Philanthropy is critical to Melbourne Grammar School’s success. Since the School’s earliest days, generous donors have underpinned the School’s commitment to providing a strong, values-based education. This investment has been repaid many times over, as our students have become leaders in their professions, valued contributors to their communities and role models within their homes.
The School’s recently published strategy – Towards 2030 – honours that heritage and provides guidance on how students will continue to receive an exceptional education in coming years. The School recognises the importance of various factors in building a strong and supportive community, including excellent teaching, strong ethics and values, and facilities that best enable our students to reach their potential.
Like many of you, I was shaped by the lessons learnt at Melbourne Grammar. This included the entreaty to act for the greater overall good, with service and contribution to the community being central to that ethos. The Melbourne Grammar School Foundation has exemplified these values for nearly 50 years and continues its passionate advocacy for an outstanding School education. More than 1,150 donors have joined the Foundation since 1974, while we know of 283 people who have declared that they will leave a gift in their Will to the School. This is a phenomenal commitment to the School.
I wish to thank the outgoing Foundation President, Philip Solomon KC (OM 1986), for his outstanding service and generosity over the previous five years. I am honoured to be following in his footsteps at a time when the School is looking to expand its philanthropic horizons.
In the years ahead, the School will replace the Rhoden and Neill buildings with a new centre that will be at the vanguard of humanities education in Australia, will provide greater access to outstanding young leaders and will further refine the School’s commitment to Indigenous students. These aspirations will build on a major philanthropic tradition encompassing such transformational gifts as the Witherby Tower and Harleston at Grimwade House.
The post-pandemic return to campus life has been extraordinary and epitomises the leadership provided by the School’s executive, teachers and students. Our next challenge is to translate the strength arising from successfully coping with adversity into a wonderful ongoing school culture that benefits current and future families.
I love Melbourne Grammar School. It has provided me and members of my family with a fantastic education and, crucially, a love of lifelong learning. I have benefitted from the focus on extracurricular activities and the relationships that the School builds between students of different ages and backgrounds. The following pages provide a glimpse of that environment – one deserving of its reputation as a great school.
Thank you for your ongoing support of Melbourne Grammar School.
Professor Julian Smith (OM 1975)
President of the Melbourne Grammar School Foundation
You can read more about the tangible difference the generosity of our donors is having on Melbourne Grammar School in Philanthropic Impact (October 2021 – September 2022) which is available here.
