The amount was raised by the Murulla Club through an open garden event, to support a $2 million appeal to deliver the Bruce Simpson Rural Leadership Scholarship Fund.
The event was held at the home of Mandy and Daniel Liphuyzen, with about 100 people filing in to view the ‘Lochinbar’ gardens and to take advantage of the stalls and activities.
Many of them included close friends of the Simpson family and Mr Simpson, who died in 2024 following an anaphylactic reaction at his Deniliquin property.
The donation was a combination of entry fees, raffle proceeds and sales of plants, cushions, garden art, preserves and more.
Mrs Liphuyzen said deciding to support the scholarship was easy, given “our grandchildren might use it some day”.
Muralla Club member Helen Burnham said the club decided last year to concentrate its fundraising efforts on the scholarship in 2025, in tribute to their friend and because of its aims - supporting young leaders in our communities, with the hopes they bring their new skills back home.
Mr Simpson’s family, in collaboration with the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation (ARLF), launched the scholarship fund in Deniliquin last year to honour his extraordinary contribution to rural communities.
The scholarship aims to reflect the importance of Bruce's advocacy, leadership and passion for agriculture in Australia and beyond, and ensure that this legacy of leadership and service continues into the future.
The goal is to build a $2 million plus endowment to fund the Bruce Simpson Rural Scholarship annually and in perpetuity, supporting participation in the ARLF’s flagship Australian Rural Leadership Program (ARLP).
For more information on the Bruce Simpson Rural Scholarship Fund and how to donate, visit https://donate.rural-leaders.org.au/.
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