At Sunday’s High Tea, we marked a new chapter in our tradition of service: the relaunch of St Peter’s College Mission and the bringing together of our charitable activities under one shared identity.
Service has been central to St Peter’s College since its earliest years. Julia Farr, wife of our second Headmaster, was a pioneering advocate for vulnerable women and children in Adelaide. This commitment became more formally connected to the School through the work of Canon Archdeacon C.S. Hornabrook, who believed the School community should actively respond to the needs of others.
In 1908, St Peter’s College established Australia’s first school-supported mission at St Mary Magdalene’s Church in Moore Street. Financed and staffed by members of our community, it provided practical assistance including a free kindergarten and meals for children, a Sunday School, community clubs and Scouts and Guides programs.
The Ladies’ Guild was established in 1923, bringing together mothers and sisters of St Peter’s College students “in a common work for the good of others”. Later known as the Mission Guild, it has played an essential role in this work for more than a century through fundraising, volunteering and practical support for charitable organisations.
St Peter’s College Mission was formally incorporated in 1925 as the School’s charitable arm and is registered as Mission Inc. Over the past 15 years alone, it has distributed more than $1 million to organisations supporting people in need, particularly young people in South Australia.
Until now, St Peter’s College Mission and the Mission Guild have operated alongside one another. We are now bringing them together under the banner of St Peter’s College Mission. The former Mission Guild committee will continue its important work as part of this broader structure, with representation at St Peter’s College Mission meetings and its Annual General Meeting. Funds raised by our volunteers will continue to support the causes about which they care deeply.
This renewed structure provides greater unity, clarity and accountability, while recognising the proud history and extraordinary contribution of the Mission Guild. It also brings together our parent-led charitable initiatives, student service learning and wider community partnerships.
The relaunch also introduces a new visual identity for St Peter’s College Mission. Inspired by the windows of the School Chapel, the new logo reflects our Anglican heritage and the values at the heart of the Mission: faith in action, service to others and commitment to community.
Our aim is not only to raise funds, but also to place our students alongside the real needs of our community. Through meaningful and relational service, boys develop empathy, connection and a deeper understanding of their responsibility to others.
Guided by our motto, Pro Deo et Patria – For God and Country – St Peter’s College Mission will ensure that service remains at the heart of our School for generations to come.
Tim Browning
Headmaster and Chair of SPCM