Three Tree Fuchsias (Halleria lucida), the tree of the year for 2009, were planted by, respectively, a first-year student Ms Tarryn Thomas, the Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Prof Calie Pistorius, and Mr Jan van Deventer of the TuksAlumni Board. Ms Thomas will be studying for the degree MBChB (Medicine).

This custom to plant a tree during Welcoming Day on behalf of the class of the respective year originated in 2001. The first-year student represents the year group while the tree stands as symbol of this group who will become alumni themselves in years to come.

Trees planted since 2001 include the River Bush Willow, the Cheesewood, the Red Currant, the Mountain Seringa, the Baobab, a Wild Pomegranate and a Common Wild Currant. Past students who, as new first-year students, took part in this ceremony were the late Rizqa Carriem (2001); Christa-Louié van Heerden (2002); Ingeborg Steinmann (2003); Tshepo Moila (2004), Dewald de Beer (2005), Atli Phatudi (2006), Jaco Jordaan (2007) and Sylvester Thebe (2008).

Click here to read Prof Pistorius's full Welcoming day address.