Profiles
The Founder
The genesis of the Cowled Foundation came after the death of Laurie Cowled's husband, N. K. (Ron) Macnamara in February 2005. Having no children and no close relatives, they agreed to leave their estates to charity in perpetuity.
Her focus on the education of gifted and underprivileged country girls comes from her country upbringing. There are brilliant girls in regional and regional areas whose parents cannot afford to give them higher education. Given a chance such a girl could achieve great things for herself and her country.
Born in 1929, she was a child during the Depression when her farming family struggled to make ends meet. Laurie had a satisfying banking career, starting in Cootamundra and then transferring to Sydney. After a 35 year stint she retired, married Ron Macnamara and moved to the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, where she still lives.
Ruth Cowled
Born in 1931 Mary Ruth – known as Ruth, was a very bright and artistic person. She skipped a class at the Bethungra Primary School and, on matriculating from the Cootamundra High School, obtained a scholarship to the Wagga Wagga Teachers' College. It was here that she began her interest in stage design, doing the sets for the Mikado amongst others. In 1954 Ruth and her older sister, Laurie, travelled to England aboard the "Orontes". She applied for and received a scholarship to the Bristol Old Vic Theatre to study stage design for a year. After graduation she worked at the Ipswich Repertory Company and returned home in late 1956. In March 1957 she suffered a second episode of hypertension and died. The Ruth Cowled Scholarship and Design Fund has been established in her memory.
Larteasha Smith
- Laurie Cowled Scholarship recipient -
The inaugural recipient of the Laurie Cowled Scholarship is Larteasha Smith who hails from Kempsey, located on the mid-north coast of New South Wales. Currently a second year student at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Larteasha is enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts Communication majoring in Journalism, and aims to work in the Indigenous media sector upon graduation.
A graduate of Melville High School, Larteasha participated in many school events. She was an active member of student councils, local sports teams and undertook a number of leadership camps before graduating in 2006. She was attracted to apply for entry to study Journalism at UTS due to the strong reputation of the University in the media sector and the strength of Jumbunna Indigenous House of Learning in supporting Indigenous students to complete their studies. Larteasha is currently the only Indigenous student in second or third year studying Journalism at UTS. She gained a place in the Journalism course through Jumbunna's alternative entry program and moved to Sydney by herself to undertake tertiary studies.
The Laurie Cowled Scholarship is an important opportunity for Larteasha to realise her potential in tertiary studies. She is the first person in her family to attend university, a decision that is fully supported by her Mum and family. As a student from the country, Larteasha had to adjust to city life as well as the demands of academic study. She experienced a struggle in her first year at university, having only $50- left to live on per fortnight after her rent, bills and study costs were paid. The Scholarship enables Larteasha to focus more of her energy and time on her studies; she no longer has to juggle a number of part-time jobs which has resulted in a difference to the quality of her study time and academic work.
In the short time that she's been at university, Larteasha has started making contacts and working in the media sector. During the semester break in her first year she worked as Production Assistant for Pony Films and is currently writing a cover story for an Indigenous news portal with the ABC. She aims to apply for journalism cadetships before graduating and is keen to work with programs such as Message Stick and Living Black. Jumbunna staff members describe Larteasha as a personable and dedicated young woman with a strong work ethic and desire to achieve.
Larteasha is honoured and excited to be awarded the Laurie Cowled Scholarship and hopes to give back to her community by encouraging other young Indigenous students to undertake tertiary study and realise their own potential.