The History Teachers' Association of Australia (HTAA), together with HTAA State affiliates, conduct 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 900 to 1200 words, or prepare an audio-visual presentation of not more than 15 minutes, on a given statement every year.

This year's statement is: "Why has Australian commemoration of ANZAC Day increased in popularity in recent years?"*

*You should support your view with reference to at least TWO different periods of Australian history.

ENTRIES CLOSE 9 DECEMBER 2011
Note: A maximum of 3 entries per school may be submitted

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

The National History Challenge is a research-based competition for students. It gives students a chance to be an historian, investigating their community and exploring their own past. It emphasizes and rewards quality research, the use of community resources and effective presentation.

The theme for 2011 is 'Defining Moments'. Students may produce entries in one of four formats: an individual research paper, a three-dimensional museum display, a multi-media format (audio/video/website), or a performance. Except for the individual (one person) research paper, students may work alone or in groups of up to four people.

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 8 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). This topic may relate to an historical piece from ancient or modern times. The topic or question which the piece of writing 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.

In 2010 an extra prize has been added to the QHTA Historical Writing Competition for any winning entry which is on an indigenous topic.

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 8-10. In Years 11 and 12 a maximum of three Ancient History essays and three Modern History essays may be submitted at each year level. 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.

Due Date: Friday, 16 September 2011

Sponsored by the Queensland Independent Education Union