About the Dafydd Lewis Trust
Benefactor History
Dafydd Edward Lewis (1866 – 1941) migrated to Australia from Wales in 1896. He first worked in the drapery field and eventually established himself successfully in business, with a partner, Joseph Love. Lewis was a man of bold character and an entrepreneur who believed in hard work and education. When he died in 1941 he left an estate valued at £700,000 to be held in perpetual trust to provide scholarships for boys for full time degree courses at a Victorian University. The Trust was established in 1942 and the first scholarships were awarded in 1943.
Beneficiaries
The Dafydd Lewis Scholarship is an equity and merit-based scholarship available to young men who might not have otherwise received a University education due to the limited financial resources of their parents. Multiple scholarships are awarded every year for full-time degrees in most courses at any university in Victoria. 72 scholars are currently being supported in 2010.
Trust Achievements
Since its inception over 65 years ago, the Scholarship Trustees have awarded approximately 1,000 scholarships. The Scholarship Trustees are firmly committed to expanding the reach of the scholarships and are continuing to look at helping Government schools identify eligible candidates and create an awareness of the opportunities provided by the Trust.
Who Is Involved?
ANZ Trustees is the Trustee of the Dafydd Lewis Trust and is responsible for all aspects of governance, administration and investment of the Trust.
The Scholarship Trustees advise ANZ Trustees as to the scholarship recipients. The Scholarship Trustees comprise a number of esteemed professionals in the education, philanthropy, legal and business sectors and have collectively been responsible for selection criteria and interviewing candidates. The Scholarship Trustees' involvement is purely voluntary, and they receive no remuneration for their participation.