about clearing the virgin land of bush and gum trees.  However, on the advice of some senior businessmen in the Community, the Club requested a longer lease period.  When this was refused by the City Council the project was abandoned.

The “Club House” project remained on the Agenda of the Management Committee and many years later the influential role played by the Deeplaul brothers, Dan and Ramesh, the late Caps Govender and the late Morgan Chetty, the club secretary during the 1980’s and the 1990’s, needs to be put into perspective.
In 1997, Dan Deeplaul and Caps Govender entered into a joint venture named Dangov. This construction business rendered various technical support services to the eventual building of the clubhouse, which began in 1998.
Dangov was awarded the tender to demolish two garages in the city, during which Caps Govender salvaged numerous items from the demolition. Ramesh Deeplaul purchased R10 000 worth of steelworks from the Roy Hesketh Racing Circuit and these were kept at the Deepsons Yard so that they could be refurbished. Together with 6 000 bricks provided by Vicky Maharaj, the steel and all the salvaged items were used to commence with the building of the clubhouse.

The Woodlands Ex-Students Club celebrated the realisation of a 30 year-old dream of finally possessing their own Club House, with a tree planting ceremony. This activity was initiated and, thereafter, co-ordinated by Morgan Chetty. And as a means to raise much needed funds, he sold the 100 trees that were donated to the club by Chris van der Merwe from the TLC’s Parks & Recreation Department. Chetty and his colleagues embarked on a mission of visiting households to deliver letters, inviting the members of the community to purchase a tree to plant in the grounds where the clubhouse is now situated. Each tree was sold for R250.00 which realised an amount of R25 000 at the end of the project.

Club Woodlander (As we now call it) is more than a recreational centre. It is a faith – a belief in democracy, a belief that people can assemble from different interests, occupations, and social and economic conditions to unite for sporting and educational purposes, as well as many community services.

Sources : Mr L.R Naidu (Honorary Life Vice President) | Capital Newspapers