Lumen Winter 2014 - Flipbook - Page 30
story by Ge n e vie ve Sa n ch e z
Lasting legacies
Enduring support from
our first benefactors
F
or well over a century students have
been benefiting from the generosity
of two of South Australia’s early
pastoralists and philanthropists, John
Howard Angas and Sir Thomas Elder.
The University’s first donated scholarship
was received in 1878 from Mr Angas
and his Angas Engineering Scholarship
continues to provide students with essential
support. Ashleigh Trainor is one of the
most recent recipients, graduating with
a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical)
with First Class Honours in 2013.
Now a graduate engineer with Santos,
Ashleigh says the scholarship was invaluable
to her studies, helping her pay for textbooks
and technical software resources.
“Without the scholarship I would
not have been able to afford my living
expenses whilst studying and would have
had to spend less time on my studies in
lieu of part-time work,” she says.
Ashleigh, who received the R J
Jennings Memorial Prize for Mechanical
Engineering Honours Project, hopes to
expand her knowledge within mechanical
engineering fields and eventually become
a lead engineer for a technical group
either in Australia or overseas.
Another recipient of our early
benefactor’s generosity is Robert
Macfarlane who is facing a world of
exciting opportunities for his singing
career in Europe thanks in part to the
Elder Overseas Scholarship. This was
established in 1883 by twin charitable
donations from Sir Thomas Elder to the
University of Adelaide and the Royal
College of Music, London.
“The scholarship was absolutely
instrumental in assisting me with my next
Left: Ashleigh Trainor
Right: Robert Macfarlane
Far right:
Simone Slattery
2 8 Lumen | Winter 2014
development as a singer,” says Robert.
“On a purely financial level, it meant that
I had a significant amount of the costs of
my first year of studies at the Hochschule
für Musik Leipzig covered.”
The scholarship also enabled Robert to
enter the Mendelssohn School in Leipzig,
without having to audition, so that he could
undertake a year of intensive voice study.
Violinist Simone Slattery is another
winner of the Elder Overseas Scholarship
and recently returned to the university to
undertake PhD studies.
She graduated with a Bachelor of
Music with First Class Honours from
the Elder Conservatorium of Music and
says receiving the scholarship made a
huge impact on her development as a
professional musician.
“With the financial support of the
scholarship I was able to spend a
year living in the USA, taking part in
summer schools and training programs,
undertaking residencies and receiving
lessons,” she says. “It was during this
time and as a result of these experiences
that I feel I made the leap from student
to professional musician.”
