2023 Simpson Prize Competition
Posted on April 14, 2023
The Simpson Prize is a national essay competition open to all Years 9 and 10 students in Australia, that focuses on the service of Australians in World War I. This year’s competition question was ‘How significant was Australia’s contribution to the Allied military victory on the Western Front in 1918?’
The Simpson Prize requires entrants to respond to the question above using both the Simpson Prize Australian War Memorial Source Selection (which can be found at https://www.awm.gov.au/learn/schools/simpson2023) and their own research. Entrants are encouraged to discuss and respond to the question from a variety of perspectives, both individual and national using a variety of sources. Entrants are expected to make effective use of a minimum of four of the sources provided (see link above). Up to half of your response should also make use of information drawn from your own knowledge and research.
We were delighted that Sam Castle and Isabel Adams were selected by the judging panel as Winner and Runner-up, consecutively, of the 2023 Simpson Prize Competition for Tasmania. Sam and Isabel attended the award ceremony in Canberra in March 2023 where they (and every winner and runner-up from each state and territory) were recognised for their achievements. The three-day program was very successful. Sam and Isabel were wonderful representatives for The Friends’ School, and they very much enjoyed and were inspired by all the people they met and the program activities they experienced. Highlights included the visit to Government House to meet Their Excellencies, The Governor-General and Mrs Hurley; the Simpson Prize Awards Ceremony at Parliament House officiated by The Hon Jason Clare MP, Minister for Education; and the Last Post Ceremony at the Australian War Memorial.
Sam is participating in a commemorative study tour of Singapore in the Term 1 school holidays as a representative of the Simpson Prize and will be there for Anzac Day. This is a tremendous opportunity to learn first-hand about Singapore’s role in Australia’s wartime history.
You can read Sam’s essay here and read Isabel’s essay here.
The Education Ministers’ Media Release, including the 2023 Simpson Prize Results, can be found here.
