Giving Stories
The University of New England was founded in a great act of philanthropy with the donation of the historic house Booloominbah and 180 acres of parklands in 1937 by Thomas Richard Foster to establish "as a University College for all Australia". The value of this historic property at the time was £30,000 (around $14 million in today's value) and the local community contribution £10,000 (approx. $4 million) towards the target set by the NSW Government to establish the New England University College (NEUC) in 1938. At the tail end of the Great Depression these were astronomical figures for a regional community to give to any project and were based upon a desire to make a real difference.
The bid to establish the university was based upon a bold new vision to create a centre of educational excellence in regional Australia, something which has never been attempted before and which energized the community of the New England region and much further afield.
The University was an enterprise that stirred the imagination, stimulated the intellect and aimed to create educational opportunities for people in small and large communities across the country. This vision has received support from thousands of people ever since through a stream of donations and support that has included money but also land, property, artworks, historical artifacts, books, research collections and much more. Donations to the university support this vision.
We would like to thank everyone who has made a donation to support the University of New England. It doesn't matter what size the donation is, we would like to emphasize that the generous support of our programs, scholarships and other activities is essential to the University and its students.
Here are some of our donors stories.
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Chris Abbott
Chris Abbott wants to ensure that regional NSW children and their families are able to access a great opportunity to play with meaning. -
Gordon Doyle
A chance encounter with a dedicated primary school teacher in a little school outside Port Moresby in 1967 forever changed Gordon's career trajectory. -
Susie Dunn
Susie illustrates the big difference that smaller donations can collectively make to the cultural tapestry and growth of a public institution such as ours. -
Betty Fyffe
In her twilight years, former nurse Betty Fyffe would roam her Tamworth nursing home doing what she did best. -
Kate Hadfield
It's important to me to support UNE. I believe in UNE’s uniqueness and its heritage as the first distance education provider in Australia. -
Janice Knight
A Knight in shining armour - Janice Knight's affection for UNE runs deep. -
The Lam Family
Mr Wai Kwum Lam and his wife Pansy have made several donations to UNE’s Museum of Antiquities in honour of their friendship with Alfred McCready, who taught classical languages at UNE from 1958-76, and his wife Irene. -
Douglas McMaster
A passion for the North West Slopes and Plains and its agricultural potential born a century ago is about to inspire a new generation through the D.L. McMaster Fund. -
Max Schroder
Educator and philanthropist Max Schroder donated $1.25 million in late 2019 to scholarship programs for Indigenous students at UNE in what is the largest financial gift from a living donor in the university’s history.
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Cec Spence
Embarking on her Criminology/Law degree in 2010, Miriam Hicks faced a daunting prospect. -
Hans Wissmann
Hans Wissmann was a quiet but constant presence in UNE’s N.C.W. Beadle Herbarium for more than half a century. Even upon his death, he ensured that his presence would still be felt. -
Marian Foster
Marian Foster describes studying in the 1940s at the New England University College (NEUC) – the precursor to the University of New England – as a “charmed existence”. -
Maurice Wyndham
There is a powerful synergy in Maurice Wyndham’s posthumous support for the University of New England’s imaginative Boilerhouse project. -
Charles Tesoriero
When Charles Tesoriero took his own life in 2005 he left behind a legion of saddened but appreciative admirers. -
Alec Lazenby
UNE’s first Professor of Agronomy and third Vice-Chancellor, Alec Lazenby AO, grew up in Yorkshire, the son of tenant farmers. -
Nigel (Ned) Campbell
A scholarship had financial, social and personal benefits for UNE alumnus Nigel (Ned) Campbell, who used it as a catalyst to career success. Now he and his siblings Libby and Tom are investing in educational philanthropy of their own.
