Embargoed until Thursday 24 March 2011

Cambridge Australia Scholarships joins University’s Guild of Benefactors

At a ceremony yesterday (23 March 2011) in the University of Cambridge’s Senate House, Cambridge Australia Scholarships was inducted into the University’s Guild of Benefactors. Membership of the Guild is granted in recognition of the generosity of donors to the University and the Colleges of Cambridge.

The names of 137 individuals, companies, foundations and trusts that have been welcomed as Companions of The Guild since its inaugural ceremony in 1998 are recorded on the Benefactors’ Staircase in the Old Schools, the historic heart of the University.

Cambridge Australia Scholarships was represented at the ceremony by its Chair, Dr Richard Dammery. He took a PhD at Cambridge (TrinityCollege) and is currently a corporate partner of Minter Ellison Lawyers, based in Melbourne.

Dr Dammery said: "It is very pleasing that the work of Cambridge Australia Scholarships has been recognised formally by the University. Our aim, quite simply, is to give the best and brightest Australians the opportunity to study at Cambridge, a genuinely life-changing experience for those privileged enough to have it. We will continue our efforts to build support in Australia to achieve this."

Cambridge Australia Scholarships is a not-for-profit organisation that funds scholarships for outstanding Australian graduates to study at Cambridge. It receives no public or governmental support, and all scholarships are funded by private philanthropic donations. Notable donors include the major benefactor, the late Dr Orde Poynton AOCMG, Mr Charles Allen AO, Mr Patrick Moore, Professor Henry Bennett, the Kater family, Professor Peter and Dr Barbara Treacy, and members of the Western Australian legal profession.

Since CAS was founded (formerly as the Cambridge Australia Trust) in the 1980s it has supported nearly 900 Australian students, and there are currently 34 postgraduate students at Cambridge with CAS scholarships.

CAS works closely with the Cambridge Commonwealth Trust, which puts additional funding towards each scholarship awarded. The Cambridge Commonwealth Trust was founded in 1982 by the University of Cambridge, as a charity to support international students from member countries of the Commonwealth on degree courses at Cambridge. Since then CCT, and its sister organisation the Cambridge Overseas Trust, have supported over 15,000 students at the University. CCT currently supports 577 students from 29 countries of the Commonwealth, including 72 Australian students.

Further information:CambridgeAustralia Scholarships:

CambridgeCommonwealth Trust:

University of Cambridge: