Congratulations Ellen Litchfield, Recipient of the 2019 Senior E.J Connellan Award

The Chairman of the Connellan Airways Trust, Mr. Mark Coffey recently announced Ellen Litchfield to be the winner of the 2019 Senior E.J. Connellan Award. Ellen will receive $10,000 towards completing her Masters Of Sustainable Agriculture at CSU.

Ellen is from Wilpoorinna Station outside of Maree, South Australia. After completing primary school through School of the Air and secondary schooling as a border at Annesley College in South Australia, Ellen went on to achieve a Bachelor of Veterinary Science and Veterinary Biology at Charles Sturt University NSW. She finished 1st class Honours in 2012. In 2018 Ellen received a Nuffield Scholarship to investigate the effects of climate change on red meat production in arid and semi-arid rangelands.


Ellen says “I am passionate about securing a sustainable future for our community in this rapidly changing environment. I believe that great advocacy for outback communities is required to ensure that policy decisions effecting the community and livestock producers are beneficial to our area.” She says outback Australia is an extremely unique environment and covers such an expanse of land but research and resources for the area are very limited. As the world population continues to rise the ability of pastoralists to produce a protein source whilst maintaining a natural eco system will be of utmost importance.”

Mark Coffey says “The trust supports individuals in their pursuit of knowledge to support people that live in outback Australia. I am very pleased that we can assist Ellen in her research which will result in new and innovative ideas to enable pastoralists across the outback to achieve more sustainable outcomes. Research and Industry development provides new opportunities for outback Australia to continue to play a critical role in food production across the country and the Connellan Airways Trust is proud to play a role in this development”.

See More

By Declan Kelly July 15, 2025
From the EO Hi everyone, I'm Declan Kelly, the new EO of Connellan Airways Trust. I’ve just wrapped up my first few weeks as Executive Officer at the Trust, and it’s already been a genuinely inspiring start. Earlier this month, I travelled to Alice Springs (Mparntwe) and had the chance to connect directly with some of the people and communities the Trust supports. A highlight was attending the Govies’ Muster and meeting the dedicated teachers, families and students from the Alice Springs School of the Air and the ICPA. Hearing about the creativity and resilience it takes to deliver education across vast distances really brought home why the Trust’s work matters. At the Alice Springs Show, I enjoyed meeting local schools and community groups, many of whom already know Connellan and have received support in the past to bring important projects to life. It was great to see how the Trust’s legacy is woven into the local community in such practical and lasting ways. I also met with the team from Red Dust and learned more about their community driven health and wellbeing programs. And of course, I couldn’t miss experiencing my first Territory Day, a pretty spectacular way to be welcomed, with fireworks lighting up the desert night. Another highlight was catching up with NT Chief Minister, Lia Finocchiaro, to talk about the opportunities and challenges facing remote Australians, and where the Trust can help create even greater impact. All in all, it’s been a warm, generous welcome into the Connellan Airways Trust community, and I’m excited to keep building on the Trust’s proud history. Next up, my first grant round. If you’re working on a project, supporting your local community or just want to chat about what we do, please get in touch via info@connellanairwaystrust.org.au . Looking forward to what’s ahead! Declan General Grants Opening Soon Our next round of General Grants opens 1 August and closes 15 August. These grants support individuals and small community organisations in remote, very remote and select outer regional areas to fund projects, education, travel, technology or local initiatives that reduce isolation and create opportunities. Check out the guidelines and see if you're eligible: connellanairwaystrust.org.au/general-grants Questions? Get in touch at info@connellanairwaystrust.org.au . We look forward to seeing your ideas!
By Declan Kelly July 14, 2025
Welcoming Declan Kelly as Connellan Airways Trust EO
By Jessica Hacket December 10, 2024
2023/2024 Snapshot of Connellan Airways Trust
By Jessica Hacket October 9, 2024
OLIVIA ANDERSON AWARDED PRESTIGIOUS ROGER CONNELLAN AWARD TOWARDS HER AVIATION TRAINING GOALS
By Jessica Hacket April 17, 2024
2024 Outback Scholarships with CDU Recipients Announced
By Jessica Hacket March 11, 2024
2024 E.J Connellan Award Announced - Alana Clark
By Jessica Hacket January 22, 2024
Board vacancy - connellan airways trust
By Jessica Hacket December 5, 2023
2022/2023 Snapshot of Connellan Airways Trust
By Jessica Hacket December 4, 2023
Connellan Airways Trust is pleased to announce the appointment of Elizabeth (Liz) Bird as the new Chair of the Board of Directors
Show More