Inaugural Rick Farley Memorial Scholarship

The inaugural Rick Farley Memorial Scholarship for Indigenous people working in conservation management will be awarded on Thursday 14th December near Jervis Bay. The award will be given to Wandandian man Darren Brown at Booderee National Park at noon.

The scholarship will enable Mr Brown to complete his traineeship in Conservation and Land Management at TAFE, certificate level 4, while working with Professor David Lindenmayer from the Australian National University. Professor Lindenmayer’s research project on the traditional lands of the Wreck Bay Aboriginal community is one of the largest studies in Australia to look at the impacts of bushfire on wildlife.

Rick Farley died tragically in May this year. He was a remarkable Australian who was highly principled, a creative alliance builder and a consummate advocate for farmers, the environment and later Aboriginal rights.

To honour his life and achievements his wife Linda Burney M.P. has nominated the Australian Bush Heritage Fund to create a memorial scholarship for young Indigenous Australians to encourage excellence in conservation and cultural management. Rick was a member of the Bush Heritage board from 2002 where he was particularly active in promoting alliances between the organisation and Aboriginal people.

President of the Australian Bush Heritage Fund Phillip Toyne said ‘During his eight years at the helm of the National Farmers’ Federation Rick Farley led a transformation in thinking amongst many primary producers. He was a highly significant figure in the Aboriginal reconciliation movement and his passion for the environment was a key factor in the establishment of Landcare.’

A cheque for $30 000 will be presented to Bush Heritage by Juliet Thomas, of the Thomas Foundation, to contribute to the scholarship. The Thomas Foundation wishes to encourage others to donate to the award to assist more Aboriginal people to work in conservation management on their traditional country. More than 120 people and organisations have donated to the scholarship to date.

The next scholarship will be awarded to an Indigenous person to work on a Bush Heritage Reserve. Bush Heritage is a national, independent, non-profit organisation. It strives to protect the unique and abundant diversity of life in Australia for the long term. It achieves this by acquiring and managing land and water of outstanding conservation significance.

Bush Heritage owns 25 reserves across Australia covering 675 000 hectares. It is the most widely supported private land conservation organisation in the nation with more than 16 000
supporters. Last financial year Bush Heritage doubled both its income and area of land under management receiving more than 13 million dollars from donations and grants to do vital
conservation work around the country.