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We are proud to offer the William Groom Centenary of Toowoomba City Scholarship to 18 - 24 year olds, who are commencing their second or third year of a full time UniSQ degree course or TAFE Queensland Darling Downs & South West diploma. We offer this scholarship as a way to acknowledge young students achievements to the local community. The scholarship provides $5,000 in two instalments to the successful applicant following confirmation that the applicant has met the specified criteria at milestone dates. Applications are traditionally called in November each year, with the scholarship winner announced at Toowoomba’s Australia Day ceremony.
The scholarship was established in 2004 to mark the centenary of Toowoomba’s declaration as a city. It honours the many achievements of the municipality’s first mayor William Henry Groom, who served several terms from 1861 before winning seats in the Queensland and Commonwealth Parliaments.
Eligibility
Applicants must:
Criteria
Successful applicants must be able to demonstrate the following:
Selection process
Generally, our selection process will include the following steps:
The selection panel will assess each application to ensure the applicant is eligible and how well the application meets the criteria.
The number of shortlisted applications for interview may vary for each round of the groom scholarship.
If the application is shortlisted, the applicant may be asked to attend an interview with the selection panel where they will be asked questions on their academic achievements and community involvement.
All applicants are notified of the outcome.
The successful applicant will be asked to participate in promoting the scholarship via a media release and acceptance of the scholarship at an Australia Day awards ceremony.
The $5000 scholarship will be paid to the recipient in half yearly instalments providing the applicant meets the criteria for each milestone. This means, for the second instalment to be paid for a degree level course, the recipient will need to provide evidence of successful completion of four (4) Semester 1 units. If enrolled in a Trimester pattern, a minimum of four (4) units in Trimester 1 and 2 with the balance of a full time enrolment pattern to be completed in Trimester 3.
If the applicant is enrolled in a TAFE Queensland Darling Downs & South West diploma, the equivalent successful completion depending on the course unit requirements.
To apply for the scholarship, please submit the form below by the 1st Monday in December.
In the application form below, you will need to:
Zachary Vellacott, a third year University of Southern Queensland Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences (Medicine Pathway) student, has been awarded the Toowoomba Region’s 2025 W. H. Groom Centenary of Toowoomba Scholarship.
Toowoomba Region Mayor Cr Geoff McDonald congratulated the former St Joseph’s College student on his academic and community service achievements. The prize was presented at today’s (January 26, 2025) Toowoomba City Australia Day award presentation ceremony at Picnic Point.
Mr Vellacott is entering the third and final year of his Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences degree at the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) and will continue his studies for another four years to complete a Doctor of Medicine program at the University of Queensland.
Mr Vellacott has ambitions of becoming a paediatric cardiologist.
“(I’m) really drawn to the field of paediatric cardiology, which I think makes sense and really resonates with me, having been a patient in that sort of area when I was younger…,” Mr Vellacott said.
Mr Vellacott experienced serious health issues from the age of three until he was 16. Experiencing many hospital visits and exposure to different doctors, Mr Vellacott realised he wanted to help people by becoming a doctor who put patient care before anything else.
“I’ve lived through things, and I’ve seen things in the world that not everyone might see, and that brought me to this calling of, ‘okay, through my experience, what can I do to help someone else? How can I have that positive impact in someone else’s life?’,” he said.
He said he had been through similar experiences to many rural residents who faced difficulties accessing specialist health care, which was an issue he was determined to address when he gained his accreditation with the Australian medical boards.
“In the future, with infrastructure permitting, I’d love to be involved in more specialist rural care. Maybe that will involve me having to be multidisciplined in my speciality,” he added.
Mr Vellacott also aspires to work for Mercy Ships Australia, which deploys hospital ships and volunteers to developing nations.
He is the co-chair of UniSQ’s School of Health and Medical Sciences Student Society, gaining student feedback on important student matters and liaising with university staff to improve students’ experiences.
In this role he represents his School on the UniSQ Student Representative Committee (SRC). He was chosen by his peers to serve on the Student Senate.
Through his SRC role, Mr Vellacott was one of two students to be selected to represent UniSQ at the 12th University Scholars Leadership Symposium in Bangkok, Thailand, among 500 delegates from 47 countries.
He said a highlight was leading a kindness mission at a refugee camp near the Thailand-Myanmar border, which gave him a deep gratitude for his fortunate circumstances and a renewed commitment to make a difference in the lives of others.
Away from his studies, Mr Vellacott is a member of the South West Queensland Thunder Football Club, where he has played in the Under 23 team and the senior men’s First team squad since November 2022. After making his First team debut at 18, he has played more than 50 matches in the top flight side and is keen to represent the club in 2025.
In the past season he volunteered as the junior goalkeeper coach, working with players from Under eight to Under 12 each week.
Mayor McDonald said the scholarship highlighted the calibre of students studying at the University of Southern Queensland.
“Zachary is achieving top results in his university studies with a perfect GPA of 7, the highest academic grade you can achieve. But his achievements don’t stop there, as he is an active participant in other community activities,” Mayor McDonald said.
“Council is proud to award this scholarship to another worthy young recipient from the Toowoomba Region. Zachary has a very bright future, and I look forward to hearing about his ongoing achievements.”
Mr Vellacott receives $5000 in half-yearly payments that will aid his studies, which will take approximately 14 years, including specialist cardiology study.
“I’m extremely honoured and privileged to be awarded this scholarship. I take it not only as a recognition of the work I have done and where I am right now, but also as motivation to continue striving to both improve myself and driving improvement and growth in the communities I’m involved with,” Mr Vellacott said.
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