Our Patron and Founder

Sir Zelman Cowen, Patron

The late Sir Zelman Cowen, A.K., G.C.M.G., K.St.J., Q.C. (1919-2011) demonstrated significant support for the Fund, acting as its patron.

The Fund was established in 1978 by Sydney businessman John Hammond. It was named in honour of Sir Zelman Cowen’s appointment as the 19th Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia in the previous year.

The work of the Sir Zelman Cowen Universities Fund has been and continues to be based on the vision of these two men.

Sir Zelman Cowen served as a Trustee until 1997 when he took on the role of Patron of the Fund. Sir Zelman Cowen always showed an active interest in our work, supporting us with warmth and generosity.

Sir Zelman Cowen’s efforts ensured the Fund’s longevity long after the passing of its founder, John Hammond.

Sadly, Sir Zelman Cowen passed away in 2011 on the 34th anniversary of his swearing in as Governor-General.

Mr John Hammond, Founder

Our founder, Mr John Hammond, arrived in Australia in 1939 from his native Hungary. He was an outstanding entrepreneur and prominent Sydney businessman. Together with his brother, Mr Hammond established a successful leather goods business before moving into retail and property investment.

Mr Hammond believed wealth should be used to help the community, and in 1978 he established the Sir Zelman Cowen Universities Fund to raise money for medical and scientific research. He regarded foundational research to be at the core of understanding diseases and believed it was vital to combat diseases with unknown causes or a lack of clearly established or curable treatments.

In establishing the Fund, Mr Hammond was also instrumental in laying the foundation for cooperative work and collaboration between the University of Sydney and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In recognition of his tireless fundraising efforts, Mr Hammond was presented with an Honorary Fellowship by the Hebrew University in 1981, and an Honorary Doctorate in 1991. He was made an Honorary Fellow of the University of Sydney in 1993 and was appointed Honorary Life President of the NSW Friends of the Hebrew University in 1980 in honour of his work for that organisation.

Mr Hammond remained as a Trustee of the Sir Zelman Cowen Universities Fund until shortly before his death in 1997. He was also a generous benefactor of the Fund. 

Today the work of the Zelman Cowen Academic Initiatives continues with the same purpose that Mr Hammond set and it is an ongoing memorial to the man who inspired and adamantly promoted it.