David de Kretser Scholarships
Our Story & Values
When Camberwell Grammar School was founded in 1886, A.B Taylor’s vision was for a school for ‘the boys in the local community’. While that vision still underpins our School, much has changed over the years as our reputation and our community has grown.
Now, over a third of our current students – or more than 400 families – travel from beyond our local region to experience a Camberwell Grammar School education.
We encourage our students to be curious, to ask searching questions and to debate rationally and civilly. Through hard work and dedication, we hope that every student who comes to Camberwell Grammar School will strive to become a good person and an active citizen. Our values and our vision also encourage us to make a positive difference in the world, to be a force for good, and to help create a better society. We believe in the transformative power of education to change lives and to make the world a better place.
Since those humble beginnings in 1886, we have been fortunate and have grown to become a school of privilege. Approximately 80% of our families now come from the top quartile of the population in the index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (ICSEA).
We believe that with that privilege comes responsibility. We encourage our graduates to go out into the world and do good deeds. As a school we should do the same. We know that there are many students in the broader community who could clearly benefit from a Camberwell Grammar School education, but this is out of reach due to a family’s social and cultural background as well as their financial circumstances. We are now laying the foundations to remove that financial barrier and are in a good position to invite at least some of those students into our community.
We are challenged by our motto to be known by our deeds, and the time has come for us to act to make a Camberwell Grammar School education available to a broader, more diverse demographic.
Our Vision for Change
Our initial goal is to raise $10m over the next ten years. This will guarantee support for up to two new eligible students each year to be awarded scholarships for their entire secondary school years. We aim to support up to 12 scholarship students simultaneously across the school.
During this period, we will continue to grow the David de Kretser Scholarship Fund corpus, building a capital base. This, along with other ongoing income streams, including annual fundraising, will support a cohort of up to 12 students throughout their secondary school years.
At Camberwell Grammar School, we are proud of the way in which we aim to give every student in our care the very best possible education to prepare them for a meaningful life.
For many years we have provided a range of scholarships for entry to Camberwell Grammar School: Academic, Music, General Excellence and, more recently, Indigenous.
The moment that I received a scholarship from Camberwell Grammar, it was the best moment of my life.
Farid Asghari (2015)
We celebrate these scholars and all that they have achieved, but we can do more, and we need to do more. As part of our Strategic Plan, we are committed to supporting students who would otherwise be unable to attend the school, and whose lives could be transformed through a Camberwell Grammar School education.
Scholarship programs change not only those who receive them; but they enrich school culture by increasing the diversity of backgrounds and experiences of our community. By providing access to an even broader range of students, our vision gains even more strength.
To that end, we are embarking on an ambitious campaign to expand our current needs-based scholarship program to provide opportunities to students with potential who would otherwise be unable to afford the educational experience that we provide.
My sons were lucky enough to be the beneficiaries of Indigenous Scholarships at Camberwell Grammar School. I look forward to giving back to this wonderful cause and inspiring community to say thank you for the many opportunities it has afforded me and my family.
Glenn Brennan, current parent
David de Kretser Scholarships
The David de Kretser Scholarships will provide life changing opportunities for students whose family situations would otherwise prevent them from experiencing the transformative education only possible at a school like Camberwell Grammar School. We are seeking the support from the entire Camberwell Grammar School community to join with us as we embark on these inspiring, transformational opportunities.
David de Kretser (1956) migrated to Australia from Sri Lanka as a young student and joined Camberwell Grammar School in 1951, making the most of every opportunity to involve himself in the life of the School. He went on to have an eminent career in medicine and particularly in the field of men’s health. David was a member of our School Council between 1979 and 1983 and again between 2003 and 2006. In 2006 he was appointed Governor of Victoria, a position he held until 2011. He and his wife Jan have always been passionate supporters of the School and we are proud to name these Scholarships in his honour.
Our goal is to create a scholarship endowment that over time will allow us to offer the opportunity of a Camberwell Grammar School education for up to 12 students a year throughout their time at the secondary school.
This is an undertaking that will involve school fees, and many other costs that are a part of the educational experience at the School. The transformational power of such a scholarship, from Year 7 through to Year 12, cannot be underestimated and is truly life changing.
I felt like for the first time in my life, I had the power to chase after my dreams. And that’s what I think about when I think about Camberwell Grammar.
Mathew Woodgate (2013), Scholarship Recipient
This ambitious undertaking will take time. It will require hard work and dedication, just as teaching and learning do. But, as with teaching and learning, the results will transform the lives of these scholars, their families and our school community as a whole.
As these scholarship recipients exit the school gates for the final time, the impact they will go on to have on the world outside, and the multiplying effect of that impact, will indeed help create a better world for all.
Investing in a culture of giving to make a positive difference to our world is a meaningful and practical way to help ensure that the School, with its unique values and commitment to developing students to live by the mantra ‘Spectemur Agendo’, continues to serve future generations.
Ian Robertson AO (1973)
Join us to Achieve our Vision
We are seeking your support to turn our vision into a reality for these talented and eligible students.
Over the last 35 years, we have been fortunate enough to receive some very generous philanthropic support from our community for our capital works projects. Our students now benefit from that generosity through our world-class facilities.
We invite you now to invest in the future of young students who would benefit from a Camberwell Grammar School education, as you or members of your family have done. By doing this you will be helping to shape the future – for the better.
Our goal is bold, but it reflects our belief that a Camberwell Grammar School education has the power to generate opportunities for students, and that a scholarship based on merit and promise, regardless of financial capacity, can transform lives.
Throughout our history, philanthropy has been an important part of Camberwell Grammar School. As we look to the future with optimism, we hope that our vast community comprising alumni, parents, staff past and present and loyal supporters, will all contribute to this transformative scholarship program.
These scholarships will transform the lives of the recipients and their families, with ripples being felt across our community and beyond. They are a tangible way to contribute to changing the world for the better. Please join us in realising this vision.
Mr Ben Jeacocke, Principal Spectemur Agendo
Donate Now
For more information about the opportunities the David de Kretser Scholarships will provide, please contact Mr Ed Smith, Philanthropy Manager, or Mr Ryan Whitehead, Head of Community and Development on (03) 9835 1742 or foundation@cgs.vic.edu.au. To donate to the David de Kretser Scholarship fund, please scan the QR code below.
