Gazette January 2020
32
AC A DE M IC E XC E L L E NC E
Demonstrating Gratitude Violet Macansh Scholarship
Violet Madeleine Macansh’s legacy is one of great compassion, humility and integrity – a true representative of The King’s School values. Violet always had a strong connection to The King’s School with her father, John Sedley Futter (The King’s School, 1836-39), her two half-brothers and three full brothers all being Old Boys, and all of whom she outlived. In 1950, Violet Macansh bequeathed in her Will half a million pounds to The King’s School, the largest bequeathed sum to an Australian school at the time. This significant and generous donation led to many education opportunities for the School which greatly benefited numerous generations of students. In 1951, the donation was turned into a scholarship which was deemed to its first recipient based on the boy’s high academic standing. The Violet Macansh Scholarship is awarded in accordance with Mrs Macansh’s wishes and over the 60 years since the Scholarship was instituted, over 120 boys, who otherwise may not have had the means, have been able to attend The King’s School. Along with leading to financial support for future Kingsmen, the donation has aided the purchase of Gowan Brae and Futter Park, which was bequeathed to the School and named in memory of her brothers. The Park is highly productive, running merino ewes, shorthorn cattle and having extensive hectares under crops, all of which has supported extensive rebuilding and refurbishment to the School, not least of which being the upgrade to Futter Hall.
Peter Reuben Registrar
