The Simpson Prize is a national competition for Year 9 and 10 students across Australia who have a keen interest in Australia’s service and sacrifice in World War One. The competition which honours John Simpson Kirkpatrick ‘the man with the donkey’ at Gallipoli, invites students to share their thoughts and investigations into a set question about ANZAC history.
The 2022 Simpson Prize Competition question was ‘To what extent have the Gallipoli campaign and the Western Front overshadowed other significant aspects of Australians’ experience of the First World War? Of the 474 student entries submitted, the following eight students are the winners of the 2022 competition:
- Lucy Yang-Tobler (ACT)
- Mia Luu (NSW)
- Gabriella Francis (NT)
- William Shackel (QLD)
- Matthew Jones (SA)
- Henry Carls (TAS)
- Katrina Luu (VIC)
- Qi Qi Liu (WA)
The runners-up for the competition should also be commended for their high-quality submissions.
Entries for the 2023 Competition are now open, and this year’s question is ‘How significant was Australia’s contribution to the Allied military victory on the Western Front in 1918?’.
Historically, the prize includes a trip to Canberra for both the winners and runners-up, with the eight winners going on to experience an all-expenses paid Winners Study Tour to Gallipoli, Turkey or another appropriate key historical overseas location. Students are invited to submit their response in essay form or an audio-visual presentation. Entries close on Friday 5 November 2021 (5.30pm).
The Simpson Prize is run by the History Teachers’ Association of Australia and has been supported by the Australian Government since 1998. The new funding agreement is for $910,000 over four years (2022-23 to 2025-26). During this time the competition will celebrate its 25th anniversary with the department’s support.
