Each year, Queensland History teachers are invited to submit the name of one student from their Year 11 or 12 Ancient History or Modern History classes to attend the Young Historians’ Workshop to be held at the State Library of Queensland.

Only ten students are chosen and, of these, preference is given to two students from rural or remote areas who meet the criteria. These two students have travel costs supplemented to the value of $600 each and are billeted in Brisbane.

The State Library staff works with those students lucky enough to be chosen to investigate a historical issue of their choice in order to refine their research skills.

The students selected each year have demonstrated the following qualities:

• currently achieving an “A” Grade in assessment
• already demonstrated high level research skills
• clearly indicated an interest in continuing history studies in the future
• is capable of sharing experiences of the two day workshop with fellow students and others 

QHTA thanks the State Library Queensland for hosting this year's successful Young Historians' Workshop and congratulates the students selected for this event.

Below are some sample answers to the program evaluation question ‘What will you share with your teachers and fellow students when you return to school?’

I will tell them about the vast resources that are accessible at the library. I’ll recommend all students to take advantage of the databases and the catalogue for their research.

I will recommend very highly the use on online databases, the free Internet and meeting places and most certainly the online books.

I will encourage them to visit the library as the staff are very friendly and show you how to use sources other than those on the internet or in books.

I will mention the history sites on Twitter and FLickr – photo sharing – which we can use for our research journals.

Enormous variety of resources available especially on Qld history.

The Australian History Competition is prepared by the History Teachers’ Association of Australia and run in conjunction with The Giant Classroom. While a primary goal has been to provide an interesting and challenging competition for students, we also see this as an opportunity to support teachers in the implementation of the new Australian Curriculum: History. It is an opportunity to provide a quality resource that demonstrates approaches to the assessment of knowledge, skills and understandings and promotes a broad view of history.

In 2012 the Year 10 Competition ran for the second time and the Year 8 Competition ran for the first time.

·       See News for a list of students who gained the highest mark in each state or territory

·       See 2012 Evaluation for an evaluation of the 2012 competition

·       See Sample Questions for a selection of questions from the 2011 competition.

In 2013 the competition will be offered at two levels:

·       A Year 10 competition will be broadly based on the Australian Curriculum: History for years 9&10

·       A Year 8 competition will be broadly based on the Australian Curriculum: History for years 7&8

Each competition will present 50 multiple choice questions. The questions will focus on key elements of the Australian Curriculum: History – sound historical knowledge, historical skills and historical understandings. While directed towards students who have studied history, they may be suitable for students who have studied subjects that incorporate a strong history component.

Both competitions will run on Wednesday 29 May 2013.

The History Teachers' Association of Australia (HTAA), together with HTAA State affiliates, conducts this competition for Year 9 and 10 students on behalf of the Australian Government. The focus of the competition is the Australian ANZAC tradition and students are asked to write an essay of 1200 to 1500 words, or prepare an audio-visual presentation of not more than 15 minutes, on a given statement every year. The topic is: "What does an investigation of primary sources reveal about the Gallipoli experience and to what extent does this explain the origins of the Anzac Legend? Students should support their view with reference to at least 2 different periods of Australian history. ENTRIES CLOSED: 9 NOVEMBER 2012

The Simpson Prize is a great opportunity for Year 9 and 10 students to participate in a nationwide essay competition, giving them the chance to win an unforgettable 2 week trip to Turkey as well as a prepatory trip to Canberra.

The 2013 Queensland winner is Lauren Finnerty, Ryan Catholic College. Read the prize winning essay at http://www.simpsonprize.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/2013_SIMPSONPRIZE_Lauren-Finnerty.pdf 

The 2013 Queensland runner-up is Nicholas Fidler, St Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace

The winners from each State and Territory will travel together to Gallipoli for the Anzac Day Service in April 2013. For further details go to http://www.simpsonprize.org

*Students needed to support their view with reference to at least TWO different periods of Australian history.

ENTRIES CLOSED 9 DECEMBER 2011
More information at http://www.simpsonprize.org

TOPIC
"Has the ANZAC legend changed over 95 years?".
You should support your view with reference to at least 2 different periods of history.

(Responses can be either a 900 - 1200 word essay or a 15-minute audio/visual presentation for students in Years 9 and 10)

Winners and two teachers will travel to Gallipoli for the April 2011 ANZAC Day services.

ENTRIES CLOSED: 3 DECEMBER 2010

More information at http://www.historychallenge.org.au

2011: Year 7/8 Prize - Leah Murray - Albany Creek State High. Leah's essay was titled The Mabo Case.

2011: Year 9/10 Prize - Sophie Weir - Brisbane Girls Grammar School. Sophie's essay was titled WW2 and Women.

2011: Year 11/12 Prize - Rory Parker - Albany Creek State High School. Rory's essay was titled Would God Save the Governor-General?

Australian Democracy Prize - Rory Parker - Albany Creek State High School. Rory's essay was titled Would God Save the Governor General?

'Immigrant Experience' Prize - Tom Lambert - St Joseph's Nudgee College. Tom's essay was titled Gold, Grey and Gusto.

Students in years 7 to 12 are invited to submit an essay or written response of some other appropriate genre (a report, diary entries, newspaper article, play, script etc). For the first time in 2012, students in Years 11 and 12 are also permitted to submit a digital multi-modal entry. (This topic may relate to an historical piece from ancient or modern times) The topic or question which the entry is intended to answer must be clearly stated and must be historical in the sense that it addresses an issue concerned with causes or consequences or change of continuity in human affairs in an identified time period.

The entry may relate to a topic studied during the student's history studies at school and must be the original work of the student, in that the student has not received more assistance than is usually given during the researching and writing of essays or other genres submitted for assessment within the school curriculum.

While teachers should feel free to comment on early drafts, the submitted entry must not contain any teacher’s comments, corrections or marks.

Each school may submit no more than three entries in each of Years 7-10. In Years 11 and 12 a maximum of three Ancient History essays and three Modern History essays may be submitted at each year level. Schools may also submit one Year 11 or 12 multi-modal entry for Ancient and one Year 11 or 12 multi-modal entry for Modern History. In instances where more than the permissible number of three entries in a given year level/category are submitted, only the first three removed from the envelope will be eligible.

Email Entries Due Date: Friday, 20 September 2013

Printed Entries Due Date: Wednesday, 25 September 2013

Sponsored by the Queensland Independent Education Union