125 stories for 125 years

The Tonkin Scholarships

Dr Cyril Tonkin, an excellent pharmacist and doctor, was always a strong supporter of scholarship and research. In fact, his early education was made possible by several scholarships, testament to how crucial such support can be.

A major scholarship, named in his honour, was endowed in 1976 to promote innovation and leadership in the profession of pharmacy. Miss Sarah Amy Lloyd, whose father conducted a pharmacy business in Geelong, established the fund to honour her family doctor and great friend.

It was her belief that the profession of pharmacy would benefit if young pharmacists with leadership potential could be given an opportunity early in their careers to advance their studies and/or to travel. In endowing the scholarship, Miss Lloyd expressed the wish that the selected scholars should be informed of the selfless service rendered by Cyril during his lifetime and that they be asked to regard that service as an inspiration to aspire to the highest professional standards in their own service to humanity.

The Pharmaceutical Society of Victoria, as the then governing body of the college, was appointed to be the trustee and administrator of the scholarship. The original bequest of over $250,000 was, at the time, the largest scholarship fund of its type ever established in Australia for the pursuit of academic and professional excellence by students of a non-university educational institute. The Cyril Tonkin Scholarship continues to foster excellence in academic studies and research.

Since the first Cyril Tonkin Scholarship was awarded in 1976, there have been 37 recipients, including masters and PhD scholars and research fellows at the college. Other recipients have been practising graduates who have been given scholarships to study or experience important areas of practice development in Australia and overseas.

The scholarship deed requires that scholarships are granted by the society on the recommendation of the college’s management committee, so that only the most highly qualified candidates with the requisite potential for leadership are chosen as Cyril Tonkin Scholars.

Many scholarship winners have gone on to become excellent ambassadors for the college, the profession and the scholarship. Recipients currently work in all areas of the profession, in academia and in industry, both nationally and around the globe.