Carey Baptist Grammar School

Carey Baptist Grammar School was founded by The Reverend Leonard E. Tranter, who, at the meetings of the Baptist Union of Victoria held in May 1919, urged consideration of a Baptist secondary school for boys. The present property, with the house Urangeline, was purchased in 1922 for £14,000 and the school opened on 13 February 1923 with an enrolment of 68 boys. Urangeline House was designed in 1884 by Joseph Reed. The house was originally named 'Edzell'.[8]

The school is named in honour of the Reverend Dr William Carey, a Baptist missionary and self-taught language scholar who carried out humanitarian work in India in the late 18th century.

Carey first day in 1923 outside Urangeline House

In 1962, 14 hectares (35 acres) of land were purchased at Bulleen for sports grounds, an Outdoor Education facility was built near Paynesville in 1967 and a Junior School campus was built at Donvale in 1989 with 81 students to start off with.

In 1971, the William Carey Chapel was opened. The design was led by the chaplain of the school at the time, Alan Wright. The chapel was paid for by the 'Forward Carey' Appeal of 1960. Construction began in 1969. In 2020, the chapel was declared heritage listed by the local Boroondara Council.[9]

The school began co-education in 1979 when girls entered Years 11 and 12.[10] By 2011, the school achieved an even 50:50 gender split between boys and girls.[11]

The school bought the adjoining property named Cluny. The old buildings were demolished (except for the main building, Fairview) to make room for a new grass section for the Junior School at Kew, which was opened on 6 October 2006 and is known as Cluny Green.

In 2019, the school bought the Melbourne Cricket Club’s bowling property on Barkers Road which has been renamed as the Carey Kew Sports Complex.

The school celebrated its centenary year in 2023 with various celebrations throughout the year.[12]

There have been eight principals (formerly headmasters) since the school was founded in 1923. The current principal is Jonathan Walter, since January 2020.[13]

The name of the school derives from William Carey, the first Baptist missionary in India. The school badge represents the old Greek torch race, very similar to a relay race, in which a chain of runners each passed to the next a torch which had to be kept burning brightly.[18]

The school motto is "Animo et Fide" which may be translated from Latin as "With Courage and Faith". This echoes the Bible texts from Isaiah 54:2–3 on which Carey based his sermon in 1792 when he urged Baptists to form a missionary society.[19]

The house system at Carey was introduced in 1924 with four houses. Steele was formerly called 'School House' as this was allocated for students who boarded at Carey. The current ten-house system was introduced in 1967 in both the middle and senior school.[29] The houses are named after people who contributed to the school's founding.

Note, the table below does not include the house systems of Junior School Kew and Donvale, where they have a separate system.

Carey Baptist Grammar School's UN Room in the CLI

The Carey Sports Complex is located in Bulleen and set on 14 hectares (35 acres) close to Carey's Kew and Donvale campuses. It consists of five ovals, and a gymnasium with two netball/basketball courts, which can also accommodate three volleyball or eight badminton courts. There is a weight-training facility and a 25-metre eight-lane heated swimming pool with a separate diving pool. Carey students use the facilities for physical education classes, sports training and APS matches.

In 2010, the De Young Centre for the Performing Arts was opened by the Governor of Victoria, Professor David de Kretser AC. The centre has three main sections: the school's reception foyer and gallery space; the Ian Woolf Auditorium with a 350-seat capacity and stage management facilities; and the Laycock School of Music and Drama which has rehearsal rooms, classrooms including two music technology rooms and practice and tuition studios. This building replaced what was formerly there, a boarding house called Laycock House, dating from 1925.

In 2016, the Grutzner Centre for Learning and Innovation (CLI) was opened by the Governor of Victoria, The Hon. Linda Dessau AM. The CLI contains an Information Resource Centre which has a catalogue, study spaces and laboratories. On the top of this building are the United Nations Room and a Cabinet Room, which have been used for The United Nations Youth Security Council. The CLI, designed by Hayball, was shortlisted for the Australian Interior Design Awards in 2017.[30]

In 2022, the award winning Centre for Creativity and Collaboration was officially opened by Rev. Tim Costello AO, who was the CEO of World Vision Australia and alumni of the school. This new building updates the old Middle School Building that was originally there in different forms since the 1960s. Most of the former bulling was part of a large extension in the early 1990s. The new Middle School Building finished construction in mid 2020, however, due to the various Covid-19 lockdowns occurring in Melbourne at the time, the officiall opening had to be delayed. This building also connects with the Memorial Great Hall (MGH) and further offices and class room spaces for students between Years 7 to 9. One of the awards is the World Architecture News (WAN), Future Projects Education Award, 2018.[31][32]

• Noah Anderson (2019) – AFL player for Gold Coast Suns
• Nick Ansell (2012) – soccer player for Jeonnam Dragons, previously Melbourne Victory FC
• Jason Ashby (2012) – AFL player for Essendon Football Club
• Laura Barden (2012) – hockey player for Hockeyroos
• Hana Basic (2013) – Olympic sprinter
• Ron Castan AM QC (1956) – Barrister and human rights advocate
• Tiffany Cherry (1989) – sports broadcaster
• Harriet Cordner (2011) – AFLW Footballer for Richmond Tigers, Melbourne Demons
• Julie Corletto (2004) – netball player for Australian Netball Diamonds
• Peter Costello (1972) – Liberal politician and former Treasurer of Australia
• Tim Costello (1972) – Former CEO of World Vision Australia and former President of the Baptist Union of Australia
• Seb Costello (2004) - journalist, Nine News & Triple M
• Johannah Curran (2005) – netball player for Melbourne Vixens
• Nick Daicos (2020) - AFL Footballer for Collingwood Magpies
• Brian Eaton (1934) – RAAF Air Vice Marshal
• John Elliott (1958) – former president of Carlton Football Club and the Liberal Party of Australia
• Tom Elliott (1985) – investment banker and media personality
• Hugh Evans (2001) – Young Australian of the Year 2004 and co-founder of The Oaktree Foundation
• Jake Fraser-McGurk (2020) – cricketer
• Andrew Gaff (2010) – AFL player for West Coast Eagles
• Ellen Gandy (2010) – Olympic swimmer
• Renae Hallinan (2004) – netball player for Australian Netball Diamonds
• Marieke Hardy (1993) – writer, broadcaster, television producer and actress
• Nathan Hrovat (2012) – AFL player for Western Bulldogs, North Melbourne Football Club
• Andrew Holden (1977) – editor-in-chief of The Press and The Age
• Kristian Jaksch (2012) – AFL Footballer for GWS Giants, Carlton Football Club
• Daniel Jackson (2004) – AFL player for Richmond Tigers
• Murray Kellam AO QC (1964) – Officer of the Order of Australia, Supreme Court Judge and First President of VCAT
• Matthew Laidlaw (2005) Former AFL Player for Sydney Swans
• Meg Lanning (2009) – captain of the Australian women's national cricket team
• Katie Lynch (2018) – AFLW Footballer for Collingwood Magpies/Western Bulldogs
• Jack Macrae (2012) – AFL player for Western Bulldogs
• Kevin McQuay (1967) – 'Big Kev', television personality and entrepreneur
• Noel Mewton-Wood (1934) – pianist
• Danni Miatke (2005) – swimmer
• Tom Mitchell (2011) – AFL player for Hawthorn Hawks
• Darcy Moore (2013) – AFL player for Collingwood Magpies
• Michael Quinn (1980) – cricketer
• Emma Randall (2002) – basketball player
• Kim Rennie (2012) – AFLW Footballer for Western Bulldogs
• Ed Richards (2017) – AFL player for Western Bulldogs
• Matthew Rowell (2019) – AFL player for Gold Coast Suns
• Tony Smith (1985) – Liberal Party politician and former Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives
• James Tomkins (1989) – Olympic rower
• Jack Viney (2012) – AFL player for Melbourne Demons
• Steve Vizard (1973) – media personality and comedian
• Brian Walters (1971) – barrister (QC) and human rights advocate
• David Wansbrough (1982) – OAM Olympic hockey player
• Suzie Wilks (1987) – television personality
• Tom Wright (2001) – actor
• Nicola Xenos (2019) – AFLW Footballer for St. Kilda
• Graham Yallop (1971) – captain of the Australian men's national cricket team
• Gary Young (1964) – founding member and drummer for Daddy Cool

• Frank Tyson, English Test cricketer, nicknamed "Typhoon Tyson"

• List of schools in Victoria

• Official website