A guide to legacy giving at Barker College

A guide to legacy giving at Barker College

Mission

An Anglican community inspiring every learner every experience every day

Vision

To be a leader in Christian education that is characterised by a global vision that inspires hope

Values

Commitment

Compassion

Courage

Integrity

Respect

Whether you choose to support Scholarships and Bursaries for students in need, support Barker’s commitment to Indigenous Education, or invest in keeping our beautiful grounds fit for purpose for ways of learning we cannot even imagine yet - a gift in your Will to Barker College is an investment in the next generation.

A message from the Head of Barker College

School life has changed dramatically over the past 50 years. We have been able to keep pace with these changes, and even stay ahead of them, because of the generosity of those who have gone before us.

The vision of Barker takes our minds beyond the Mint Gates and asks us to focus on our global influence, achieved by strengthening the capacity of our students, staff and families to do something good and beautiful in the world. This is a challenging goal, that stretches us to ever higher standards of accomplishment.

We can do it, with your help.

I warmly invite you to join us in celebrating and preserving Barker’s future as a member of the Friends of the Mint Gates.

What will your story be?

A gift in a Will can transform your passion into your legacy. It is a powerful gesture that will have a multiplying effect on many generations to come.

Barker today is the cumulative result of the energy and dedication of its people. Together we have contributed to a School that shines among its peers. This unique quality is something we all own and need to preserve. As a part of the Barker community, you can play a key part in its future.

A gift in your Will to Barker College will continue to provide the greatest giftan outstanding educational experience at Barker, for many future generations. And because gifts of this kind are maintained in the School’s endowment fund, every gift - large or small - makes an impact in perpetuity.

Across Australia, Barker College is proud of its impact on our wider community. We pledge to provide a quality education for everyone, knowing that this baton can be handed on with the support of future generations of Barker alumni.

Phillip Heath AM Head of Barker College

Stories of Generosity

Mr Tony Martire

A member of the 1951 graduating class and a passionate member of the OBA Seniors, Tony Martire has always chosen to give back to Barker and has done so in numerous ways across the years, including attending events and reunions as well as donating regularly.

When his wife Margaret became ill in 2020, they made a decision to leave the residue of her estate to Barker College. This moment came from a desire to support Barker that was built on many years of connection and shared values with the School.

We both appreciated the benefits of education, and these benefits can be extremely widespread - Barker does this extremely well, and we wanted to support that.

I have appreciated the activities of the School so much over the past few years, since Margaret’s passing, and I am delighted to continue the warm connection we have enjoyed in previous years.

“I would encourage everyone to consider leaving a gift in their Will to Barker,” Tony says. “Do they appreciate the benefits of an education? That is what Barker does so well - and it is what we have believed in all our lives.”

The Enduring Legacy of ‘Leslie’s Men’

In 1994 a small group of Old Boys gathered to establish a fund as a permanent memorial to W S Leslie, known respectfully - but affectionately - as ‘The Boss’.

W S Leslie was the Head of Barker College 1933-1957, overseeing the School through the post-depression and war years. He died suddenly and prematurely while still in office, aged only 57. Those who loved him described him as follows*:

The group decided to focus on a Scholarship Fund for students who for financial reasons would be unable to attend Barker. From this, an annual luncheon for ‘Leslie’s Men’ began and forged an enduring connection and deep friendships for these Old Boys and their families.

*From an address by John Allen (Class of 1943) delivered in 1996 at a function in support of the W S Leslie Fund.

He led by example and did not expect anyone to do anything he would not do himself. He encouraged us to be self-sufficient, to work things out for ourselves and put back part of what was received from life. It was his way of saying “store up for yourselves treasure in heaven” and “love your neighbour as yourself.

Leslie’s

Photos top to botton: Des Pain (Captain of the Barker 1st XI) 1943; John Allen as Prefect 1943; Tsung Lee - proposing a toast to W S Leslie; Peter Langford celebrated as he is announced Dux and winner of the Sir Anderson Stuart Medal, 1938.

This example inspired a generation of men who knew that their school would benefit from the protection of an endowment fund. The aim of the program was to gather alumni from Leslie’s Era (1933-1957) with aims to preserve Leslie’s memorial, and to endow the School in Leslie’s memory. It provided for their children and grandchildren by preserving the best that Barker had to offer for future generations.

The W S Leslie Scholarship is means tested and considers sporting, cultural and other pursuits alongside academic criteria. This is in recognition of W S Leslie’s strong belief in the importance of such activities in a young person’s life.

Lasting well beyond their own lifetimes, the W S Leslie Fund was the first stage of building up a long term endowment for the School. The W S Leslie Scholarship continues to this day, thanks to the investment and enduring impact of these thoughtful donors.

A confident man of great purpose, integrity, dignity, enthusiasm and sincerity and he gave those under his care the security of these qualitiesand a measure of them to take away when we left school.

Leslie’s Men made their gift to celebrate an educator who had made an impact on each of their lives, and they went on to enjoy a strong bond knowing that they had been inspired to make a difference in the life of a new student at Barker, every single year.

Leslie’s Men

Photos left to right John T Griffiths, Cliff Pain and John Allenremembering ‘the Boss’; ‘Clifford Pain, Barker Old Boys Union 1965; Tsung Lee - over 70s lunch 2009.

“Barker is the rare school that when a student says “I am this kind of person, and these are my interests” - Barker believes them. In my case it meant a great deal that the School provided so many resources and a great deal of support to make my dreams happen.”

The willingness of the teaching staff to engage with your ideas and to put the education that we receive here in the service of living a richer life. For me, whether in History or in Legal Studies or in English,

Scholarship Academic

Bo Seo Academic

scholar, 2012

Author of ‘Good Arguments, What the art of debating can teach us about listening better and disagreeing well.’

the subject seemed always to be ‘how do you live a life as a citizen, as a member of a community, as a neighbour?’and those values have stayed with me.

As I have travelled now to the United States and China, and I have lived and studied across those countries, I have found that a Barker education is truly world class and has prepared me for many of those challenges expected and unexpected. I could not have had access to this education

without the generosity of benefactors who funded the scholarships that allowed me to be here. I want to thank them for their generosity and to express just what that has meant in the life of someone like me - it has made a world of difference.”

What will your gift support?

Scholarship W S Leslie Scholar

Luci Gow W S Leslie Scholar, 2022

Barker supported my journey in many different areas of school life. I was always impressed by the continuous support, investment, and genuine care my teachers showed me in my education, and this meant so much to me and is a huge part of my appreciation of Barker.

“I am currently studying Business Administration at Uni and in the future would like to go into management of hospitals and health care facilities. I am also a member of Willoughby Symphony Choir and am still a member of Surf Life Saving at Bungan Beach, where I keep in touch with other former Barker students.

Looking back at my time at Barker, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the immense opportunities and support the School offered and am incredibly honoured and thankful for the generosity of the donors who made my scholarship possible. Thank you!”

What will your gift support?

Scholarship Humanitarian

Farhat Kohistani Humanitarian Scholar, 2023

In 2022, Barker offered its first Humanitarian Scholarship to Farhat Kohistani, a refugee from Afghanistan.

Farhat courageously left her country to seek a peaceful life of opportunity in Australia, a life which was previously not open to her as a woman on her own in Afghanistan. She left with only the clothes on her back (and her phone!) to escape the Taliban just before they entered Kabul.

Although Farhat had previously graduated from her school in Afghanistan, she made the brave decision to return to school here in Australia and although she was 22 years old, she entered Year 11 in order to build an educational foundation on which to begin a life of service.

“Barker was the second door of hope for me in Australia. The first one was my protection visa, and the second was Barker College. Barker has given me ambition and patience for my future career. It was my huge challenge to be at school for the second time. I received support not just from the Barker teachers and Professional Services staff, but also from the students and parents of the Barker community. I have had the chance to play the violin - my dream instrument - and sing in the choir. I improved my swimming skill and extended myself at the gym.

I know I can find my future dreams through the support of Barker. Thank you so much for believing in me.”

In 2023, Farhat proudly graduated from Barker College having completed her HSC.

Barker’s first Humanitarian Scholarship has changed her life and given her a future that she could not imagine.

What will your gift support?

Barker’s Masterplan

Recently Completed Projects

The Council of Barker College are committed to ensuring our students have the exceptional facilities and resources to continue to grow and develop.

The progress of the School may surprise and astound you, and we invest to provide a modern School with everything that today’s students need.

We also know that our School is not the sum of its facilities but rather is comprised of the extraordinary students which are a part of it.

We welcome any enquiries into how your contribution to these spaces will help us revitalise the campus and create environments that will inspire, excite, and ignite our students.

Rosewood Centre was designed for a world where students who thrive require exposure to increasingly diverse experiences. The Rosewood Centre connects learning with movement; wellbeing with community, and the built environment blends seamlessly into the natural. It is a remarkable space where the whole School can gather, transforming our ability to be together in one place, protected from the elements. It is open throughout the week and at weekends for local community groups to come and use the facilities and it contains elements of Indigenous art and culture that connect us to our campuses further afield.

The Senior School Hub sits alongside Rosewood and integrates beautifully into the trees and fields around it. A stunning artwork is built into the pressed metal ceiling of the breezeway, created by a member of the Indigenous community at Dhupuma Barker and reflecting the stars and movement of the Milky Way. For the first time, our Senior students have a dedicated and purpose-built study centre to support their learning at a critical time in their Barker journey.

Marri Mittigar A refurbishment of classrooms to accommodate Barker’s new humanitarian Special Assistance School for refugees, Marri Mittigar, was completed in early 2024, and this new School opened at the beginning of Term 2, 2024.

What will your gift support?

Barker’s Masterplan Future Plans

Aquatic Centre - Barker is investing in a new Aquatic Centre, to replace our existing pool which is nearing the end of its usable life. The School needs a 50m pool (currently the pool is only 25m) and with the transition to full coeducation now complete, there is a need for ever improved and additional changing facilities.

Robotics - currently housed offsite on Carden Ave, our desire is to bring the Robotics Centre back onsite to the main campus to improve ease and safety of travel to and from the program after school each day. Demand for Robotics has increased exponentially in recent years and Barker teams are consistently outperforming their peers, including in International Competitions. Robotics is a pathway to the future, and we want to invest further in this program.

Other buildings that are in the planning stages include a new Visual Arts & Design Centre, a Concert Hall and Performing Arts Centre.

How to leave a Gift in your Will

A Will is a very personal statement. We recommend that you consult a solicitor before either writing a new Will or updating your existing one.

It is also recommended wherever possible to involve your children in your decision, and we advise that you consider any charitable gifts only after you have made provision for your family first.

As a starting point, we suggest you use the following wording to indicate your intention to make a gift to Barker College. Should you or your solicitor require further assistance, please contact Barker’s Director of Advancement by emailing foundation@barker.nsw.edu.au

The Barker Foundation and the School cannot provide specific estate planning advice. We do encourage that you communicate with your family and other beneficiaries, and your solicitor to ensure that your wishes are carried out.

1

For a percentage of an estate I give % of my estate to Barker College, 91 Pacific Highway, Hornsby NSW 2077 for its general purposes and declare that the receipt issued by Barker College at the time shall be sufficient discharge of my executor’s duty.

2

For a gift of a fixed amount

I give the sum of $ from my estate to Barker College, 91 Pacific Highway, Hornsby NSW 2077 for its general purposes and declare that the receipt issued by Barker College at the time shall be sufficient discharge of my executor’s duty.

3

For an indexed pecuniary gift

I give the sum of $ (increased annually from the date of this Will to the date of my death to reflect changes in the Consumer Price Index (All Groups-Sydney) from my estate to Barker College, 91 Pacific Highway, Hornsby NSW 2077 for its general purposes and declare that the receipt issued by Barker College shall be sufficient discharge of my executor’s duty.

4

For the whole of an estate

I give to Barker College, 91 Pacific Highway, Hornsby NSW 2077 the whole of my estate for its general purposes and declare that the receipt issued by Barker College at the time shall be sufficient discharge of my executor’s duty.

5

For the residue of an estate

I give the rest and residue of whatever of my estate is remaining for the general purposes of Barker College, 91 Pacific Highway, Hornsby NSW 2077 and declare that the receipt issued by Barker College shall be sufficient discharge of my executor’s duty.

What happens next? Endowed Gifts

All bequests to Barker College will be invested into the Barker Future Fund. Endowed gifts will enable the School endowment fund to continue to grow, and will be expended according to your wishes into perpetuity. Please contact us for a more detailed discussion of how this is managed.

Once you have finalised your intentions, please inform the School using the loose form provided.

We will then invite you to join the Friends of the Mint Gates.

The Friends of the Mint Gates is a group of generous benefactors who have each decided that their legacy to this life will include a gift to Barker College.

Membership of the Friends of the Mint Gates will include the following:

• Invitation to an annual event to celebrate and thank our bequest community

• Invitations to attend special School and OBA events across the year

• A Friends of the Mint Gates welcome pack

• Regular communications from the School via The Barker Magazine

Our

pledge to you Thank You

Thank you for trusting Barker College to protect your legacy and preserve your impact beyond your lifetime.

It is our commitment to you that we will honour your wishes and seek to apply your gift accordingly.

We also understand that some donors may wish to remain anonymous, and any information that you share with us will be kept in the strictest confidence.

If you have further questions or would like to arrange a confidential discussion, please contact:

Tori Grimes Director of Advancement

Barker College

91 Pacific Hwy Hornsby NSW2077

foundation@barker.nsw.edu.au