The Minister for Education, Julia Gillard has presented the winners and runners-up of the 2009 Simpson Prize with their prizes at a ceremony in Canberra today. Minister Gillard and the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Alan Griffin congratulates all of today’s award recipients who were selected from each State and Territory, as well as the many students that submitted an entry. The entries were a powerful reminder of this country’s enduring Anzac spirit, and how in times of trouble, crisis or disaster, Australians pull together and can demonstrate enormous courage, compassion and resilience.

This year, over 580 Year 9 and 10 students submitted an essay or audio-visual presentation which looked at why Australians continue to commemorate the events of World War I given its devastating impact at home and abroad. Eight talented young students will attend commemorative ANZAC Day services at Gallipoli as part of their award. The Simpson Prize winners and runners-up each received a medallion to celebrate their achievements and took part in a special two-day Canberra study program, including visits to Parliament House, the Australian War Memorial and the National Museum of Australia.

This popular national competition, now in its eleventh-year, honours John Simpson Kirkpatrick – ‘the man with the donkey’, famous for his bravery under fire while rescuing soldiers at Gallipoli in 1915. The Government provided funding of $179 750 for the 2009 Simpson Prize. All Australian students should have the opportunity to study history because history is not just a study of the past; it helps us understand the present. The Rudd Government is working cooperatively with the States and Territories through to implement a rigorous, content based national history curriculum for all Australian students from Kindergarten to Year 12.

State School Winner
New South Wales Sydney Girls’ High School, Surry Hills Lauren Tang
Victoria Camberwell Girls’ Grammar School, Canterbury Eleanor Lourey
Queensland Ipswich Girls’ Grammar School, East Ipswich Megan Provatt
Western Australia Shenton College, Shenton Park Nicholas Dyer
South Australia Wilderness School, Medindie Johanna Stott-Williams
Tasmania The Friends’ School, North Hobart Madeleine Foote
Northern Territory Darwin High School, Darwin Erin Moriarty
Australian Capital Territory Marist College, Pearce Varun Sundar

RUNNERS-UP:

State School Runner-up
New South Wales Woolooware High School, Woolooware Marcus Harris
Victoria Beechworth Secondary College, Beechworth Tiarna Borleis
Queensland St Augustine’s College, Cairns Daniel d’Hotman
Western Australia Shenton College, Shenton Park Christine Hartley
South Australia Prince Alfred College, Kent Town Duncan Soang
Tasmania St Michael’s Collegiate, Hobart Emily Gayton
Northern Territory Darwin High School, Darwin Samuel van den Niewenhof
Australian Capital Territory Canberra Girls’ Grammar School, Deakin Sarah Dobbie

TEACHER CHAPERONES:

State School Selected teacher
Victoria Marian College, Ararat Sharon Mann
Western Australia Woodvale Senior High School, Woodvale Peter Sharrett