Travel the world to pursue your passion

Can your passion for Australian agriculture and food production take you around the world?

The Winston Churchill Trust along with TasFarmers invite you to apply for a Churchill Fellowship. Churchill Fellowships fund Australians from all walks of life so they can travel overseas and investigate an issue or topic they are passionate about, and share the knowledge gained when they return.

Design your own itinerary and travel at time of your choosing, for four to eight weeks. No formal qualifications are required to apply – in fact you don’t even need to have finished school. The options are virtually limitless, providing your project will benefit Australia and you are willing to share your findings when you return.

Aside from general fellowships, there are also specific sponsored opportunities available this year relating to agriculture, horticulture and food, including the Ron Badman Family Churchill Fellowship for projects relating to an aspect of agriculture, focussing on seed production, pasture development and irrigation; the Hort Innovation Churchill Fellowship to cultivate new ideas in horticulture; the Jack Green Churchill Fellowship for projects relating to the dairy industry; the Saskia Beer Churchill Fellowship to support innovation in food production or farming; the Caroline Welsh Churchill Fellowship to support the agriculture industry’s response to climate change; and the Samuel and Eileen Gluyas Churchill Fellowship for Queensland applicants planning to investigate topics relating to the tropical pasture industry.

Like to know more? A series of information sessions have been recorded and are available for viewing here, including a dedicated session for the agriculture and horticulture sectors hosted by former ABC Rural national editor Leigh Radford.

2024 application round - open 1 March to 1 May. To find out more visit www.churchillfellowships.com.au

Additional background information

The Winston Churchill Trust was set up in 1965 after the death of famous British prime minister and war-time leader Sir Winston Churchill, when the Australian public gave generously in what was one of the country’s largest ever door-knock appeals. The Churchill Memorial Sunday doorknock raised funds for an unusual type of memorial to Sir Winston. Endorsed by Churchill before he died, it was the establishment of a special Fellowship bearing his name to provide a unique opportunity for ordinary people to travel, learn and bring knowledge back to their country.

Since then, the Winston Churchill Trust has sent more than 4,700 Australians overseas to pursue their passion and bring back what they learnt to share with others and put into action. The contribution these Fellows have made to the country and the lives of Australians since receiving their Fellowships is immeasurable. Along the way, many of them have developed careers and international reputations that shine a light on their chosen field of endeavour.

They include people like Riverland citrus guru Ian Tolley; Victorian farm advisor Mike Stephens; former National Farmers Federation chief executive office Ben Fargher; current AgriFutures Australia chair Cathy McGowan; Barossa Valley game bird producer Colin Beer; winemaker and female trailblazer in the wine industry Pamela Dunsford; and horticulturalist and broadcaster Peter Cundall.