In the lead up to Annual Giving, we pause to reflect on the generations of supporters whose generosity and unwavering belief carried The King’s School through times of extraordinary uncertainty, and ensured its story would continue.
Few chapters in the history of The King’s School are as dramatic as its closure from 1864 to 1869—a moment when its future hung in the balance.
After years of unstable leadership and declining enrolments, worsened by illness, competition, and growing concerns about safety in Parramatta, the School fell into disrepair. Matters came to a head on 10 June 1864, when a violent storm caused part of the roof to collapse, forcing the School to close.
Yet this was not the end.
Frederic Barker—rightly remembered as the School’s “second founder”—refused to let King’s fade. While carefully stewarding its remaining resources, repairing its buildings, and even leasing the site to generate income, he worked tirelessly to bring the School back to life.
As King’s Council member the Rev S. M. Johnstone later reflected:
“No cause is entirely lost if it lives in the hearts of a devoted and resolute few.”
In 1868, Barker convened the “Resuscitation Council,” rallying Old Boys and supporters around the conviction that the School must reopen. Their efforts bore fruit. With funds raised and leadership secured under George Fairfowl Macarthur, King’s reopened in January 1869.
From the brink of collapse to a renewed sense of purpose, this period offers a striking example of resilience in the face of overwhelming adversity. It speaks to the determination of those who refused to believe that the story of King’s had reached its conclusion and, in doing so, helped instil a depth of character within the School that endures to this day.