Community Update | August 2026
Continuing Eleanor’s legacy
It is hard to believe that almost two years have passed since we lost Eleanor.
It has been incredibly motivating to see the generosity, energy and love of Eleanor’s family, friends and wider community transformed into something positive — creating opportunities for young people and helping carry forward the causes that mattered so deeply to her.
The Eleanor Bryant Foundation has continued to grow, and we are delighted to share some of the wonderful things that have happened in recent months, including insights from our inaugural scholarship recipients and invite you to join us for this year’s headline fundraiser, to be held in Melbourne in November.
The inaugural Eleanor Bryant Memorial Fund Bush Summit
Access, Implementation and Impact – our first Bush Summit tackling allied health bottlenecks in country NSW
One of the most significant initiatives of the Foundation this year was the inaugural Eleanor Bryant Memorial Fund Bush Summit, held in Eleanor’s hometown of Coonamble, in North West NSW, in June.
Eleanor was acutely aware of the need for allied health services and support for rural families and the difficulties many rural families face trying to find the right services for their children when they lived many hours from big cities.
For many years she provided remote telehealth services to country families from her home base near Melbourne to provide speech therapy to those rural children who would otherwise not have received it.
Helping alleviate this disparity of access is one of the primary motivators for the Eleanor Bryant Memorial Fund, and our inaugural bush summit in June was the perfect launching pad for what we hope will be an ongoing networking and professional development forum for teachers, health professionals and families.
The Bush Summit was created from a simple but powerful idea: that families living in rural and regional Australia should have access to the same knowledge, expertise and opportunities as those in metropolitan communities.
Over two days, Coonamble became a meeting place for families, carers, educators, allied health professionals and specialists from across NSW. The program explored a broad range of issues affecting children and families, including disability, education, behaviour support, emotional regulation, language development, inclusion and family wellbeing.
Specialists travelled to Coonamble to share their knowledge and experience directly with the local community. Sessions were designed to provide practical information that could be taken back into homes, classrooms and clinical settings, while also creating opportunities for local professionals and families to connect with people working across a range of disciplines.
The program also extended into the local community, with visiting practitioners providing hands-on support and sharing their expertise with local organisations, including Coonamble Preschool.
For the Eleanor Bryant Memorial Fund, the summit represents an important evolution of Eleanor's legacy. We are not only supporting the next generation of allied health professionals through scholarships; we are also working to bring the benefits of their expertise directly into the communities that need it most.
Plans are already underway to co-ordinate another Bush Summit in Coonamble, contributing to our foundation’s vision for a future where children and families living in rural and regional Australia can access the support, expertise and opportunities they deserve.
We are enormously grateful to everyone who travelled to Coonamble, shared their expertise, volunteered their time and helped make the inaugural Bush Summit such a meaningful beginning.
Listen to our Bush Summit Facilitator, Micaela Rafferty highlight the success of the 2-day summit
Melbourne Annual Cocktail & Charity Fundraiser
Tickets are now on sale for our next major opportunity to come together — the Eleanor Bryant Memorial Fund Annual Cocktail & Charity Fundraiser Friday 13 November 2026
From 6.00pm
The Roof Garden, Club Stand, Flemington Racecourse
Join us for an evening of drinks, canapés, live entertainment and auctions as we raise funds to support the Foundation’s ongoing work to support and enhance access to rural allied health services.
Cocktail dress, with a touch of spring racing colour.
Tickets are $300 per person.
The evening will be a chance to reconnect with old friends, meet members of the Foundation community and hear more about the difference the scholarship program is already making.
BOOK YOUR TICKETS → Annual Cocktail & Charity Fundraiser
Fundraising Update
#Run4EJ
An initiative the foundation has created bringing together family, friends, work colleagues and many more who share Eleanor’s love of running and the outdoors. Our #Run4EJ celebrates Eleanor’s life while raising funds to support the work of the Foundation.
We acknowledge and are very appreciative of the support given to the foundation through everyone’s individual running triumphs;
The May event at Mt Macedon
The Great Ocean Road Half Marathon
Megan Mander’s Larapinta trail effort
Diana Nicholls’ 200kms in 2 days (as we write D is punching out the kms — Friday 28-29 August)
Sydney Marathon runners – Mark Davie, Sedge Harris & Cass Sullivan (Sunday 30 August)
Thank you to everyone who has taken part, supported these runs, donated and helped make the events possible. It is a wonderful reminder that Eleanor’s legacy lives on through the people and communities she touched.
Riddells Creek Junior Football & Netball Club
RCJFNC came together on a home game day to honour Eleanor and proudly supported The Eleanor Bryant Memorial Fund. It goes without saying the incredible generosity of Riddells Creek community holds a special place. To all the visiting clubs, players, families, volunteers and supporters, thank you for making it a special and meaningful day.
Investing in the next generation
Our 2026 scholarship recipients are making their mark
A central part of the Eleanor Bryant Memorial Fund’s work is creating opportunities for regional students to pursue higher education and, ultimately, bring their skills and expertise back to regional communities.
Through our partnership with the Country Education Foundation (CEF), the Eleanor Bryant Memorial Scholarship provides financial support to students studying allied health, with a preference for those who hope to pursue their careers in regional Australia.
The scholarship is designed not only to provide financial assistance, but to help remove some of the barriers that can make higher education more difficult for students from regional communities — from accommodation and travel costs to technology, equipment and the additional expenses associated with placements.
A strong start for our inaugural scholars
In 2026, the Eleanor Bryant Memorial Fund committed $60,000 to support three students across the CEF network:
Mia O’Neill
Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Honours), University of Newcastle
Hastings Education Fund
Mia is in her first year of Speech Pathology and has made the transition from regional life to university in Newcastle. Her scholarship is supporting accommodation and technology costs, helping reduce the financial pressure of living away from home and allowing her to focus more fully on her studies.
Mia says the support has given her the opportunity to embrace university life, make new connections and grow in confidence as she begins her journey towards a career in speech pathology.
Nathan Hodgson
Bachelor of Occupational Therapy, Charles Sturt University
CEF Coleambally-Darlington Point
Nathan is in his third year of Occupational Therapy at Charles Sturt University in Albury. He describes the year so far as rewarding and engaging as he prepares for upcoming placements while continuing to build his academic and professional skills.
The scholarship has helped cover accommodation and technology costs, allowing Nathan to spend more time concentrating on his studies and less time worrying about the financial pressure of living and studying away from home.
Georgia Rackham
Bachelor of Occupational Therapy, Charles Sturt University
Coonamble & District Education Foundation
Georgia is in her fourth year of Occupational Therapy at Charles Sturt University and has already completed two intensive eight-week placements this year.
These practical experiences have provided valuable opportunities to develop her clinical skills and learn from practising occupational therapists, helping shape the kind of practitioner she hopes to become.
The Eleanor Bryant Scholarship has helped Georgia meet accommodation, transport and technology costs, including travel home during placements. As someone from Coonamble, her commitment to regional communities makes her journey particularly meaningful to the Foundation.
The impact so far…
The mid-year reports from our three scholars show just how valuable this support has been.
We are incredibly proud that:
100% of our scholars are on track to successfully complete their studies.
100% said the financial support has reduced their financial stress.
100% feel more confident in their abilities.
100% said the support they receive through CEF is very important to them.
100% reported improved access to study and training as a result of the funding.
100% have used their funding towards essential education-related expenses, including accommodation, technology, equipment and travel.
For Mia, financial support has meant being able to live away from home and devote more attention to full-time study without the same financial pressure. For Nathan, it has helped him remain in Albury and focus on his education rather than needing to work additional hours around his studies. And for Georgia, it has helped make the significant travel and accommodation demands of unpaid clinical placements more manageable.
These are precisely the kinds of barriers the Eleanor Bryant Memorial Scholarship was established to address. Their progress is an inspiring early indication of what the Eleanor Bryant Memorial Scholarship can achieve, and we are excited to continue growing this important part of Eleanor’s legacy.
Applications for 2027
Applications for the next intake are now open through CEF.
Students wishing to be considered for an Eleanor Bryant Memorial Scholarship must first apply for and receive a CEF local grant of at least $1,000. Applications for local grants close on 31 October 2026.
Students can find their local CEF foundation and learn more about the application process here:
Find your local CEF foundation
Successful local grant recipients may then be nominated for additional funding through CEF’s Extra Scholarships Program, including an Eleanor Bryant Memorial Scholarship.
We look forward to welcoming the next scholarship recipient or recipients in 2027 and continuing to support talented regional students as they pursue careers that can make a lasting difference in their communities.
Thank you
The Foundation exists because of the extraordinary generosity and support of Eleanor’s family, wide network of friends and the broader community.
From those who have taken on a 200km run, or donated, attended an event, supported a scholarship or simply shared Eleanor’s story — every contribution helps build her legacy.
Eleanor spent her life putting others first. Through the Foundation, we hope to continue that spirit by giving young people the opportunity to build careers that improve the lives of others.
