Ben Cowen Scholarship

About the donor

The Ben Cowen Scholarship stems from a generous gift from Matthew and Elizabeth Goldberg, in partnership with the Lumina Foundation, and a group of donors including Cowen family members, in memory of their cherished friend, brother and son, Ben Cowen. The fourth and youngest child of former Governor-General of Australia Sir Zelman Cowen (1919–2011) and Lady Anna Cowen AM (1925–2022), Ben was a successful entrepreneur – co-founding the outdoor and camping store Anaconda among other business achievements. He was also an adventurer, intrepid traveller, leader in the Jewish community and proud graduate of the University of Melbourne. Ben worked hard to succeed on his own terms and to understand the challenges faced by people less fortunate than himself. The Ben Cowen Scholarship is founded in this spirit.

After Ben died tragically in 2017, leaving behind his wife and three children, the Goldbergs established this scholarship to honour and extend Ben’s legacy. Fostering Ben’s deep interest in cross-cultural exchange, the Ben Cowen Scholarship supports recent immigrants to Australia access a world-class Humanities education. Believing that nations like Australia benefit greatly from both their immigrant populations and a high-quality Humanities education, the Goldbergs and Cowen donor community are committed to supporting students, who may face obstacles beyond their control, across the entirety of their Bachelor of Arts degree.

Ben is remembered as a true friend and devoted family man, for his persistence, resilience, zest for life, optimism and kindness, especially to strangers. As Ben’s twin daughters Alex and Charley have said “he doesn’t have to be present to continue making a difference.”