Inaugural Alastair Nicholson Indigenous Scholarship
A new scholarship to recognise outstanding academic achievement by an indigenous law student was awarded to Bevan Mailman in June 2005.
The scholarship was established by members and staff of the Family Court of Australia as a farewell retirement gift to honour former Chief Justice of the Family Court of Australia, Alastair Nicholson (LLB 1960). The Family Law Section of the Law Council of Australia has also contributed to the fund, which has a total value of almost $40,000.
Bevan, who is also Vice-President of the Indigenous Law Students and Lawyers Association of Victoria, has studied at the University of Melbourne for eight years and was elated to have been chosen for this distinction.
“I felt deeply honoured to have received the scholarship as I share similar aspirations of social equality to Justice Nicholson – one of the reasons why the scholarship was formed,” he said.
Justice Nicholson, a University of Melbourne graduate, retired in July 2004 after 42 years in law, including an appointment as a Queen’s Counsel, six years as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria and 16 years as the Chief Justice of the Family Court of Australia.
When making the award, Justice Nicholson said: “I am delighted to be associated with the provision of additional opportunities to Indigenous students. And Bevan Mailman is a deserving recipient of this scholarship.”
Dean of Law, Professor Michael Crommelin, welcomed the announcement saying, “We’re very excited about this because it corresponds well with the Law School’s aspiration to provide a wider program of scholarships to students who may otherwise find it difficult to fund their studies.”
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