Hugh Williams Scholarship

Ravensdown Hugh Williams Memorial Scholarship

To commemorate the service and dedication of Hugh Williams, who died in a farm accident on 19 May 2000, Ravensdown and the Williams family have established a memorial scholarship. One scholarship will be awarded per year, and the successful applicant will receive $5000 for each year of study. In addition, the recipient will be offered the opportunity of paid holiday work at Ravensdown if available. This scholarship is intended to encourage undergraduate study in an agricultural or horticultural degree and will be open to the children of Ravensdown shareholders who are undertaking full time undergraduate study on selected courses at either Lincoln or Massey University.

You will need to the following to Apply:

• An Essay (500 words) - Essay topic: "How does science contribute to agriculture and economic development in NZ?”
• Personal Profile - Please submit a cover letter (half page minimum, one page maximum) introducing yourself, your education details, personal interests etc and upload this to the CV/Resume section.
• Academic Record - A copy of your university results and NCEA Record of Learning for Levels 1, 2 and 3 (where appropriate)
• References - Please include 2 reference letters (preferably work related e.g. holiday employment)

Please complete the above requirements and submit your application. Please read the information provided to ensure you meet the eligibility and application criteria.

In 2000 Ravensdown and the Williams family established the Ravensdown Hugh Williams Memorial Scholarship in memory of the late Hugh Williams, Ravensdown director from 1987 until 2000. Ther university scholarship, for shareholders children, aims to encourage undergraduate study in an agricultural or horticultural degree.

One scholarship will be available each year. The scholarship recipient will receive a cash grant of $5,000 per year for the remaining duration of their undergraduate study (see the conditions below). In addition, recipients will be offered the opportunity of paid holiday work at Ravensdown if a position is available.

 Scholarship criteria:

Applications for the scholarship will be invited from university students who:

• Are the child of a Ravensdown Shareholder (one entry per shareholder number)            
• Are currently completing, or have completed, their first year of an agricultural/horticultural undergraduate degree full time at Lincoln or Massey universities*

Scholarship details:

The scholarship is paid for the remaining duration of an undergraduate course up to a maximum of three years. Payment of the scholarship will be subject to satisfactory academic performance and is paid at the end of each academic year (payments can be processed either to university directly or made via Inland Revenue towards the recipients Student Loan).

It is expected that the recipient will not accept other scholarships in addition to the Ravensdown Hugh Williams Memorial Scholarship. This is to encourage as many young people as possible to undertake university studies.

The scholarship is for agricultural/horticultural-based degrees (but excludes veterinary science or viticulture-based degrees.) *

The recipient of the scholarship may meet with Ravensdown management to discuss progress each semester.

Selection committee:

The selection committee comprises:

• A member of the Williams family
• Members of the Ravensdown Board of Directors
• A member of the Ravensdown Human Resources Team

Applicable degrees:

To be eligible for the Ravensdown Hugh Williams Memorial University Scholarship, you'll need to study one of the following degrees or certificates: 

Lincoln University:

•  Bachelor of Agriculture 
•  Bachelor of Agricultural Science 
•  Bachelor of Commerce (Agriculture) 
•  Bachelor of Science 
•  Bachelor of Agricultural Science (Honours) 

Massey University:

•  Bachelor or AgriScience (Agriculture) 
•  Bachelor of AgriScience (Horticulture) 
•  Bachelor of Science (Agricultural Science) 
•  Bachelor of AgriCommerce  

Applying for the scholarship:

To apply for the scholarship students should:

Complete your application online via the Ravensdown Careers site - 

Ensure you include all application items  personal profile, essay, references and academic record.

The selection committee will take a range of criteria into account including the applicant academic record, their essay, references and their commitment to agriculture/horticulture.

Applicants may also be asked to attend an interview either in person or by phone or video

Applications close: Wednesday 25 November 2026

How to apply: Create a profile and submit your all documents via the 'drop or select' Cover Letter box. If you experience any issues, please send your documents to careers@ravensdown.co.nz