Two young Australians will be given the ability to study at the top universities in the world each year, through scholarships announced in honour of Sir Zelman Cowen.
Sir Zelman understood the power of education to change people's lives for the better.
His own academic achievements were substantial: he completed two Honours degrees in arts and law at Melbourne University, and enjoyed a life-changing experience as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford in the 1940s.
Returning to Australia, he became a Professor and Dean of Law and Vice-Chancellor of two universities, New England and Queensland, before becoming Governor-General in 1977.
The Government will honour those achievements and pay tribute to the memory of Sir Zelman, by helping young Australians to progress their own education.
The Sir Zelman Cowen John Monash scholarship program will help two young Australians each year to study at the highest level overseas at the world's top universities.
Lady Cowen and the Cowen family joined the Prime Minister and Her Excellency, The Governor-General, to launch the scholarships in Parliament House today.
The Government has worked with the General Sir John Monash Foundation to create the scholarships, following the death of Sir Zelman in December. The Foundation currently runs the Monash Awards for postgraduate study at non-Australian universities.
The Government has made a special one-off grant of $6 million to the Foundation Endowment Fund to provide for the two Zelman Cowen scholarships in perpetuity.
These scholarships will allow the nation to lastingly remember the work and life of this great Australian.