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Non Conservation Projects

The Board is constantly considering future directions. We will post decisions on this website.

 

Current projects include:

  • Barossa Foundation
    Under the Foundation a Thomas Scholarship was established in 2008, and has provided supplementary funding to seven students from local wine industry families to continue tertiary studies in design, commerce, agricultural science, law, teaching environmental science and psychology.
    The Barossa Foundation’s objective is to establish a fund with sufficient capital to maintain annual grants for this and other projects it supports. In 2013/14, the Thomas Foundation contributed $500,000 towards this fund.

    2014 Thomas Scholar – James Fox. James is studing Oenology and Winemaking at Adelaide University

Steve Clarkson (Thomas Scholarship, Industry Advisory Group), James Fox (2014 Thomas Scholar) and Karl Martin (Foundation Barossa Director – Thomas Scholarship)

Steve Clarkson (Thomas Scholarship, Industry Advisory Group), James Fox (2014 Thomas Scholar) and Karl Martin (Foundation Barossa Director – Thomas Scholarship)


  • Asylum Seekers’ Centre in Sydney
    The Thomas Foundation provided a grant of $100,000 to fund the establishment of a new Legal Service at the Asylum Seekers Centre in May 2014.   The Legal Service supports the human rights of asylum seekers and ensures that clients have the best opportunity for recognition of their refugee status through being legally represented. Legal advice and assistance has been provided on 713 occasions to asylum seeker clients in 12 months.  In the coming years thousands of asylum seekers will benefit from the advice provided by the Legal Service.
One of the 194 families served by the ASC in the last yea

One of the 194 families served by the ASC in the last year


  • Australian Chamber Orchestra
    The Thomas Foundation has been a great supporter of the ACO for many years, most recently through its support for the Orchestra’s 2010 Capital Campaign, the interest from which supports the ACO’s Artistic Innovation Fund. Key projects funded have included ACO Virtual, the ACO’s immersive, interactive installation, Timeline and Gallipoli.
Richard Tognetti AO and The Australian Chamber Orchestra

Richard Tognetti AO and The Australian Chamber Orchestra


  • Canberra Glassworks
    Maintaining our link with glass art and the Canberra Glassworks, the Foundation granted $250,000 in two tranches to enable the establishment of fellowship program. The program is aimed at emerging artists, and provides for their subsidised use of facilities at the glassworks. The grant has been invested to provide an ongoing capital base with the income it generates funding the grants.
Glasshouse exterior-tower photo: LennonHarley

Glasshouse exterior-tower photo: LennonHarley


  • HammondCare
    In 2013 The Thomas Foundation committed $1.25m to HammondCare, a Christian charity providing aged, dementia and palliative care, and rehabilitation and pain management needs. The Foundation’s grant is to support HammondCare’s participation in the National Health and Medical Research Council’s project, ‘Dealing with cognitive and related functional decline in the elderly’

    In 2014 The Thomas Foundation funded The HammondCare Music Engagement Project with a $250,000 grant.  The project aims to use music to improve quality of life for people in need.

Director of Music Engagement, Dr Kirsty Beilharz & a resident at HammondCare North Turramurra


  • UNSW Australia – Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA)
    In 2011 The Thomas Foundation granted $1m to UNSW Australia for the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, an international cenre of excellence in multi-disciplinary research into the ageing-brain and other aspects of ageing. The grant funds new research into dementia at the CHeBA centre.
David Thomas OAM at the CHeBA launch

David Thomas AM at the CHeBA launch