Hilton College – deeply traditional, yet refreshingly contemporary

Hilton College is a private boarding school for boys. Established 150 years ago, the school is deeply traditional yet refreshingly contemporary. 

In a fast-paced, dynamic world, men of the future need to be grounded in their identity, and at the same time agile and ever-ready to embrace change and conquer challenges.

To prepare boys for this world, we develop a plan for every boy who attends Hilton College. It is the school’s endeavour to: know every boy; challenge him as an individual and as a member of a team; stretch him in formulating his opinions and worldview; and ensure he gives of his best consistently. 

To this end, Hilton has high expectations of each boy.

At the end of his years at Hilton College, he should be a determined, persistent, and humble young man, ready to tackle the next phase of his life and equipped to make his mark in whatever he chooses to pursue.

Key to our offering is our 1,600-hectare estate, 650 hectares of which is a proclaimed nature reserve. Bordered by the uMngeni River, the Hilton College Game Reserve is home to giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, warthog and six species of buck, providing an outdoor classroom unlike any other.

At the gates to Hilton is the following inscription, which captures the heart of the school:

“Enter these gates with humility, determined to contribute to, and to take advantage of, all that this institution offers, and depart knowing that you are well equipped to forge your future in the world.”

As we celebrate our 150^th year in 2022, we are more excited than ever about Hilton College’s positive contribution to our country and our continent.

Commitment holds key to success – Hilton Director of Sport

Darryn Gallagher is Hilton College’s Director of Sport. He joined Hilton in 2016 as Director of Hockey.

Mr Gallagher was educated at Maritzburg College and matriculated in 1995. He completed a Bachelor of Social Science degree at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in 2003.

He represented the South African Mens’ Hockey team 87 times from 1999 to 2008, where his playing career culminated in attending the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

After retiring from international hockey, he pursued his passion and coached a number of club and provincial teams. In 2011, he was appointed as the head coach for the South African U21 men’s team, and worked with this group until the end of the Junior World Cup in India in 2013.

He is the South African U16 boys convenor of selectors, and is formerly a South African U18, U21 and senior men’s selector.

Central to his life is his family, particularly his wife Kelly and their children Callum and Lexi.

He believes that the measure of sporting success is deeper and wider than playing in a first team; it is more about playing to the best of one’s own ability.

“Success starts and ends with you as the individual,” he says. “If you put in the work consistently, you will reap the rewards.”