17 August 2026
Australian National University (ANU) scholar and Burgmann College resident, Ms Khuslen Batmandakh is the 145th C.A.S. Hawker Scholar. The announcement of the 2026 recipient was made on the 12th of August 2026 by Senator McLachlan at Parliament House in Canberra.
Since the first scholarships were awarded 36 years ago, more than $7 million has been invested by the Trustees in the education of young Australians, students who represent the values embodied by C.A.S. Hawker and who aspire to emulate his leadership and commitment to Australia’s future.
Khuslen Batmandakh is an outstanding young student with a proud Mongolian heritage, who graduated from Merewether High School in Broadmeadow last year.
The 2026 C.A.S. Hawker Scholarship is the latest in a long list of awards presented to Khuslen. She was named the 2025 Newcastle Young Citizen of the Year, received the Order of Australia Association NSW Youth Community Service Award and is the State Champion of the Leo of the Year competition for her contributions to the community.
“I am well aware of the quality, character and record of C.A.S. Hawker, the history of the scholarship and the legacy it is establishing in Australia. It’s a delight to present the 2026 scholarship to a candidate as worthy as Khuslen,” Senator Andrew McLachlan said.
“Our college is honoured to have a long history of C.A.S. Hawker scholars in residence at Burgmann and we are delighted to welcome Khuslen to the Burgmann / Hawker alumni. The opportunity this residential scholarship provides for students to attend ANU and reside on campus is potentially life changing,” Burgmann College Principal Dr. Brenda Holt said.
Current Secretary to the C.A.S. Hawker Scholarship Trustees Marc Allgrove was an inaugural scholarship recipient in 1990. “Collegiate life has developed a strong foundation for Hawker Scholars, and many have made significant contributions to Australian society,” Marc Allgrove said.
“I hope to honour the legacy of C.A.S. Hawker by contributing to Australian public life with integrity, service and a commitment to strengthening democratic institutions. I am determined to use my education and unique background and experiences to serve my community and country with the same dedication that defined Mr. Hawker’s life,’ 2026 Scholar Khuslen Batmandakh said.
The 2027 C.A.S. Hawker Scholarships, valued at up to $75,000 over three years open in October. Online applications, scholar biographies and the remarkable story of Charles Allan Seymour Hawker are available on the scholarship website www.hawkerscholarship.org
2027 SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS OPEN – 9am Monday 2nd November 2026
For more Information and presentation photographs please contact:
Marc Allgrove
Secretary to the Trustees
hawker@hawkerscholarship.org
M: 0448 671 815