Mortlock Scholarship Ceremony 2025
Congratulations to all the students who were awarded a Mortlock Scholarship at a ceremony on Thursday 410h April in the Urrbrae Hall. The Mortlock Scholarships recognise student academic excellence for the previous academic year and are unique to Urrbrae and a significant part of our school’s history. We are very fortunate to have the Mortlock Scholarships available to our students which are funded through a significant bequest made by Mr John Andrew Tennant Mortlock who was born at Mintaro (near Clare) in 1884 (that is 141 years ago!). Mr Mortlock inherited the Martindale Estate at Mintaro from his parents in 1915 and over the years he also became the owner of many other farming properties across SA (including Tumby Bay, Pt Augusta and the mid north region).
In 1950 Mr Mortlock passed away and, and through his will, he bequeathed £10,000 to establish the ‘Mortlock Agricultural Scholarships’ at Urrbrae Agricultural High School to recognise and encourage agricultural academic excellence. The interest earned from the Mortlock fund each year is then provided to Urrbrae to allocate scholarships to high achieving students.
The first Mortlock Scholarships were awarded in 1952 to a total of only 6 students and today over 60 students from Years 7 – 12 and recent Urrbrae graduates (Old Scholars) who choose to continue an Agricultural or related degree at University receive a Tertiary Mortlock Scholarship in recognition of their academic achievement.
Over the years, the Mortlock Scholarships have assisted hundreds of Urrbrae students to achieve their academic and professional goals. The scholarships have provided opportunities for students to pursue higher education, engage in research and development, and gain practical experience in the field of agriculture.
As we look to the future, the Mortlock Scholarships will continue to play a vital role in supporting the next generation of leaders in agriculture and to embrace the opportunity to make a difference in the world through their passion for agriculture.
Vincent Fleming
Assistant Principal – Agriculture
