Methodist Boys’ School, Penang (1891)

The Methodist Boys’ School in Penang is the oldest Methodist school in Malaysia. It was established in 1891 as the Anglo-Chinese School by Rev. Benjamin H. Balderstone and retained its original name up until 1955 when it became the Methodist Boys’ School.

Rev. Balderstone was a Methodist missionary from Canada and arrived in Penang in 1891 to establish a Methodist school on the island. He rented a shophouse in Carnavon Street, George Town, and opened the school on 28th May, 1891 becoming the first Methodist school in Malaya, three Methodist schools having been previously established in Singapore.

In 1893 Rev. Balderstone retired because of ill health and was succeeded by Rev. George F. Pykett who was the school’s principal for 39 years up until 1932, and is credited with placing the school on the map due to its rapid growth and success. At the time of his retirement the single shophouse in Carnarvon Street had expanded to five adjoining houses to accommodate the increase in enrolment. Rev. Pykett died shortly after his retirement and was succeeded by Rev. Preston L. Peach.

Rev. Peach became the new principal in 1932 succeeding Rev. Pykett. He had purchased Suffolk House a mansion used by British Governors, and adjacent land in 1929 for $40,000 (Straits) to accommodate new premises but the plan did not proceed until much later.

Finally, in 1955 the new premises was completed on the site including Suffolk House at Air Itam Road and was formally opened by Malcolm McDonald, British Commissioner-General for South-East Asia, also Chancellor of the University of Malaya. The three branches of the school which by now had been established in George Town moved into the new building and the primary School moved into the Pykett Avenue premises, and the school was renamed from the Anglo-Chinese School to the more inclusive “Methodist Boys’ School”.