Nagle College student Hannah Martin will soon visit culturally significant war sites in Vietnam and Singapore as part of an overseas study tour, having been recognised as a Spirit of ANZAC Prize winner.
The Spirit of ANZAC Prize is a competition open to Year 9 and 10 students across Victoria, with winners receiving the opportunity to participate in study tours to sites where Australians have served in times of war and peacekeeping.
Gippsland East Nationals MP and Shadow Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Tim Bull, was on hand at a special ceremony in Melbourne recently to congratulate the Year 11 student – one of only 22 from across the state – on her successful submission.
“There aren’t many people who get the chance to travel overseas to further their knowledge in Australia’s war history, so this really is an opportunity of a lifetime for Hannah, especially at just 16 years of age,” Mr Bull said.
As part of her submission, Hannah wrote a poem about her “Pop Bailey”, who she never met but heard her father speak of his time in World War II.
“I have always found poems to convey emotions and personal experiences while also relaying stories and historical information. Further, I connect well with poetry and find it an intimate way to convey hard facts,” Hannah said in her statement of intention.
“Researching for and writing this poem has taught me much about the experiences and perspectives of Australians during the war. I cannot even fathom how these people held strong and kept battling in the harshest of conditions.”
Mr Bull said Nagle College has had a number of successful applicants over recent years, with students travelling to Gallipoli and the Western Front to help commemorate 100 years of the ANZAC legacy.
The Prize is open to students in Years 9 and 10 currently enrolled in all Victorian Government, Catholic and Independent Schools. As part of the program, 20 regional finalists will also visit Canberra and be invited to attend the Premier's ANZAC Day Luncheon.
Caption: Gippsland East Nationals MP and Shadow Minister for Veterans Affairs, Tim Bull congratulates Nagle College’s Hannah Martin on her prize winning entry alongside Minister Robin Scott.
Monday, February 25, 2019
