John Storey

The memory of a great family and their contribution to RMIT lives on each year through scholarships and fellowships endowed in the Storey name.

John Storey Junior was a young man full of drive and energy. While studying Mechanical Engineering at RMIT, known then as the Melbourne Technical College, he helped found the Student Representative Council, acted as its first President, and lobbied for the establishment of a central library. His studies were cut short when he was diagnosed with leukaemia and died in 1947, aged just 22.

His father, industrialist Sir John Storey, died eight years later but ensured his son would not be forgotten by the students of the college. Sir John left a sizeable bequest to RMIT for the establishment of a fund for scholarships to commemorate the life of his son. Prudent management by the RMIT Foundation has seen the fund grow to more than $1 million today.

The bequest finances John Storey Junior Memorial Scholarships, which are awarded each year to 24 students travelling overseas on their first international exchanges. Funds from the bequest also go towards the John Storey Visiting Fellowship, which each year brings leading researchers from around the globe to the University.

From 2008, a new scholarship will be established in John Storey Junior’s memory to fund the fourth-year tuition fees of an outstanding student in Mechanical Engineering.

The family name is also attached to one of RMIT’s most striking buildings – Storey Hall – in tribute to John Storey Junior and Sir John. Thanks to bequests made decades ago, the legacy of a father and his son lives on at RMIT and the scholarships and fellowships in the Storey name continue to honour them.