Jack Baxter Middleton Memorial Scholarship

Application dates

Applications open

23 October 2023

Applications close

13 March 2024

What you'll receive

You’ll receive a scholarship valued at $10,000. The scholarship will be paid as a stipend in four instalments of $2,500 per semester for up to two years, following confirmation of your enrolment after the census date of each semester, commencing Semester 1, 2024.

You must also maintain a minimum GPA of at least 5.5 to continue to receive the stipend.

Eligibility

How to apply

You need to complete and submit the online application form by Wednesday, 13 March 2024.

Your application should include the following attachments:

• your academic record from the HiQ website
• your resume
• a written statement evidencing your demonstrated leadership skills and qualities and demonstrated interest and aspirations in electrical engineering as a chosen profession.

What happens next?

Assessment will be based on a combination of academic achievement, demonstrated leadership skills and qualities, and demonstrated interest and aspirations in electrical engineering as a chosen profession.

Shortlisted applicants will be interviewed in 2024.

The successful applicant will be notified in 2024 and will be required to:

• attend a small awards ceremony with the representatives of the Middleton family at a future date
• provide a letter of thanks to the representatives of the Middleton family
• participate in an online news story about the scholarship
• provide an annual update letter for the Middleton family documenting progress made through your degree.

Conditions

Terms and conditions for Jack Baxter Middleton Memorial Scholarship (PDF file; 208.6 KB)

About the scholarship

Jack Baxter Middleton MBE was a distinguished leader of the electrical contracting industry in Australia.

By the time he retired in 1984, Jack and his father had, between them, provided more than 70 years of devoted service to the electrical trades.

In 1940 Jack commenced his five-year apprenticeship with Norman Bell & Co (later part of GEC and subsequently, O’Donnell Griffin) – at the time Jack’s father was an electrician with Hornibrooks.

In July 1945, Jack started his own business from ‘under the house’, and in 1946 he formed a partnership with Lionel Kennedy, who he had met whilst they were both completing their apprenticeships. The partnership between Jack and Lionel created one of the great names in the history of electrical contracting in Queensland – Kennedy and Middleton. Over 30 years the company grew to be a substantial force in Queensland’s electrical contracting industry.

Kennedy and Middleton transformed into a publicly listed company in 1977, trading on the Australian Stock Exchange as Kennedy and Middleton Industries Limited.

A 1979 merger with Barker and Taylor created Kennedy Taylor, a national contractor with multiple branches and manufacturing facilities in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. The company was a substantial employer and trainer of apprentices.

Jack retired from Kennedy Taylor in 1984 and, at a testimonial dinner arranged for him at the Brisbane Club in July of that year, he was honoured by his colleagues and peers for his lifelong contributions to the electrical trades industry. In the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 1986, Jack was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his contribution to the electrical contracting industry.

Jack died in November 2013. At the event organised by Jack’s family to celebrate his life, a long retired electrician who Jack had nurtured as a young apprentice more than 50 years before, was heard to say, “Jack was a great mentor during my time as an apprentice, and he was the best boss I ever had”.

Jack had a strong commitment to education and the best possible training to the highest level available for the industry. The family of Jack Baxter Middleton MBE has established this scholarship in his name with QUT to honour his memory and his lifelong commitment to education and training, and to foster the education of future leaders of industries related to electrical engineering.

QUT was delighted to welcome Jack’s wife, Mrs Phyllis Middleton, to officially present the first three scholarships in her husband’s name to Somayeh Hussaini, David Mason, and Gilbert Wegener (2017-2019). Three months after presenting the 2019 scholarship to Gilbert, Phyllis sadly passed away on 29 July. Her memory will be honoured, along with Jack’s, through the future presentations of the Jack Baxter Middleton Scholarship.