Where are they now?
Rachael Risby-Raz (Risby, 1991) After finishing at Carey in 1991 and starting undergraduate studies at the University of Melbourne and Whitley College in history and theology, I went on a one-year study program at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and started an adventure that has lasted until this day. Jerusalem is a magical, intense and often crazy place and, when I first arrived here, I felt that I had found my place. I converted to Judaism, completed a MA in Religious Affairs and started working in international relations, beginning in the Mayor of Jerusalem’s office and ending as the Diaspora Affairs Advisor to the Prime Minister. Unfortunately, I was swept up in the corruption trial of the former Prime Minister and was under indictment for
Israeli Defense Forces next year. I am currently working as the International Relations Manager of the Tisch Family Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem. So, I get to go to the zoo every day, which is wonderful! The zoo is one of the only places in Israel where you will see on a daily basis the broad rainbow of people who make up Israeli society – Arabs, Jews, Druze; from the ultra-religious to the secular, the old and the young – and at the zoo, everyone gets along fine.
breach of trust for nearly a decade. These charges were dropped but obviously the whole affair had a significant impact on my career. I am married to an Israeli and have three children. My eldest daughter will join the
The ability to understand and work with people from all different backgrounds is one of the things I took with me from my days at Carey. I am still in contact with many of my friends from school. I have discovered that there is one other Carey graduate in Israel, hopefully one day soon we will get to meet up.
Gary Baldwin AM (1962) The Australian wine industry has grown from an almost forgotten sector of agriculture in the early post-war period, to now being a major part of the Australian economy. In fact, it is so important that Xi Xing Ping placed penalty tariffs on wine being imported to China. As an industry, we sort of wish we were not so important.
I later joined the Australian Wine Research Institute in Adelaide and purchased a small but high-profile wine consulting business. In a few years that morphed into Wine Network Consulting, which has now been operating for over 30 years. The company has been providing technical advice to wine businesses in Australia and beyond, most notably Bulgaria and China. My role is now one of Director and Principal Consultant on a semi-retired basis.
I have been fortunate to play a small part in the development of this industry in Australia over the past 40 years or so. It all started with a great broad education at Carey from Year 3 to Year 12. I can never thank my parents enough for sacrificing so much to send me to such a school. After Carey I studied pharmacy, but the leap from the discipline of an allboys school to the wonder of lectures surrounded by girls and plenty of parties meant I did not make the cut for the second year, so I went to Swinburne to study Biochemistry. 40 | Torch
Wine collecting had become a hobby and I started working as a wine waiter in a fine dining restaurant. On graduating, the owner offered me a job as a cidermaker in Pakenham. It was a fascinating job that then led me to study Wine Science at Charles Sturt University. On completion, I began making wine at Arrowfield Estate and, after a few years, ended up as Chief Winemaker and General Manager.
For many years I was involved in wine show judging around the country. This unique Australian judging system that helped improve the quality of Australian wine, particularly in the 70s and 80s, as many new wineries were established. In the Queen’s Birthday Honours last year I was amazed and humbled to be appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for my services to the industry. I have no doubt that my years at Carey contributed to that achievement.