Father James Wall Bursary
Established in 2003, the CDF Father James Wall Bursary honours Father James ‘Jim’ Wall, the founder of the Catholic Development Fund. This bursary acknowledges Year 10 Catholic secondary school students who mirror Father Wall's dedication to a better future, in their daily pursuits.
About the award
Empowering future leaders
Each year the Bursary is awarded to Year 10 Catholic secondary school students who have demonstrated leadership potential in a range of areas including academia, arts, sporting activities, community service and social justice activities.
The successful students are each awarded a $5,000 Bursary through the generous support of CDF in conjunction with Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools, Diocese of Sale Catholic Education Ltd and Catholic Education WA Bunbury Diocese.
The Bursary assists with school fees and expenses incurred by the recipients while undertaking Year 11 and 12 in a Catholic secondary school.
A total of 7 Bursaries will be awarded, with 4 allocated to the Archdiocese of Melbourne , 1 for the Diocese of Sale, 1 for the Diocese of Bunbury and 1 for the Diocese of Ballarat.
Application criteria
Choosing an applicant
Applications for the awards are submitted to the Catholic Education Offices, where a discerning panel selects recipients based on outlined criteria, which are mirrored in the application questions.
Demonstrated strong leadership in both the school and the community, so as to make a difference.
Demonstrated leadership potential in a range of areas, and a willingness to coordinate activities.
Demonstrated a willingness to serve others at school and in the community.
2024 Recipients
Find out more
How to apply?
Applications are sent to colleges by the local Catholic Education Office. Further information about the 2025 Application dates will be shared soon.
CDPF Limited, a company established by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, has indemnified the Catholic Development Fund ABN 15 274 943 760 (the Fund) against any liability arising out of a claim by investors in the Fund. In practice, this means your investment is backed by the assets of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne. The Fund is required by law to make the following disclosure. Investment in the Fund is only intended to attract investors whose primary purpose for making their investment is to support the charitable purposes of the Fund. Investors’ funds will be used to generate a return to the Fund that will be applied to further the charitable works of the Archdiocese of Melbourne and the Dioceses of Sale, Bunbury and Ballarat. The Fund is not prudentially supervised by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority nor has it been examined or approved by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). An investor in the Fund will not receive the benefit of the financial claims scheme or the depositor protection provisions in the Banking Act 1959 (Cth). The investments that the Fund offers are not subject to the usual protections for investors under the Corporations Act (Cth) or regulation by ASIC. Investors may be unable to get some or all of their money back when the investor expects or at all and investments in the Fund are not comparable to investments with banks, finance companies or fund managers. The Fund’s identification statement may be viewed at here or by contacting the Fund. The Fund does not hold an Australian Financial Services Licence.
