Parent associations at Carey: a history of connecting and supporting community

Kelly Southworth, Editor

The Parent Associations play such an important role at Carey, not only in the social life of the School, but for connecting our expansive community, making new families feel welcome and supporting members of our community in need.

Our first Parent Association formed in 1929 after a number of successful parent conferences held by Headmaster Harold Steele allowed parents and staff to ‘explore and communicate educational methods, and for parents to meet their sons’ teachers’ (Penrose, H, Torchbearers: a centenary history of Carey Baptist Grammar School, 2023). The first Parent Association President was Frank Wilcox, the great-grandfather of some of our current Carey students. Their main focus at the time was coming together to learn about current educational practices and discuss the most pressing and important matters to their children and their own experience with Carey. One significant result of this in the 1950s was the installation of traffic lights at the corner of Barkers Road and Wrixon Street, which the Parent Association lobbied for over the course of 10 years before the local councils finally acted.

Over the years, the first association grew into many, leading to more specialised support for different sections of the School and for the various clubs and sporting groups their children were involved in. The initial overarching parent association has now been split into four to cater for the four school sections, and we have seen the addition and strengthening of the Carey Local and Overseas Parent Association and Friends of Carey Music, both of which play an integral role in supporting our community. As well as numerous groups supporting each Carey sport and other activities, there are several whole-school committees that organise ever-popular events like the annual Mothers Day Luncheon and the biennial Gala Ball.

As our student cohort grows, so too does our broader community and keeping everyone connected becomes a significant task. We also know that being actively involved in your child’s school can help to promote their engagement in school life, leading to better social and academic outcomes. The Carey community is grateful for the support and commitment of the parent associations, from the School’s very beginning to now.

To read more about the history of parent associations at Carey, have a look at pages 197 to 199 in your copy of 'Torchbearers: a centenary history of Carey Baptist Grammar School'.