The second son of Rev George R and Mrs Mildred Brown, Donald Robert Brown was born in Adelaide on 10 June 1935.  Aged 9 he moved to Melbourne and entered Carey Baptist Grammar School aged 11 on 4 February 1947.

He was a School Prefect, Vice-Captain of Moore House, a member of the School Athletic, Football and Tennis teams, being Captain of Tennis for two years.

He left Carey in December 1953 to complete his Trained Primary (Teacher’s) Certificate in 1955.  During the following three years teaching at primary school levels he gained experience that was to prove invaluable for all his teaching life.

Upon the personal invitation of Mr K A Lyall, Headmaster of Carey Junior School, Don Brown joined his Staff in 1959.

Keenly perceptive, Don Brown soon became knowledgeable about many facts of his students -their academic and sporting profile, their families and their friendships.

He was remembered as a model of neatness, precision and organisation, an outstanding teacher, meticulous, demanding, one who meant what he said, but a calm unflappable person, one who could get beside each pupil and inspire him/her to do their best.

Following upon his years in the Kew Junior School he became Head of the Preparatory School, a position he filled with distinction for the next eighteen years until he took up his appointment as Foundation Head of Junior School Donvale in 1989.

The notion of togetherness was very important to Don.  Reporting on the year’s activities in the 1985 Chronicle, he wrote, ‘Togetherness is a vital part of life in the Prep School, and indeed at Carey’.  He viewed Carey as one big family to which he was immensely proud to belong, and through which he could serve God, students and friends.  To strengthen the links he introduced regular stimulating Assemblies to which he invited contributions from staff and students from other parts of the School, as well as from our own Prep School.  Music groups and sporting teams displayed their expertise.

With other key people he took up this challenge, dreamed, planned and finally built what many students thought was Don’s very own school since it bore his name!  The School opened on 1st February 1989 and, in his opening address on this auspicious occasion, Don drew attention to the dual nature of traditions for the new school:

"Carey Junior School Donvale has begun with its tender roots drawing upon proven and valued Carey traditions – its breadth of programme, and encouragement of excellence; but this school also has the opportunity and determination to make fine traditions of its own within the Carey framework."

A musician and poet, Mr Brown wrote a number of School songs including the Junior School Song.

The warm, bright and friendly atmosphere at Carey Donvale is a lasting tribute to his pioneering leadership there.

In the face of serious illness he continued on with courageous perseverance to complete the task he set himself.  Despite the pain and difficulties he faced, even in the last weeks of his life, though physically drained, he radiated strength, courage and hope to those around him.  Don Brown was a person whose Christian Faith came alive daily in deeds of service and compassion.

He died of cancer on 31 October 1992, leaving his wife Sylvia, and adult children Andrea, Stephen and Scott and their families.