Durban Girls' College
Durban Girls’ College was founded in 1877. It has an impressive aquatic sports history, boasting a number of Springbok swimmers, synchronized swimmers and life savers.
In 2010 Natalie Elphick won a scholarship to swim for the Villanova University in the USA.
DGC’s world-class aquatic centre opened
23 Apr 2014
THERE was a big turnout for the opening of the Durban Girls’ College Aquatic Centre recently.
DGC headmaster Thomas Hagspihl paid tribute to architect George Elphick and builders Verbaan Construction for their part in creating this valuable amenity which meets international specifications and can be used for swimming, synchronised swimming, underwater hockey and water polo.
Plans are already afoot to host the premier schools water polo tournament each year in conjunction with DGC’s brother school Clifton College.
There were in fact two openings with a less formal one held earlier in the day attended by the whole school when the special guest was national swimmer Charl Crous who swam in a Dash for Cash race against the school’s nine fastest swimmers which was won by Courtney Perrett.
The two openings included a display of synchronised swimming accompanied by the school orchestra, a water polo match between the school’s first team and an Old Girls’team and a swimming race.
The evening function’s special guest was Olympic open water swimmer, Chad Ho, who swam a 400m race solo against the school’s top freestyle relay team of Jessica MacDonald, Charlise Oberholzer, Nikita Bauristhene and Courtney Perrett, who won by a touch.
The water polo match between the school’s first team and an Old Girls’team made up of Fay Irvine, Loreen Irvine, Charlotte Bentham, Bianca Meyer and Courtney Caulfield saw the school team victorious.
Synchronised swimming was introduced to DGC by Barbara Dowell and her dream was to watch the girls perform to the school orchestra.
This dream was finally realised at the evening function when Lori Niemand, Jessica Masefield, Giuliana Torino, Courtney Wanless, Amaarah Seedat and Courtney Caulfield performed a display choreographed by school coach Kelly Sloley to the music of performed by the school orchestra.
