In 2006 the Sphinx Scholarship Fund was established, to be managed by the Board of the Sphinx Foundation. Deductible Gift Recipient Status was conferred on the Fund by the Australian Tax Office in 2008. As a registered charity, it reports annually to the Australian Charities and Not-For-Profits Commission (ACNC). The main function of the Sphinx Scholarship Fund has been to endow scholarships, bursaries and prizes for students attending Perth Modern School.
A challenge faced by Perth Modern School is to ensure that academically talented students are able to take advantage of all that the school has to offer, despite differences in their socio-economic backgrounds. Accordingly, the Sphinx Scholarship Fund provides several classes of awards:
- Year 7 Entry Equity scholarships and bursaries.
These are awarded for students selected to study at the School, from families with financial and/or special needs. Most of these scholarships currently run for four years. - Year 8-10 Equity scholarships awarded under similar conditions.
- Year 11-12 scholarships and bursaries for academic achievement.
- Dux and Runner Up Dux prizes for graduating Year 12 students.
- Entrepreneurship and Leadership special courses.
- Ad-hoc help for participation in major national or international competitions.
The list of currently available awards may be found here.
Selection of the awardees is made by a panel comprising Perth Modern School’s administration, the Sphinx Foundation and the Perth Modernian Society. In 2024 for example, 104 scholarships totalling $110,800 were awarded, representing a six percent increase from 2023. Highlights included the creation of The Lesley Parker Equity Scholarship, honouring Emeritus Professor Parker’s long service to Perth Modern School. Since its inception, the Fund has awarded 590 scholarships/bursaries, valued in total at $788,000.
Donations to the Sphinx Scholarship Fund have been received from ex-students, parents of current students, other foundations, industry, and private benefactors from the wider community. Substantial donors have naming rights for their awards. Each awardee receives a special certificate along with a Citation that honours the particular donor(s) who have made the award possible. Amongst the large pool of donors are Modernians John Down (dec.), Donald Tyler (dec.), The McCusker Family, Ross and Fran Ledger, Malcolm Evans (dec.), Ling and Chris Hayes, Dr Raymond Dingle (dec.), Dr June Stevenson (dec.), The Doss Family, Barrie Baker (dec.), Prof. Shirley Randell, Laurie Best, Nigel and Kate Hunt, and Peter Farr. In addition, valuable ongoing support is received annually from the Malka Foundation.
Important new awards made possible in recent years by donations were the Malcolm Evans Debating Scholarship (courtesy of the Rotary Club of Northbridge), the Ross and Fran Ledger Equity Scholarship, two additional Malka Foundation Year 7 Equity Scholarships (tenure 4 years), and an additional Perth Modernian Society Year 7 Equity Scholarship (tenure 4 years). From 2025, in honour of the late Don Tyler, the Board has created an additional Don Tyler Equity Scholarship, open to students currently in Years 7, 8 or 9.
Each year, dozens of new scholarships are awarded thanks to the generosity of our extended community—alumni, families, industry partners, and philanthropic supporters. These awards are thoughtfully selected by a collaborative panel representing the school, the Sphinx Foundation, and the Perth Modernian Society.
We are deeply grateful for the enduring commitment of these organisations and individuals. Their support empowers our students to pursue excellence and seize every opportunity to grow, lead, and thrive.
Mitchell Mackay, Principal, Perth Modern School
June 2025
Other Sphinx Foundation Activities
The Sphinx Foundation also collaborates with like-minded education-focused organisations such as the Fogarty, Mannkal, Malka and McCusker Charitable Foundations. These partnerships funded initiatives in 2024, including leadership programs, and the successful participation of a student team at NASA’s ISSDC Global Space Design Challenge, Florida USA. The total support from the various foundations for this venture was $25,000 which greatly assisted the team to attend the competition. The team came home having placed overall runners up, as well as winning an individual award for one of the members of the PMS team.
Each year a group of PMS students from Years 9/10/11 participate in the Future Founders and Future Leaders Development Programs delivered at PMS by BLOOM, a Centre of Youth Innovation which operates from St Catherine’s College, UWA. The annual program is funded by the Sphinx Scholarship Fund using a major donation from the Malka Foundation. The activities conducted by BLOOM have become an annual event and in 2025, 28 Future Leaders, and 29 Future Founders from Years 9/10 participated. Notably, 5 students completed both programs.
This was a wonderful opportunity to learn more about leadership and to meet people who use these skills in real life was really inspiring.
Future Leaders Student, 2025.If you know that you want to be an entrepreneur, and want your own income, please – do Bloom [Future Founders]. You will learn skills that are taught nowhere else.
Future Founders Student, 2025
The Sphinx Foundation was glad to provide some funds in 2023 to support the PMS Year 10 DaVinci Decathlon team (8 students) in the first appearance of a PMS team in that event. This was supplemented by a donation from a philanthropist via the Foundation. The PMS team won the WA State title, and they went on to win the National Year 10 title. The Sphinx Foundation Board congratulated the team not only on the win, but their initiative in deciding to enter, their hard work in preparing as well as organisation of the necessary fundraising.
In summary, the Sphinx Scholarship Fund offers benefits to the school, its students and the wider community, in the following ways:
- Financial Support: The fund provides scholarships that help alleviate the financial burden on students and their families, enabling them to access quality education and resources that might otherwise be unaffordable.
- Academic Excellence: By supporting high-achieving students, the fund encourages and rewards academic excellence, fostering a culture of achievement and intellectual growth within the school.
- Extracurricular Opportunities: Scholarships may also cover costs associated with extracurricular activities, allowing students to explore and develop their talents beyond the classroom.
- Resource Enhancement: The fund can contribute to the improvement of school facilities, purchase of educational materials, and implementation of innovative programs, thereby enhancing the overall learning environment.
- Community Engagement: The Sphinx Scholarship Fund often involves alumni and community members, strengthening ties between the school and its broader community. This engagement can lead to mentorship opportunities, networking, and additional support for students.
- Recognition and Motivation: Receiving a scholarship can be a significant morale booster for students, recognising their hard work and motivating them to continue striving for excellence.
- Equity and Inclusion: By providing financial assistance, the fund helps ensure that talented students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds have the opportunity to thrive at Perth Modern School, promoting equity and inclusion within the student body.
Overall, the Sphinx Scholarship Fund plays a crucial role in supporting the educational and personal development of students at Perth Modern School, while also contributing to the school’s high reputation and community involvement.
Feedback from awardees and their parents express appreciation for scholarships and bursaries:
We are deeply grateful for your generous support and kindness, which will make a significant difference to our daughter’s educational journey. This scholarship will provide her with the financial security to fully focus on her studies, enabling her to strive for excellence and work confidently towards her dream of becoming a doctor.
Excerpt from letter received January 2025.
Dear Mr Nigel Hunt and the Sphinx Foundation Board,
I would like to thank you so much for awarding me the Perth Modernian Society Scholarship for Mathematics for 2023. It will help a great deal with expenses related to the training schools for the International Maths Olympiad (AMT School of Excellence) which I attended this year in December, and will lighten the financial burden for my parents and allow me to keep pursuing mathematics competitions and training. I will be sure to use the award wisely for expenses such as travel for training or competitions in the near future.
Thank you,
Kind regards
<Student name> 15 Dec 2022
Dear Mr Nigel Hunt,
I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation in being a recipient of the Perth Modernian Society Mathematics Bursary for 2023. I am honoured and gracious to have been selected as the recipient of this bursary and hope to use the funds provided in the following years to further my academic success. I am very grateful for the support given by the Sphinx Foundation, Perth Modernian Society, their Board Members and benefactors. I am once again extremely appreciative of this valuable award.
Warm regards,
<Student name> 13 Dec 2022
For more information, please email SphinxScholarshipFund@perthmoderniansociety.org.au.
Make a Donation
All donations are tax-deductible. More donations are welcome!
Contact Us
For further information, please contact:
Vivian Wang
Hon. Treasurer, Sphinx Foundation Inc.
Tel. 0430 319 687
PO Box 1349, West Perth, WA 6872
Email: SphinxScholarshipFund@perthmoderniansociety.org.au