Albert Coates Memorial Scholarships
- Category
- Foundation
- Location
- Ballarat, Berwick, Gippsland, Online, Wimmera
- Value
- $5,000
- Open date
- 01/06/2026
- Close date
- 31/07/2026
- Study sector
- Higher education
- Study level
- Bachelor
- Student type
- Domestic
- Student status
- Continuing
- Scholarships available
- 3
- Additional eligibility criteria
- The Albert Coates Memorial Scholarship incorporates: Albert Coates Award (Nursing) - $5,000, Jim Pryor Visual Arts Award - $5,000, Biomedical Science Award - $5,000.
- Domestic student (Australian Citizen or a Permanent Resident of Australia)
- Second year student in 2026 Studying one of the following courses: Bachelor of Nursing, Bachelor of Visual Arts or Fine Arts, Bachelor of Biomedical Science.
About Albert Coates
Born in Mt Pleasant, Ballarat, Albert Ernest Coates left school at age 11 to work as a butcher and apprentice bookbinder. During the First World War, he served as a medical orderly in Gallipoli. After returning to Australia in 1919, he worked nights in the postal service to support himself while he attended medical school. Within a year of graduating, he was appointed Acting Professor of Anatomy at the University of Melbourne.
At 46, Sir Albert volunteered for service in the Second World War. In 1942, he became a prisoner of war at Padang, Sumatra, and was later sent as a medical officer to Burma, where he played a vital role in saving hundreds of lives along the Thai-Burma Railway.
After the war, Sir Albert became a senior surgeon at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and Stewart Lecturer in Surgery at the University of Melbourne.
The Albert Coates Memorial Scholarships honour his dedication, resilience and service to the community, inspiring future generations to make a positive impact.