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TJ Ryan Memorial Medal and Scholarship

Ten TJ Ryan Memorial Medals and Scholarships are awarded each year to support exemplary Queensland students who demonstrate outstanding leadership in their school and community and academic excellence through their achievements in Year 12.

State and non-state secondary schools can nominate one year 12 student for this award.

Awards

Medals and Scholarships

TJ Ryan Memorial Medallists each receive the following awards at a ceremony held at Parliament House each March:

a scholarship consisting of payments of $1000 for each successful semester of a degree course up to a maximum of $10,000 over five years;
a boxed commemorative TJ Ryan Medal; and
a certificate of recognition.

(The payments of $1000 per semester will be made for the minimum length of time necessary to complete the course, and includes combined degrees. With the exception of the first payment, subsequent payments will be made at the commencement of each semester upon provision of evidence of successful results and continued enrolment to the Department of Education, Training and the Arts.)

Highly Commended

Highly commended students will each receive:

a $1000 cash prize; and
a certificate of recognition.

Merit

Students receiving this award will receive Certificates of Merit.

Schools

Certificates of Recognition will be issued to the schools of the successful students.

Nominations and Selection

Nominations open at the beginning of term four (October) and close on 30 November each year.

History

The TJ Ryan Memorial Medal represents a long-standing tradition of recognising educational achievement in Queensland. The award is a memorial to Thomas Joseph Ryan, Queensland Premier from 1915 to 1919 and recognises his dedication to public life. It is an award that carries prestige for the winners and their schools.

From 1927 to 1970, the award was presented to the top student in the state Scholarship Examination. With the demise of the Scholarship Examination, the award was then granted for the Junior Examination, but ended when public examinations were phased out.

In 1993, the TJ Ryan Awards were re-introduced by the Queensland Government. Until 1995 the award was given to students from disadvantaged backgrounds who demonstrated academic excellence and who displayed leadership qualities through their achievements in Year 12. From 1996, the awards have been designed to encourage leadership qualities and academic excellence. In 2003, the awards were renamed the TJ Ryan Memorial Medal.

The awards have also been known as the TJ Ryan Memorial Scholarships and Medals, and the Premier 's Awards.

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