The Bowron Foundation

Each year, the last two pages of the Society’s annual financial statements records the activity and position of the Bowron Foundation Trust Fund. While modest in activity, the Fund is significant in substance, with net funds of nearly $88,000 at the end of 2006. Of this, only accumulated funds (currently $31,500) are available for grants, but normally the various annual grants are less than the annual investment income, currently about $6,000.

To go back to the beginning, the Fund was established in 1969 by the late Fred Bowron, who is regarded as the Society’s founding figure. The “purposes” of the Fund are

  • “to advance photography in New Zealand as a graphic art,
  • to advance the interest of the public of New Zealand in photography,
  • to further the interests of the Society in achieving its objects and
  • generally to promote the advancement of photographic science and art in all its applications in New Zealand”
    • .

The Council is empowered to use the annual income for a wide range of purposes including

  • establishing bursaries…
  • acquiring collections for display…
  • subsidising overseas photographers to come to New Zealand for important gatherings…
  • subsidising new Zealand photographers to travel
  • overseas to attend gatherings of importance to the Society…
  • assisting members of Council attend special meetings of Council, and…
  • assisting financing acquisition of property for the Society.

In recent times the investment income has been primarily used to make grants to clubs that have made detailed applications for support to offset some specific costs of running Regionals and the National Convention.

Over the years, the Society has made donations to the Fund and the early ones were added to by royalties from the “Camera in New Zealand” book published in 1968. The Fund benefited significantly from the estates of Fred Bowron and Laurie Thomas. Donations and memorial legacies were actively sought and acknowledged through the NZ Camera magazine. Notable were bequests from T O’Rourke and S F Muff, and the over the past 4 years North Shore, Marlborough, Stratford, Rotorua and Ashburton clubs have made donations.

Recently implemented PSNZ policy requires the return to capital of the Society’s share of any portion of event profit directly attributable to a Bowron grant. This is to avoid any portion of Bowron grants simply ending up in the PSNZ general accounts. Policy has also refined grant availability, standardising the amounts available for Regionals and Conventions, and generally precluding grants to individuals and for equipment.

The Bowron is a wonderful resource for New Zealand photography. The Fund Trustees, Lynn Clayton, Brian Cudby, Mark Webber and John Boyd are very happy to consider grants for anything falling within the purposes set out above, but are only able to recommend grants for Council approval if they receive applications.

For further information on any aspect of policy or making an application, please in the first instance email John Boyd at vjboyd@actrix.co.nz.