NSW Premier Chris Minns and Minister for Veterans David Harris today announced that the 2027 Premier’s Anzac Memorial Scholarship study tour will travel to Germany, Belgium and France, and called for teacher applications to accompany students on the trip.
The announcement follows the return of the 2026 study tour which saw 18 students tour Greece and Crete.
The two-week tour included participation in commemorations, visits to museums, war memorials and significant historical and cultural sites coinciding with the 85th Anniversary of the Greece and Crete campaigns in 1941.
In 2027, three teachers will join up to 18 students from around NSW, who will be given a unique opportunity to deepen their understanding of Australia’s military service and sacrifice during the First and Second World Wars.
Key locations on the tour include the Reichstag in Berlin, the Nuremburg Rally Grounds, the Normandy D-Day landing beaches in France, as well as 1917 battlefields on the Western Front, and the Menin Gate Memorial in Belgium, which marks its centenary in 2027.
Through visits to these historically significant sites students will gain a greater appreciation of Australia’s wartime experience and reflect on the enduring legacy of those who served.
NSW teachers of Stage 5 History and/or Stage 6 Modern History are encouraged to apply for this unique professional development opportunity to enrich their understanding and teaching of Australian wartime history. The 2027 tour will take place in the Term 3 school holidays, and applications for the role of Accompanying Teachers close on 23 November 2026.
Eligible teachers can apply here https://veteransaffairs.smartygrants.com.au/PAMS2027Teachers
Student applications for those in Year 10 or 11 and studying History or Modern History in 2027 are expected to open in February 2027, and students can register their interest here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BFXMB5B
NSW Premier Chris Minns said:
“Travelling to Germany, France and Belgium in 2027 will give teachers and students a unique opportunity to commemorate the Australians who served in Europe during the Second World War.
“By visiting places of historical significance, students will deepen their understanding of the challenges, sacrifices and legacy of those who served their nation abroad.”
Minister for Veterans David Harris said:
“The Premier’s Anzac Memorial Scholarship is a unique opportunity for NSW History teachers and students to travel to these significant sites in Australia’s Military History.
“Students and teachers will travel with a military historian and hear stories of those who served and sacrificed their lives in these campaigns during the Second World War.
“I highly recommend that teachers and students take the chance to apply for this once in a lifetime opportunity ensuring the legacy of our Second World War veterans is preserved.”
2026 PAMS Accompanying Teacher, Hans Mayerhoder, from Newtown High School of the Performing Arts teacher said:
“The PAMS tour has been an extraordinary and unique teaching experience. Being in the field and experiencing history rather than simply studying it has changed the way I understand the 1941 Greece and Crete campaigns. My understanding of the campaigns, commemoration and historical investigation has developed in ways that I know I will draw on throughout my teaching career.
“There is something very special about spending two weeks surrounded by students and teachers who share such a genuine fascination with history. I had little idea what to expect before applying, but I am so glad I didn’t let that uncertainty deter me. The PAMS experience has reminded me why I love teaching history, and I would encourage any teacher with a passion for the subject to apply.”
2026 PAMS Accompanying Teacher, Emily Shanahan, from Scots All Saints College, Bathurst said:
“For a History teacher, this is incredibly valuable professional learning. I will return to my classroom with a much deeper understanding of Australia’s experience in Greece and Crete, but also with new ways of approaching historical evidence, interpretation and commemoration with students. PAMS has reminded me that some of the richest historical learning occurs when we have the opportunity to question, discuss and reconsider what we thought we knew.
“The care that goes into creating this experience is also exceptional. The program is incredibly well organised, and both teachers and scholars are supported throughout by people who are genuinely invested in their learning, wellbeing and experience. That allows you to immerse yourself completely in the opportunity: to ask questions, engage with experts, learn from the places you visit and enjoy the company of an extraordinary group of young historians.
“PAMS has been intellectually challenging, enormously enjoyable and genuinely renewing as a teacher. I will return home with new knowledge, new questions and an enormous collection of stories and experiences to take back into the classroom. I would encourage any teacher with a passion for History to apply. Opportunities for professional learning of this depth and quality are exceptionally rare.”
