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From thirteen pupils in 1883 to a family of Old Edwardians across Malaysia — the story of King Edward VII School, Taiping, and of the association that keeps its family together.

The school The association Rugby School song

1883 – 1974

The school

Three schools grew from one. Each stands on a chapter of the same story.

1883

Central School opens

In July 1883 ‘Central School’ begins with thirteen pupils. Its original site was the old nurses’ hostel.

1905

A new building on Jalan Stesen

The school moves into its new building on Jalan Stesen and is named King Edward VII, Taiping, to mark the coronation of the King. The name was given by the headmaster, Mr R. F. Stainer — the second headmaster of Central School and the first of King Edward VII.

The King Edward VII School building on Jalan Stesen, in black and white — The school building on Jalan Stesen

The same building at night, lit up — The same building today, at night

1908

The school gate

The school gate is built — a symbol of the school’s prestige and pride. It is still in use today.

The wrought-iron gate reading King Edward VII School — The school gate

An older photograph of the gate and the building behind it — The gate in an older photograph

1928

Sheffield Hostel

The Sheffield Hostel is built, named after Mr J. N. Sheffield, then Director of Surveys, Perak. It became one of the earliest hostels in Perak and in Malaysia.

1955 · 1957

New blocks along Jalan Trump

As the school grew around its Golden Jubilee in 1955, the management planned to separate the secondary school from the primary. Six new blocks — E, F, G, H, I and J — were planned along Jalan Trump, together with a hall and several laboratories.

Building began in 1956. To save money and finish quickly, the blocks followed the ‘army barrack’ design popular at the time, and British Army troops lent a hand with the work. They were completed at the end of 1957.

An old map of Taiping with Trump Road marked — A 1928 map, with Trump Road marked

The school hall, a long building with a tiled roof — Dewan Besar, the school hall

A long single-storey laboratory block — Makmal Teknologi

A single-storey workshop block across a field — Bengkel Kemahiran Hidup

Block F

The ‘Army Barrack’

Of all the new blocks, Block F was the longest and the best known — so well known that generations of Edwardians simply called it the ‘Army Barrack’. Many will remember it as the block of their own classrooms.

The block has since been replaced by a three-storey building, and these photographs are among the few that remain.

The long covered corridor of Block F, with red pillars and a Malaysian flag — The long corridor of Block F

The end wall of Block F, beside the school field — Block F, beside the field

1958

One school becomes three

The new blocks, the hall and the laboratories came into use in January 1958. That year the school was divided into three: SRK King Edward VII (1) and SRK King Edward VII (2), the two primary schools, in the original building, and SMK King Edward VII, the secondary school, which moved to Jalan Muzium Hulu and Jalan Trump, where it remains today.

School staff seated and standing in rows, in black and white — School staff, 1958, in front of the newly completed hall

Primary school staff photographed in front of the King Edward VII School Primary Department — Primary School Staff, 1957 (Majalah Edwardian)

SMK King Edward VII, with its lawn and flagpoles — SMK King Edward VII today

The secondary school and its hostel blocks in earlier days — The secondary school in earlier days

1974

SRK King Edward VII (2) moves

In the third term of the school year, SRK King Edward VII (2) moves to a new building on Jalan Lumba Kuda, beside SRK TMGS and close to Taiping Lake Gardens.

The SRK King Edward VII (2) building on Jalan Lumba Kuda — SRK King Edward VII (2), Jalan Lumba Kuda

Can you help? We are still gathering photographs of Block F and the blocks along Jalan Trump — especially the area around Block F during the floods, and the blocks in the 1950s to 1980s. If you have any, please share a link or get in touch.

1914 – 1965

The association

Old Edwardians were gathering long before the association had a name.

1914 · 1956

A tradition of reunion dinners

In 1914 the headmaster, Mr R. F. Stainer, took the initiative — with a few former pupils — to hold a Reunion Dinner and a programme of sporting activities. The dinners became a fixture; the 1956 dinner pictured here is among the earliest on record.

Old Edwardians seated along a long dinner table — An early Old Edwardians dinner

A crowded dinner hall, 1956 — Dinner, 1956

1965

The Old Edwardians Association, Taiping is formed

After several attempts, the Old Edwardians Association, Taiping was formally established on Sunday, 4 July 1965, and registered under the Societies Ordinance 1949 on 12 October 1965 (Registration No. 1547, Perak). Its first address was No. 6 Barrack Road, Taiping.

Known in Malay as Persatuan Murid-Murid Tua Edwardian Taiping Malaysia.

The first committee of the Old Edwardians Association of Taiping, seated and standing in two rows — The first committee, 1965. Front, left to right: Mr Qua Chiew Kooi, Mr Mohd Razak, Mr Toh Theam Hock, Mr Tang Heng Yeong, Mr Lee Soo. Back: Mr Ong Hong Kong, Mr See Toh Cheng, Mr Lim Poh Tooi, Mr Khalid Ismail, Mr Choe Mok Heng, Mr Lim Swee Chin.

The Societies Ordinance certificate of registration, dated 12 October 1965 — Certificate of registration, 12 October 1965

Today

The clubhouse

The association’s clubhouse — its official building — is at No. 119, Jalan Stesen, Taiping.

Sister associations, 1964

Old Edwardian associations were forming across the country at the same time. Two are recorded in the 1965 Diamond Jubilee issue of Majalah Edwardian.

Selangor & Kuala Lumpur

The Old Edwardians of Selangor was formed on 16 May 1964, led by Mr Abdul Aziz b. Yeop as President, Mr Abu Hassan b. Abdullah as Vice President and Mr Chartar Singh as Secretary. The first dinner was held on 16 May 1965, one year after its founding. It is better known today as OEAKL.

Kelantan & Terengganu

The idea began with Mr Jamaluddin b. Ramthan, then serving at the Kelantan Prison Department in Kota Bharu. On 8 October 1964, 21 Old Edwardians agreed to form the association, with Mr Hashim b. Hamid as its first President and Mr Chin Lee Poh as its first Secretary. It now belongs to history.

Committee photograph, Old Edwardians Association of Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, 1964 — Old Edwardians Association of Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, 1964

Committee photograph, Old Edwardians Association of Kelantan and Terengganu, 1964 — Old Edwardians Association of Kelantan and Terengganu, 1964

The traditional sport

Rugby

King Edward VII is known as a rugby school. The game has been played here since the 1920s and has never stopped.

c. 1923 · 1928

A rugby school from the start

Rugby was introduced at King Edward VII around 1923 by Mr T. J. Thomas, making the school one of the earliest to play the game.

The school rugby XV of 1928, in team photograph — School Rugby XV, 1928 — Edwardians vs. Birch Rompers, Ipoh

1933

Winners against Penang Free School

In 1933 the school beat Penang Free School to become the first champions of Malayan schools rugby. From the 1950s to the 1960s it was known as the ‘King of Rugby’. Rugby remains King Edward VII’s traditional sport.

In 2026 Old Edwardians travelled to Stadium Merdeka to cheer the school’s finalists in Super Schools Rugby — see the photographs.

The school rugby XV of 1933, in team photograph — School Rugby XV, 1933 — winners of the first inter-school game against Penang Free School

Sung by every generation

The school song

The song of King Edward VII School, Taiping — sung at assemblies, on sports days and at every reunion, by Edwardians young and old.

Video: “Lagu Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan King Edward VII”, shared on YouTube by 1 To 5 Minutes Video.

Watch on YouTube

The story is still being written

We are still gathering the history of hockey, football, gymnastics, athletics, cricket and cross-country. If you have old photographs, team lists or results from any year, please send them to us.

Share something with the archive

Compiled from history notes shared by the King Edward VII website team and from Majalah Edwardian (1965, Diamond Jubilee issue). Some dates and captions are still being checked against the school and association records.