The winner of our inaugural AIH Hazel King Memorial Scholarship has been chosen.
After reviewing a strong field of applicants and interviewing the finalists, one candidate stood out. Drumroll please… Evan Reid from New South Wales is the AIH 2025 Hazel King Memorial Scholarship recipient, awarded $3,000 to invest in a project close to his heart.
The grant will fund travel to Inala, the Jurassic Garden on Bruny Island, Tasmania, where Evan will collect seeds and plants for his employer, Mayfield Garden. Inala hosts a living collection of threatened endemic Tasmanian species.
“I would like to learn how climate change is affecting these plants and placing them at risk, and how conservation efforts are helping to protect these plants and their habitat,” Evan said in his scholarship application.
Evan is strongly conservation-minded, having contributed to causeway rehabilitation around his hometown of Bathurst, planting native trees and grasses to restore habitat and prevent erosion.
Currently the Senior Horticulturist of the Central Garden at Mayfield Garden in Oberon, Evan, aspires to become a head horticulturist after further study.
“I was a late bloomer in this career, but I have fallen in love with horticulture and can’t see myself in any other industry now. I also want to inspire others into this field of work,” Evan shared with us.
The judges were impressed by Evan’s clear purpose for the scholarship funds and the high praise he received from his TAFE teachers. Evan is completing a Certificate 3 in Horticulture at TAFE NSW Orange campus.
“He was a standout during his scholarship interview, showing poise, confidence and a compelling vision for horticulture in Australia and beyond,” AIH President Alan Burnell said.
“We congratulate Evan on this well-deserved achievement and look forward to following his scholarship journey,” Burnell said.
Evan will film, edit and write about his experience, providing the finished media to AIH for use across their social media, website and the AIH HortInsights Magazine.
This scholarship was made possible with the support of the Berry District Garden Club in NSW.
