Foundation Anniversary
Honouring the Past and Imagining What is Next
149 members of the Barker community have filled the first 40 years of the Foundation with energy, genuine intentions and tangible results, through the structural capacity of Barker and the interpersonal capability of the School’s talented staff. In May we celebrated the 40th Anniversary of the Barker Foundation at a special event held in Boyce Hall. The evening was an opportunity to celebrate and honour the past, whilst looking forward to new initiatives and strategies that streamline the positioning of all of the Foundation’s activities under the Future Fund banner. It was a pleasure to welcome back former Heads of Barker College, past Chairs and Directors of the Foundation, as well as current parents. The evening provided a unique opportunity for Phillip Heath to engage in a Q&A with Dr Neil Tucker (7th Headmaster of Barker), Dr Rod Kefford (8th Headmaster of Barker) and Mrs Catherine Crouch (Foundation Chair 2008 – 2012), each providing their reflections on the Barker Foundation, its legacy and purpose and what’s next.
44 • The Barker • Issue 135 • Winter 2022
The Foundation was in its infancy when Dr Tucker commenced as the 7th Headmaster of Barker. He recalled how in the early 1980s, there was little history of the giving of actual dollars to the School and the Building Fund relied on a voluntary donation of $15 through the termly fees. “Schools like Barker rely on the enormous volunteer effort and philanthropy of a range of kinds, not just financial,” he said. Under the extraordinary leadership of the Foundation’s first Chair, Garry Boyce, the focus turned to the School’s centenary and 80 receptions in the Headmaster’s home were held to support the fundraising efforts for the Centenary Design Centre and the new swimming centre. As the millennium approached, the context in which the Foundation operated changed and as Dr Kefford explained, it was a time to take the fullest advantage of the Barker community spirit.
