The EJ Connellan Award was established by the Trust in April 1988. The aim of the Award “is to give the opportunity, by the provision of financial support, to people living in isolated areas of outback Australia to undertake further studies or research of a kind not otherwise available to them.”.

The Award is granted on an annual basis, with applications being called in the final three months of each year and closing at the end of January. Unlike General Applications, those for the Award are restricted to people of 18 years of age and over, and need to be of an educational or research nature.

Applications need to be on the appropriate form (see “Making an Application – EJ Connellan Award”) and must be received by the Executive Officer no later than the 31st January.

The winners of the Award in 2006 were Majella Lyons from Charters Towers and Tim McClymont from Bollon. Majella has now returned from an overseas tour, on which she studied agricultural and livestock practices. Majella intends to share the knowledge acquired with the people of the remote areas of Australia. Tim is studying veterinary science at Queensland University, and intends to return to the outback to practice once he graduates.

The Award was established in 1988 by the Connellan Airways Trust in honour of the founder of the Trust, the pioneer Northern Territory aviator Eddie Connellan, to assist people over the age of 18 years who live in the remote areas of Australia. Since the Alice Springs based Trust was launched in 1983, it has been able to provide more than $2 million to the residents of Outback Australia.

As the only applicant considered to be worthy of the Award in 2007 unfortunately was not eligible, being less than 18 years of age, it was decided not to grant an Award for this year.