It is named after the influential landowner William Georgetti who bequeathed his estate for the purposes of establishing a perpetual scholarship so that young New Zealanders could continue their studies.
Recipients of the award are selected annually by a panel led by the Governor General of New Zealand.
[8] William Georgetti’s family were some of the first Europeans to settle in the Whanganui area of New Zealand in the 19th century.
The family are said to have had a strong relationship with local iwi and were central to the development of the region as we know it today.
They owned Bastia Hill which was named after the town in Corsica where Augustine Georgetti was born.
Georgetti travelled all around the world with his wealth, but he never went too far from home, and ultimately settled at a farm in Hastings.
Georgetti instructed that the residue of his estate form a perpetual charitable trust for the purpose of funding scholarships.