The Impact
of Giving

Crowther PavilionIn 1922/23 the Old Brighton Grammarians’ Society raised funds for the building of The Crowther Pavilion in memory of Dr Crowther. The Crowther Pavilion, erected on the north-west corner of the Crowther Oval, was officially opened in October 1923. The pavilion had provision for visitor and home team changing rooms and showers.

Saving BGSIn November 1923 the Crowther family could no longer financially maintain Brighton Grammar School and it was put up for sale. When the Church of England Diocesan Board of Education failed to purchase the School, Canon (later Archdeacon) Hancock, vicar of St Andrew’s, initiated a campaign to raise the necessary funds.

Canon Hancock and Headmaster, Herbert Dixon, and others literally doorknocked Brighton to raise the necessary sum of £20,000 which, when combined with a loan of £30,000 from the national Mutual Life Association, enable the newly formed Brighton Grammar School Association to fund the purchase.

Tower Clock and BellsIn 1927, John (OB 1899), Norman (OB 1900) and Alan (OB 1913) MacGlashan gifted the Tower clock and bells in memory of their parents, Neil and Agnes MacGlashan. The electric clock was the first of its kind in the southern hemisphere having been manufactured by Gent & Co Leicester and installed by Gaunt & Co. Melbourne; the bells were cast by Gillett & Johnson, Croydon, England.

Lilla Kirkham Memorial GatesThe Lilla Kirkham Memorial Gates were gifted to the School by Jack Stott Kirkham in memory of his wife, Lilla, who died in 1948. Jack Kirkham attended BGS 1919-21 and his son John 1942-48.

Memorial HallFunding for the Memorial Hall was the culmination of seven years of fundraising to amass the funds required for the building which was officially opened on 10 December 1953. The Hall was to honour those Old boys who gave their lives in the two World Wars. Fundraising activities included a War Memorial Fete and the selling of small bricks to the value of £2 to £20 each. All gifts from 1945 to 1952 ranging from £2000 to $2 were listed in the 1952 Grammarian.

Annandale Pavilion A fund was commenced in 1954 to raise funds for a sports pavilion with changing rooms and showers to be positioned on the south-east corner of the Crowther oval. Contributions were made by Old Boys, past and present parents, staff and friends of the School and all donations were listed in the 1954, 1955 and 1956 Grammarians. By 1956, the necessary £16,000 was raised and the Annandale Pavilion, named in honour of Walter Annandale Jack, was opened in June, 1956.

The Dorothy Brown Scholarshipwas funded by Frank ‘Sarge’ Brown, member of Staff 1929-70, in memory of his wife Dorothy. This was the School’s first endowed scholarship. The corpus, £4000, was to be invested and act as a bursary to enable boys to remain at BGS when their parents encountered financial difficulties.

Building the Junior School - The Extension Project In November 1957 a large team of men assembled at a luncheon to launch the Extension Project of Brighton Grammar School to raise £110,000 to build a Junior School for boys Prep to Year 3 on land in Grosvenor Street owned by the Gas Corporation. Three distinct groups were formed to visit and seek support from members of the School Family: A F Bottomley chaired the Special Gifts Division; Murray Porter the Old Boys Division; and R N Peachey the Parents’ Division.

Swimming PoolIn 1971 the School Parents’ Association made a firm proposal to raise funds to construct a pool when a site became available. In 1974 the School purchased the last block of land on the gas works site from the Gas and Fuel Corporation. The School Parents’ Association having already raise substantial funds, approximately $30,000, enabled the School to commence excavation in January 1975. The pool was opened in November 1975 by the Hon Sir John Rossiter, MLA Brighton and a former parent.

Exercise CompletionIn 1979, the School Council initiated ‘Exercise Completion’. An approach was made to all parents who had joined the School family 1978-79 informing these parents of the School’s future plans and seeking their support in contributing to the School’s future development. This appeal was most successful as the initial aim of $40.000 was exceeded by over $7,000.

Rosstrevor Multi-purpose Hall and ClassroomsMany members of the School community - parents, Old Boys and Staff members, supported the Brighton Grammar School Foundation’s Fundraising Campaign for this complex comprising of a multi-purpose hall, several classrooms, a kitchen and large upstirs gallery. A feature of the fundraising was the purchasing of seats in the Hall. A plaque listing over 200 major donors was erected in the Hall foyer.

The Joe White ScholarshipJoe White (1873-1959) was a philanthropic businessman and brewer who generosity supported communities in Ballarat, Torquay and Brighton. Since1996 the Trustees of the Joe White Bequest have annually provided a gift to the School enabling numerous boys to attend BGS.

Senior School Library and Research CentreFor several years the School was aware of the need to build a far more extensive library and resource centre. The Memorial Hall, which housed the Senior School library in its upper floor, was the obvious site for the new complex.

Sequamur SocietyIn September 2008, the Headmaster, Michael Urwin, launched the Sequamur Society to acknowledge and thank those members of our BGS community who indicated their willingness to leave a gift in their Will to Brighton Grammar School. The Headmaster formally inducted twenty-five Founding Members of the Sequamur Society which included Old Boys, past and present parents, and current and former members of Staff. The purpose of the Sequamur Society is to build a robust Endowment Fund to ensure the School has a strong and independent future. By 2019 there were 105 members of the Sequamur Society

Ovals CampaignIn 2008, a campaign was launched with a cocktail party to raise $1,000,000 to surface the Junior School and Mitchell ovals with synthetic surfaces. Various members of our School community, including Old Boys, parents and Staff members, volunteered to seek support for this project. The Mitchell Oval was surfaced with a FIFA approved soccer surface with provision for Junior School cricket matches. In the spirit of sustainability, water tanks were installed under the Mitchell Oval to provide a steady supply of water for the Crowther Oval.

The Mabel Fairweather Scholarshipwas funded from the estate of Mable Fairweather and from donations from Old Boys who admired the meritorious role that Miss Fairweather played as Junior School Headmistress 1939-62. The scholarship is means-tested and awarded to a boy of fine character and strong all-round ability.

The Old Brighton Grammarians’ Scholarship for Citizenship and General ExcellenceThe Old Brighton Grammarians’ Scholarship for Citizenship and General Excellence is exclusively available for the sons of Old Boys. Applicants must be entering Year 8, 9, 10, 11 or 12 and may come from within Brighton Grammar or externally from another school. Applicants are required to demonstrate that they are of fine character and general all-round ability, and willing to embrace the spirit and culture of Brighton Grammar School. The Scholarship is funded through the OBGS.

The Rofe Scholarshipin memory of Robert Lancelot Rofe Headmaster 1967-1995, is awarded to a boy of fine character and general all-round ability who can demonstrate his willingness to embrace the spirit and culture of Brighton Grammar School. The Scholarship was funded by the Rofe family, and Old Boys and friends of the School in acknowledgement of Robert Rofe’s outstanding contribution to BGS. The Rofe Scholarship is means-tested.

The 431 Scholarshipwas established after the 2017 Annual Appeal, when 431 donors raised $424,000 to fund a new means-tested scholarship. The recipient will be a boy of fine character who can demonstrate his willingness to embrace the spirit and culture of BGS, and who will benefit from a BGS education.

The Indigenous Scholarshipis means-tested and was funded through the generosity of the BGS community through the 2018 Annual Appeal. The recipient will be an indigenous boy of fine character currently in Year 5, 6, 7 or 8 who can demonstrate his willingness to embrace the spirit and culture of BGS and benefit from a BGS education.