Steve Farrow, a second-generation fundholder based in Canberra, took on the management of the family fund after supporting his father, Colin Farrow, with his finances towards the end of his life. This decision was deeply rooted in the connection to family and place that the fund represents. “I don’t live in Melbourne,” Steve clarifies. “I haven’t for some time, but I really support it for the family link and the history. “Dad started the fund when mum passed away quite young - she died at the age of 55 from Melanoma,” shares Steve. “He was always quite giving in terms of donations. I think what he liked about it was making one gift through a central organisation. It would have appealed to the business side of him; the idea that he was able to support multiple charities through one fund. And then the fact that it is a perpetual fund – it lives on. “It was always called the Kathleen Farrow Fund, after our mother. When dad passed away, we decided to change the name to the Farrow Family Charitable Fund.” While Steve has largely upheld his father’s chosen charities, he, in consultation with his three siblings – Lib, David and Jeff – and with input from the Foundation, has recently incorporated melanoma research to honour their mother’s memory and their father’s previous support for a cancer charity. In recent years, Steve has also aligned the fund with the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation’s priority of tackling homelessness and housing affordability. “It is about keeping current with what is happening in society. (Housing) is a really pressing concern that is really underestimated,” he says. Lib, Steve’s sister, echoes this sentiment. She recalls her previous perception of homelessness as something experienced and seen overseas, like on the streets of New York. But now, in Melbourne, she recognises the problem is both pressing and visible. There is a personal connection to this cause. Their father, Colin, worked for an international company and often travelled overseas, including a 2-year family posting to the Philippines, along with various locations around Australia. Steve attended nine different primary schools, and Lib attended seven. This pattern shifted in the 1960’s when the family had a period of ten years or so of stability. “Mum and Dad bought a block of land in North Balwyn which was pretty much cow paddocks at the time,” Steve explains. “Dad designed the house - he was a trained engineer - and he and mum developed the gardens. That was our first real home.” Lib agrees that Steve’s affection for Melbourne has probably arisen from that period. “It was our formative years. We were teenagers and young adults. We were educated in Melbourne.” Now residing in Geelong, Libby frequently visits Melbourne, not only to see family, but also because of the vibrancy and breadth of activities it offers. “I like sporting events and cultural events,” she adds. For both Steve and Lib, along with their siblings, Melbourne holds a special significance as the place where they matured into adulthood. The Farrow Family Fund continues to symbolize and honour their family ties, history and connections.