Marley Villa was later demolished to make way for a small playing field. This was situated where the newest wing and driveway are today. State aided Islamic Schools, Anjuman and Orient became privatized, learners and teachers were sent to Hartley Road Primary School.
The road to Overport House and the school entrance was named Hopeland new school buildings were being laid down during 1918, workmen 195 were of Mrs Hope. When the foundations of the found pickaxes hitting a large and immensely thick slab of reinford concrete. As it would have been very costly to demolish, it of William Hartley's secret underground strong-room in which he had was cretly left as it was. Legend has it that this slab formed the roof stored a fortune in gold before he died. Whether there is any truth in this may only be discovered when the double-storey school buildings are pulled down at some, hopefully, far distant date in the future. In later years the school motto was 'With Hope, Heart, and Will'. This was a pleasant series of puns, with 'heart' referring to Hartley, 'hope referring to Mrs Annie Hope, who had kept close ties with the school until she died, and 'will' referring to the school's 8th principal, Mr T. (Tug) Wilson.
In February 1974, the Administrator-in-Executive of Natal gave his permission for Overport Primary School to change its name to William Hartley Primary School.
This was done partly because of the confusion which often arose with Overport S.R.S. Primary School which had opened in 1928 on the corner of Karagola Place and Silver Palm Road (it is now in West Road), and partly to honour the strong link between the first owner of this property and the City of Durban. The writer was the first Principal of the newly-named school.
The new badge contained a lion 'rampant', this being an exact copy of the lion on the Durban Coat of Arms, for which special permission had been obtained from the Town Clerk.
The old motto was now combined into the single word 'Courage".
Sadly, the Government's apartheid policy resulted in the school's numbers dwindling until it became uneconomical to continue. William Hartley Primary School closed down in 1988, its last Principal being Mr R.B. Blore. During the decade following, the Durban Music School occupied the premises (BY PATRICK COYNE)..
In 1998 the Hartley Road Primary School was opened when two state - Orient Islamic School privatized.
In 2000, Mr. I Saib was appointed as the first principal. The school had made a
quantum leap in education and training excellence under his leadership. There has
been phenomenal changes in the quality of education, infrastructure and parent and
community networks.
Today, the school can be hailed as one of the best schools in the Durban Central Circuit. Meanwhile the little houses in Hopelands Road have gradually been taken over by Parklands Hospital and privately owned medical centres. William Hartley, who delighted in any progress which was to the good of Durban, would no doubt be proud that his old property is now occupied by citizens called to carry the lamps of learning and healing with "Hope, Heart and Will."
Today Hartley serves as the centre of community life in Overport and is in the forefront of
- Mentoring budding teachers.
- Served as an election centre voter registration and a polling station.
- Serves as a centre for dispensing chronic medication to the elderly every week. A joint venture with the Ridge Road Clinic (Department of Health).
- Creates recreational facilities for the community after school hours.
And the story continues with you...
