Mary Allen became a client of Gridiger Lawyers when her only son died. Following the death of her husband she devoted herself to supporting the community. Mary had watched Roland Gridiger OAM develop the Marianne Mathy Scholarship, which became the foundation of the Australian Singing Competition, a competition for young opera and classical singers. As a philanthropist Mary Allen became a prize giver of The Australian Singing Competition. She introduced Roland to her sister Betty Evans. Betty bequeathed funds to establish a prize for a cellist and following Betty’s death Mary also decided to support the prize for a cellist. With the help of cellist and educator John Painter AM rules for the awarding of the Allen-Evans Scholarship were established. The Music & Opera Singers Trust Ltd. (MOST®) then further developed the Allen-Evans Scholarship as a competition for young Australian and New Zealand cellists, leading to the establishment of the Australian Cello Awards.