New scholarship honours Kiwi farming leader
The memory of one of New Zealand's modern farming leaders has been honoured today with the establishment of the John H Aspinall Scholarship to support study into public access to the outdoors and New Zealand's farming heritage.
The annual $5,000 scholarship has been made possible through a partnership between the Aspinall family and the New Zealand Walking Access Commission (NZWAC). It is named after the late John (Henry) Aspinall – a highly respected South Island farming leader who passed away in 2011 at the age of 60.
NZWAC Chairman John Forbes said the scholarship celebrated Mr Aspinall's enthusiasm for farming, the land, and access of the outdoors as part of the New Zealand way of life. It also supported the idea of 'linking New Zealand', which Mr Aspinall strongly supported.
“John was passionate about making sure other New Zealanders had the same opportunities to enjoy the Kiwi way of life as he did. It is our hope that this scholarship will provide a chance for a student to study a topic that will contribute to greater understanding of the benefits of improved relationships between urban and rural New Zealand.â€