The seeds we sow: a legacy of faith, service and community
Sometimes, the most interesting discoveries begin with a simple question.
Recently, our Year 2 students explored Carey's history through their History Tour, discovering stories behind the buildings and places that make our school special. Their inquiry explores an important question: 'How have things changed, and what has remained the same over time?'
This prompted further investigation into the land on which Carey stands, taking us back more than 170 years to a remarkable family whose story is worth sharing.
In January 1848, Reverend Hussey Burgh Macartney and his wife, Jane, arrived in Melbourne from Ireland aboard the Stag, accompanied by their eight children.
Hussey became the Dean of Melbourne and played an important role in establishing churches and community institutions. In 1851, he purchased land in Kew, including the very land on which Carey's Kew campus now stands. He was also instrumental in the development of St Paul's Cathedral, where Carey continues to celebrate some of our most significant occasions.
Yet perhaps equally inspiring was the contribution of his wife, Jane.
Jane had a remarkable heart for people experiencing hardship and disadvantage. She helped establish institutions caring for orphaned children, vulnerable women, the sick and those living in poverty, including the Melbourne Orphan Asylum, Carlton Refuge and Melbourne Home. Alongside her daughters, she regularly visited hospitals and charitable institutions, offering practical support and compassion. Even in her eighties, Jane continued travelling considerable distances to help others.
Together, the Macartneys demonstrated that Christian faith was not simply something to profess, but something to put into action.
I believe there is something more than coincidence in this connection. That the very land once owned by a family devoted to faith, education and serving others is now home to a school committed to nurturing these same values feels particularly meaningful. It is a reminder that the influence of a life lived with purpose can extend far beyond what we might ever imagine.
The seeds we sow today may bear fruit long after we are gone.
Melbourne looks very different today, yet some things remain remarkably similar. Families still experience hardship, children still need care and communities still depend on people willing to help others.
At Carey, this same spirit of service is reflected in our partnerships with LifeCare and Eat Up, our World Vision sponsored children, Boredom Buster Boxes and BaptCare Giving Tree. Through these initiatives, our students, families and staff respond to disadvantage with practical acts of kindness and generosity.
Each contribution may seem small, but together these actions create something greater. They help shape the people our students are becoming.
At Carey, our aspiration is not simply to educate successful students, but to nurture great human beings who recognise the dignity of others, notice injustice and have the compassion and courage to make a difference.
Galatians 6:9 reminds us not to grow weary in doing good, because in time there will be a harvest if we do not give up.
We may never fully know the impact of the seeds we plant. A simple act of kindness, an experience of serving others or a lesson learnt at school might influence decisions made decades from now.
Our Year 2 History Tour began with a question about the past. Perhaps it leaves us with an even more important question about the future: What seeds are we sowing today, and what might grow from them for generations to come?
Rebecca Loveday
Junior School Chaplain
