Umtali public school – the beginning
•1896 – March: First school of 12 children at Old Mutare with Miss Zillah Miles
•1897 – Mutare began to move to the present site – 27 pupils
•1898 – April: Miss Miles retired, married to Mr Dick Tullock, Mrs Player Miles took over
•1898 – August: American Methodist Episcopal Church (Bishop Joseph Hartzell) acquire old site
•1898 – November: Umtali Academy/Public School run by the American Church (Rev Ehnes)
•1899 – Education Ordinance (Department of Education) grant – government aided school
•1901 – Headship to Rev Beetham, Kindergarten to Miss Johnstone, venue building –
•1901 – 8 govt-assisted schools with 443 pupils & 23 teachers (Umtali 41 pupils & 5 teachers)
•1902 – History of Rhodesia published for Standard V and above, 48 pupils
•1903 – Boarding school established, 61 pupils
•1904 – Rival St. Johns Public School established (Anglican Church – Mr Robins)
•1905 – Umtali Public School = 40 pupils; St. Johns Public School = 25 pupils
•1905 – St. Johns Public School became Umtali High School
•1906 – Umtali High became a govt-assisted school
•1907 – Umtali Public & High adopted same education system. Mr Garner heads Public School
•1909 – January: Amalgamation to a govt Umtali Public School, Head Mr Garner, 117 pupils
Umtali High school – The early years
•1910 – Dilapidation of school buildings
•1911 – Site near the Market Square released for the new school
•1912 – August: Occupation of new school buildings with 185 pupils – head Mr MacDonald
•1913 – April: Head Mr Sutherland through WWI; 8:30-13:30 with extra mural activities
•1913 – Homework timetable, quarterly exams, games committee, girl guides
•1915 – Growth in pupils > Std 7 to 20 (2 in 1913 and 12 in 1914)
•1916 – 252 pupils – school scattered all over town
•1917 – Boxing started as a sport in school; tennis court completed
•1918 – Oct to Jan 1919: closed to act as hospital for a flu epidemic; association football revived
•1919 – Sports ground granted, Boys-cricket & rugby; Girls-hockey; athletics annual event; original school crest
•1921 – Headship Mr Mackenzie and then Mr Livingston in March 1922
•1922 – Boys declared rugby as the school sport; juniors played soccer; girls hockey and tennis
•1923 – High School; 1st school magazine; Debating Society formed; 1st rugby match vs PE; new tennis court
•1924 – Proper Uniform, House System (Boys-Chancellor, Moffat, Stanley; Girls-Connaught, Milner, Athlone)
•1924 – Proper school uniform, school motto, prefectorial system
•1925 –Boys Hostel Houses split ( Chancellor A & B). Athlone split N & S in 1930. Swimming started
•1926 – New senior school (division between junior and senior schools)
•1927 – UHS 1st Head Boy (L Hatch) and Head Girl (B Rose); school bioscope introduced
•1928 – 3 new tennis courts; Old Boys’ Association (Mr Livingston)
•1929 – 1st Parents Day; 14 member school council (advisory with no executive powers)
•1930 – Headship Mr Ball (acting) and then Mr Hill
•1931 – Old Girls’ Association; Mr Miller wrote “Ex Montibus” song; Miss Heath put to music, UHS Hall opened
•1934 – A gymnastic shed opened ; The printing club for boys
•1935 – New cricket field and pavilion constructed
•1937 – Boys and Girls Houses joined (Livingstone, Moffat, Stanley)
•1938 – Separation of Senior and Junior Schools (Mr J Hutchinson); book craft, philatelic, folk dancing, woodwork and gliding club
Umtali High school – The final years
•1939 – September: WWII started
•1940 – New Library building opened; over 100 former pupils in the Services
•1941 – Over 200 fomer pupils in the Services
•1942 – Over 250 former pupils in the Services
•1943 – Over 360 former pupils in the Services
•1945 – Over 500 former pupils in the Services, 45 killed. Memorial service
•1946 – Plans for a memorial chapel in the school
•1947 – Headship Mr A D Gledhill;
•1948 – Plans for 2 new hostels at the Mutare University site
•1949 – 2 temporary prefabricated classrooms added to ease congestion
•1950 – Primary school block in the Chancellor House grounds; Secondary school hostel on new site
•1951 – January: Work on the new senior school hostel began
•1954 – Separation of the boys and girls school (UBHS and UGHS)
Umtali Boys High school – new start
•1954 – Co-educational split, Boys moved to Tiger Kloof, best site in the country, with Mr Gledhill
•1954 – The main school block (less Admin) + Crawford and Palmer hostels; the New Field; lots of clubs/societies
•1955 – Pavilion (less electricity & sanitation); Tuckshop; Workshop Block; Armoury and Parade Ground
•1955 – 3 tennis courts; 80 acres added to the 40-acre site; Field C
•1956 – Headship Mr. K. M. Fleming; Boys providing labour force for the grounds (self-help); Swimming Pool
•1957 – Pavilion electricity & sanitation; Pergola and rockeries; Goldberg, Hewitt + Hockey Fields; Rifle Range
•1958 – Headmaster moved to temporary hut – office converted into a laboratory; Rugby + Cricket for 1st 2 years
•1959 – 4 more classrooms; Cinder track and terracing; school orchard enlarged; Roads and school entrance
•1959 – UBHS among the best schools in the country – Excellent Administration and Dedication from the Boys
•1960 – Gledhill Hall completed – Foundation started in 1959 + 6 years of planning
•1961 – Admin Offices, Storeroom & Staff-rooms; Library; 4 more classrooms & 2 laboratories
•1963 – Manual labour cleared the chapel site
•1964 – Chapel foundation stone laid
•1965 – Chapel foundation dug – 1st service held on 11 November 1965; Unilateral Declaration of Independence
•1966 – June: Chapel building completed
•1968 – Sinking of a bore-hole for the grounds; Athletic field named J. B. Clarke; New Field re-named Wallace Field
•1969 – Rugby + Cricket for 1st year
Mutare Boys High school – succession
•1980 – Zimbabwe Independence
•1983 – First Black Head Boy – L Banda
•1985 – New Science block constructred
•2019 – New Library building constructred