The scholarships follow the below eligibility criteria
Applicants must be the child/grandchild or nominated employee* of:
A current financial member of RGA and/or,
An A-Class shareholder and/or,
An Australian rice grower who has grown rice at least once in the last 3 years, including C25.
Applicants must be in the early stages of their career or education path. Scholarships will only be awarded to applicants whose tertiary education courses align with the objectives of the scholarship (see further below).
Applicants must be in at least their second year of study at an Australian tertiary institution.
Applicants need to demonstrate a commitment to the rice industry and that the scholarship will help contribute to this commitment.
Recipients of the Peter Connor Book Award are eligible for GGMS.
Recipients of the Jan Cathcart Scholarship are ineligible for the GGMS.
Recipients previously awarded a GGMS are ineligible for the Peter Connor Book Award.
Past recipients of the GGMS are ineligible to re-apply.
The award of the scholarship is at the sole discretion of the RGA. The RGA will review each application against the scholarship criteria set out above and any other factors it wishes to take into account in determining the successful applicant (if any) in any year. The RGA’s decision on the successful candidate is final and the RGA is not obliged to provide candidates with the reasons for its decision.
*A nominated employee must have worked within the rice farming business for more than 6 months.
Rice Industry Scholarships
Greg Graham Memorial Scholarship & Peter Connor Book Award
The Greg Graham Memorial Scholarship (GGMS) is valued at $10,000, and the Peter Connor Book Award is valued at $3,000. Since the awards were first introduced in 2001, over 40 agriculture students have benefited from the generosity and foresight of SunRice, Rice Research and rice industry supporters. In response, most of these students have returned to our communities and farms with leading-edge knowledge to help strengthen and rejuvenate our agricultural industry.
This financial support helps alleviate financial pressures, purchase the bulk of textbooks, and facilitate greater focus on university study. It also enables students to move away from home and study when otherwise this may not be possible, particularly during drought years and other times of hardship.
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The scholarships have the following eligibility criteria
Applicants must be the child/grandchild or nominated employee* of:
A current financial member of RGA and/or,
an A-Class shareholder and/or,
an Australian rice grower who has grown rice at least once in the last 3 years, including C25.
Applicants must be in the early stages of their career or education path. Scholarships will only be awarded to applicants whose tertiary education courses align with the objectives of the scholarship (see further below).
Applicants must be in at least their second year of study at an Australian tertiary institution.
Applicants need to demonstrate a commitment to the rice industry and that the scholarship will help contribute to this commitment.
Recipients of the Peter Connor Book Award are eligible for GGMS.
Recipients of the Jan Cathcart Scholarship are ineligible for the GGMS.
Recipients previously awarded a GGMS are ineligible for the Peter Connor Book Award.
Past recipients of the GGMS are ineligible to re-apply.
The award of the scholarship is at the sole discretion of the RGA. The RGA will review each application against the scholarship criteria set out above and any other factors it wishes to take into account in determining the successful applicant (if any) in any year. The RGA’s decision on the successful candidate is final and the RGA is not obliged to provide candidates with the reasons for its decision.
*a nominated employee must have worked within the rice farming business for more than 6 months.
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The scholarships are named after two past leaders of the rice industry.
The Greg Graham Memorial Scholarship (GGMS) was set up to assist the agricultural education of members of the Ricegrowers’ Association or their families by enabling them to study a full-time, agriculturally based course at any Australian tertiary institution.
Greg Graham was president of the RGA in 1983 and had served as Secretary of the Deniliquin Branch of the RGA, was Chairman of the Southern Riverina Irrigation Districts Council, a Councillor for the Shire of Murray and a Member of the Murray Region Development Board. He was also one of the driving forces behind establishing the NSW Irrigators’ Council. Greg had a great admiration and confidence in the future of young people, and this scholarship recognises this good man's dedication, commitment and humility.
Peter Connor was a leading rice grower in the Coleambally district and served as Vice President of the Coleambally Branch and delegate to the RGA’s Central Executive between 1975 and 1982. Peter was also a Director of the Ricegrowers’ Cooperative Mills Ltd.
The Scholarship was not available in 2008, but it resumed in 2009 with the generous support of the McCaughey Memorial Institute and Rice Research Australia Ltd.
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The Jan Cathcart Memorial Scholarship program was launched in 2014 by the SunRice Group to honour the memory of long-term employee Jan Cathcart and to recognise her high principles, commitment and 43-year contribution to the rice industry, the SunRice Group, as well as our shareholders and growers. It is designed to support women who demonstrate a passion for the rice industry.
The scholarship is open to female shareholders, growers and employees and their extended families. We encourage women from across our network to apply or to nominate other eligible women who would benefit from the program.
About Jan Cathcart
Jan was an integral part of the Australian rice industry for more than 43 years. She began working at the Rice Marketing Board in November 1971 after completing her secondary education. She joined the SunRice Grower Services team in 1985 and maintained a strong and close relationship with growers, shareholders, and industry colleagues throughout her working life. This scholarship recognises Jan’s life and career achievements.
Background on the scholarships
The scholarships are named after two past leaders of the rice industry.
The Greg Graham Memorial Scholarship (GGMS) was established to assist in the agricultural education of members of the Ricegrowers’ Association or their families by enabling them to study a full-time, agriculturally based course at any Australian tertiary institution.
Greg Graham was president of the RGA in 1983 and had served as Secretary of the Deniliquin Branch of the RGA, as Chairman of the Southern Riverina Irrigation Districts Council, as a Councillor for the Shire of Murray, and as a Member of the Murray Region Development Board. He was also one of the driving forces behind the establishment of the NSW Irrigators’ Council. Greg had a great admiration and confidence in the future of young people, and this Scholarship recognises this good man's dedication, commitment and humility.
Peter Connor was a leading rice grower in the Coleambally district and served as Vice President of the Coleambally Branch and delegate to the RGA’s Central Executive between 1975 and 1982. Peter was also a Director of the Ricegrowers’ Cooperative Mills Ltd.
The Scholarship was not available in 2008, but it resumed in 2009 with the generous support of the McCaughey Memorial Institute and Rice Research Australia Ltd.
Greg Graham
Previous Recipients
| Year | Greg Graham Memorial Scholarship | Peter Connor Book Award |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Julie Andreazza // Mirrool Branch | Dean Armanini // Mirrool Branch |
| 2024 | Niamh Mason // Berriquin Branch | Laura Hatty // Berriquin Branch |
| 2023 | Archie Triggs // Mirrool Branch | Olivia Mauger // Berriquin Branch |
| 2022 | Thomas Hatty // Berriquin Branch | Tiarna Burke // Berriquin Branch |
| 2021 | Tom Mannes // Coleambally Branch | James McCaw // Berriquin Branch |
| 2020 | George Payne // Coleambally Branch | Nicholas O’Connor // Deniliquin Branch |
| 2019 | Dominic Morona // Deniliquin Branch | Annabel Arnold // Berriquin Branch |
| 2018 | Benjamin Seamer // Berriquin Branch | Dominic Morona // Deniliquin Branch |
| 2017 | Allister Clarke // Berriquin Branch | Benjamin Seamer // Berriquin Branch |
| 2016 | Jackson Byrnes // Hay Branch | Jack Hogan // Coleambally Branch |
| 2015 | Charleton Glenn // Wakool Branch | Daniel Andreazza // Mirrool Branch |
Jan Cathcart Memorial Scholarship
The Jan Cathcart Memorial Scholarship program was launched in 2014 by the SunRice Group to honour the memory of long-term employee Jan Cathcart and to recognise her high principles, commitment and 43-year contribution to the rice industry, the SunRice Group, as well as our shareholders and growers. It is designed to support women who demonstrate a passion for the rice industry.
The scholarship is open to female shareholders, growers, employees, and their extended families. We encourage women from across our network to apply or to nominate other eligible women who would benefit from the program.
About Jan Cathcart
Jan was an integral part of the Australian rice industry for more than 43 years. She began working at the Rice Marketing Board in November 1971 after completing her secondary education. She joined the SunRice Grower Services team in 1985 and maintained a strong, close relationship with growers, shareholders, and industry colleagues throughout her career. This scholarship recognises Jan’s life and career achievements.
