The spirit of the ANZACs comes to the fore every 25th April when the nation stops to remember and revere the lives of those soldiers ordered to cross the beach and attack the Turks on that fateful morning. The characteristics of perseverance, courage and self-sacrifice are those we recall every year when remembering this fatal event.
In memory and honour of those who exhibited these traits, the Returned and Soldiers League (RSL) created scholarships for first year university students eligible for Youth Allowance.
Since the inception of the Gallipoli Scholarships in 1998, 89 recipients have received up to $5000 to assist with their financial costs as they enter university.
Jan Hartmann is the co-ordinator of the Gallipoli Scholarships and, during the six years she has had this role, “many outstanding young people have been the recipients and created careers which give back into regional and rural areas. They truly exhibit the spirit of those young soldiers who were at ANZAC cove all those years ago”, she said.
Naomi Clements was awarded a Gallipoli Scholarship in 2014 to assist in her first year of medicine at The University of New South Wales. From Cootamundra, Naomi attended The Riverina Anglican College in Wagga Wagga and applied while still at school for the scholarship.
“I urge applicants researching their family’s connection to WW l or WW ll to start as early as possible to access the material at the Australian War Memorial and the National Australian Archives”, she explained.
“Although I was only four when my paternal grandfather died in 2000, my Grandma had his journals and many mementos. He was one of the famous Rats of Tobruk and the 13th Battalion was the only Australian battalion to see out the siege”.
“Once I started learning more about my grandfather’s war record, other members of the family became immersed in the project too, which was a great unintended consequence”.
“I am now located at the University of New South Wales Wagga Wagga School of Rural Medicine where I hope to finish my degree. Ultimately I want to be a General Practitioner in a rural area as there is more variety in the cases you see and the pleasure of living in a smaller community”, Ms Clements explained.
Sixty per cent of the selection criteria is dependent on the applicant being eligible for Youth Allowance with the remaining 40 per cent giving recognition to academic results.
All details regarding criteria and the application form are at www.gallopilischolarship.org and applications close on March 1, 2017. Scholarships are presented at a special lunch just before ANZAC day.
Special mention is made to mothers and grandmothers of potential applicants by co-ordinator Jan Hartmann. “It is these women who notice the opportunity and hound their children or grandchildren to apply. Thank you and keep up the encouragement (sometimes known as nagging)” she laughed.