Premier’s Spirit of Anzac Prize – 2026 student competition

Applications for the Premier's Spirit of Anzac Prize are closed.

The Prize offers young Victorians the opportunity to:

explore Australia's wartime and peacekeeping history
join a fully funded study tour to significant war heritage sites in Türkiye
connect with veterans and the ex-service community
understand and remember the contribution of Victorian service people.

The Premier’s Spirit of Anzac Prize Study Tour

The Premier’s Spirit of Anzac Prize 2026 was awarded to 12 students.

These students will participate in a fully funded study tour to Vietnam. The Department of Families, Fairness and Housing covers all costs associated with:

accommodation
transport
insurance
activities
meals.

Premier’s Spirit of Anzac Prize study tours aim to connect young Victorians with the legend and spirit of Anzac, which symbolises the courage and sacrifice of Australian service people.

Study tour experiences also broaden students’ education and personal outlook.

On the study tour students can:

deepen their understanding of Australian and world history
learn from experts
visit sites of historical and cultural significance
meet a diverse group of Victorian students
immerse themselves in another country’s rich culture and history
form meaningful connections
gain new perspectives
build their independence, collaboration and leadership skills
have fun
make memories to last a lifetime.

In August 2026, 12 students were awarded the Prize. They will embark on a trip to Vietnam to deepen their understanding of Australian history, learning firsthand about the impacts of the Vietnam War.
- Amethyst May, Mount Clear College
- Bilyana Holloway, Loreto College
- Charles Anderson, Bellarine Secondary College
- Ebony Peet, Lilydale High School
- Mitch Pole, Girton Grammar School
- Nora Qerimi, Springside West Secondary College
- Peter Everingham, Cobram Anglican Grammar School
- Sam Heffernan, Preston High School
- Shaileshwar Suresh, Nossal High School
- Taihan Rahman, Melbourne High School
- Trang Nguyen, Buckley Park College
- Willow Hook-Nicol, Salesian College.

You must submit your application online via the Grants Gateway portal.
To complete an application form, register or login to the Grants Gateway.
Key dates and timelines
Applications open: 2 March, 2026.
- Read the competition guidelines.
- Access our online resources.
- Contact us if you have any questions.
- Email the Spirit of Anzac Prize soap@dffh.vic.gov.au
Submitting your applications: 2 March to 11 May 2026
- To complete an application, register or login to the online Grants Gateway
- You can save your application as a draft. Write down your login details so you can resume your application.
- Make sure the 2 required forms are completed and signed.
- Finalise your application with all responses, upload required forms and submit the application by the due date and time.
- You will receive acknowledgement of submission via email.
- Note the application number for reference when contacting us about your application.
Applications close: 5:00 pm 11 May 2026
- Late or incomplete applications are not considered.
- Applications are assessed within 2 months of the closing date.
- You are notified about the outcome of your application.
Students living in Victoria can apply who:
- are between 14 and 18 years of age
- are enrolled in Year 9, 10, 11 or 12, (or a home school student registered with the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority), at the time of application and at the time of travel
- have permission from their parent/carer to apply
- have not previously been awarded the Premier’s Spirit of Anzac Prize.
To be eligible to enter the competition, you must attach the following required forms to your application:

Premier's Spirit of Anzac Prize 2026 parent carer consent form
Word 112.85 KB

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- completed and signed by your parent or carer
Premier's Spirit of Anzac Prize 2026 student school declaration form
Word 114.23 KB

(opens in a new window)
- completed and signed by a representative from your school.
The Victorian Government embraces diversity and difference and actively encourages applications from:
- First Nations people
- people living with disability
- LGBTIQA+ people
- people from all parts of metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria
- people from varied cultural backgrounds and faiths.
To enter the Premier’s Spirit of Anzac Prize competition, you must include with your application:
- responses to the submission questions (found in the guidelines)
- signed Premier's Spirit of Anzac Prize 2026 Parent/carer declaration consent form.
- signed Premier's Spirit of Anzac Prize 2026 School representative statement and declaration form (from your year level coordinator, head of house, or homeroom teacher)
When we are reviewing applications, we may contact your nominated teacher representative to pose them additional questions regarding your interest in history, your ability to engage with others and your personal conduct.

How we assess applications

We will:

first check for eligibility and that all the correct files and forms are attached
then assess your submission against the submission assessment criteria in the table below.

Submission assessment criteria

The total submission is scored out of 100. Each response is weighted differently, see the weighting under the score column.

You may receive extra points based on your personal background (see Diversity and equity criteria).

Criterion	Assessment criteria	Score
1. Who are you? Tell us about yourself. Maximum of 200 words	Your response should show: you are actively engaged in your school and community you demonstrate teamwork and good personal skills any personal connections to wartime or peacekeeping experiences.	Score out of 10 The response aligns to the assessment criteria: to a strong extent: 15 to 20 to a reasonable extent: 12–15 to a moderate extent: 8–11 to a basic extent: 2–7.
2. How do you connect to the Anzac values of endurance, courage, ingenuity, and mateship in your own life? Maximum of 200 words	Your response should show: understanding and alignment with the Anzac values proactive enactment of the values with relevant examples	Score out of 30 The response aligns to the assessment criteria: to a strong extent: 15–20 to a reasonable extent: 12–15 to a moderate extent: 8–11 to a basic extent: 2–7.
3. Tell us about your interest in the Gallipoli campaign and Australian veterans Maximum of 200 words	Your response should show: any school or personal studies related to Australian wartime and peacekeeping history a proactive approach to learning about Australian wartime and peacekeeping history.	Score out of 30 The response aligns to the assessment criteria: to a strong extent: 15–20 to a reasonable extent: 12–15 to a moderate extent: 8–11 to a basic extent: 2–7.
4. What would it mean for you to be selected for the study tour? Maximum of 200 words	Your response should show: the importance of this study tour to you what it would mean to travel to significant Gallipoli sites in Türkiye.	Score out of 20 The response aligns to the assessment criteria: to a strong extent: 15–20 to a reasonable extent: 12–15 to a moderate extent: 8–11 to a basic extent: 2–7.
5. How would you be an ambassador for the Premier’s Spirit of Anzac Prize? Maximum of 200 words	Your response should show a proactive approach to promoting the Prize and sharing your experiences with your school, and wider community a clear plan on how the applicant would be a Prize ambassador.	Score out of 10 The response aligns to the assessment criteria: to a strong extent: 15–20 to a reasonable extent: 12–15 to a moderate extent: 8–11 to a basic extent: 2–7.

Criterion

Assessment criteria

Score

1. Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Maximum of 200 words

Your response should show:

you are actively engaged in your school and community
you demonstrate teamwork and good personal skills
any personal connections to wartime or peacekeeping experiences.

Score out of 10

The response aligns to the assessment criteria:

to a strong extent: 15 to 20
to a reasonable extent: 12–15
to a moderate extent: 8–11
to a basic extent: 2–7.

2. How do you connect to the Anzac values of endurance, courage, ingenuity, and mateship in your own life?

Maximum of 200 words

Your response should show:

understanding and alignment with the Anzac values
proactive enactment of the values with relevant examples

Score out of 30

The response aligns to the assessment criteria:

to a strong extent: 15–20
to a reasonable extent: 12–15
to a moderate extent: 8–11
to a basic extent: 2–7.

3. Tell us about your interest in the Gallipoli campaign and Australian veterans

Maximum of 200 words

Your response should show:

any school or personal studies related to Australian wartime and peacekeeping history
a proactive approach to learning about Australian wartime and peacekeeping history.

Score out of 30

The response aligns to the assessment criteria:

to a strong extent: 15–20
to a reasonable extent: 12–15
to a moderate extent: 8–11
to a basic extent: 2–7.

4. What would it mean for you to be selected for the study tour?

Maximum of 200 words

Your response should show:

the importance of this study tour to you
what it would mean to travel to significant Gallipoli sites in Türkiye.

Score out of 20

The response aligns to the assessment criteria:

to a strong extent: 15–20
to a reasonable extent: 12–15
to a moderate extent: 8–11
to a basic extent: 2–7.

5. How would you be an ambassador for the Premier’s Spirit of Anzac Prize?

Maximum of 200 words

Your response should show

a proactive approach to promoting the Prize and sharing your experiences with your school, and wider community
a clear plan on how the applicant would be a Prize ambassador.

Score out of 10

The response aligns to the assessment criteria:

to a strong extent: 15–20
to a reasonable extent: 12–15
to a moderate extent: 8–11
to a basic extent: 2–7.

Diversity and equity criteria (extra points)

All Victorian students must have equal access to educational opportunities like the Premier’s Spirit of Anzac Prize.

We recognise that students may face extra barriers to participating and succeeding in educational prizes due to their background, personal circumstances or location.

The Premier’s Spirit of Anzac Prize competition application includes diversity and equity criteria to raise participation outcomes within the following student groups in Victoria:

students from low socio-economic areas
students from families in financial need
First Nations students
students who live in rural, regional or remote areas.

Other criteria

Socio-economic equity criteria

Applicants living in the most disadvantaged suburbs may receive up to 10 additional points. The points are scaled, so that applicants living in the most advantaged suburbs receive no additional points.
We calculate the extra scoring by using the applicants’ street address to compare with the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Social Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA). This ranks suburbs according to their relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage using Census data.

Applicants who identify as being in financial need on the application form may receive an additional 10 points, regardless of where they live.
We define students being in financial need if:
- they have a parent/parents or carer/carers receiving a Centrelink income support payment
- are themselves receiving the Youth Allowance.
Financial help is available on request for students who need support to attend the funded study tour. For example, to buy:
- a passport
- suitable clothing
- footwear
- luggage

First Nations equity criterion

Applicants who are: First Nations, Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander may receive an additional 5 points.

All applicants will receive written notification of the outcome of their application approximately mid-year.
If you are successful, we will tell you about next steps for receiving your award and taking part in the study tour.
We may publish details about your submission on Premier's Spirit of Anzac Prize, including your:
- name
- school
- entry.
If you are unsuccessful, you can ask us for feedback about your application.

Contact us

To learn more about the competition or for help with your application, contact us via:

Email the Spirit of Anzac Prize team at soap@dffh.vic.gov.au. You can provide a phone number and the best time for us to call you (during business hours).
If you need an interpreter, please email us your preferred language.

Supporting documents

Premier's Spirit of Anzac Prize 2026 student application guidelines

Word 318.77 KB

Premier's Spirit of Anzac Prize 2026 student school declaration form

Word 114.23 KB

Premier's Spirit of Anzac Prize 2026 parent carer consent form

Word 112.85 KB

Premier's Spirit of Anzac Prize 2026: How to use the Grants Gateway

PPT 2.05 MB

How to Register for the Grants Gateway (accessible)

Word 326.16 KB

Resources

The following resources and ideas will help you research Australian wartime history and connect with the spirit of Anzac:
- go and see the Shrine of Remembrance or your local memorial
- find a location in your community and connect with veterans RSL Victoria
- visit local history websites:
  - local historical society
  - Royal History Society of Victoria
  - visit your local library or the State Library Victoria
Other resources
- Shrine of Remembrance
  - Find resources for the Shrine of Remembrance’s history and significance and the building of the Shrine, including:
    Shrine Construction Workers (Peter Luby, Remembrance 2021)
    Restoring the Light Towers (Peter Harris, Remembrance November 2020-21)
    Restoring Shrine Memories (Toby Miller, Remembrance 2022)
    The Ray of Light (Peter Harris, Remembrance November 2020-21)
    Scates, B. C. (2009). A Place to Remember: A History of the Shrine of Remembrance. Cambridge University Press.
    Australian War Memorial
- Find resources for Australian military history research:
  - Australian War Memorial Places of pride
- Find an interactive and searchable map that includes every war memorial across the country:
  - Australian War Memorial Indigenous defence service
- Find information on Indigence defence service:
  - Australia’s involvement in war campaigns and personal stories
- Discover Australian war history:
  - Australian Family Historian
  - You can:
    do a memorial search and see if someone from your family is recognised on a memorial
    find information on Victorian memorials.
- Anzac Portal
  - Find:
    resources on the history of Australian military service
    information on how to research military history
- Virtual War Memorial Australia
  - Find information on:
    Australian soldiers
    memorials
    Military
- National Library Australia
  - Find information and material, including:
    images, diaries and letters in the Trove
- National Film and Sound Archive
  - Find curated collections on Australian military history during the World War One:
    popular music
    Anzac Day marches
    History Teachers Association of Victoria war history projects
- Find classroom projects.
  - Premier's Spirit of Anzac Prize – teachers hub

Updated 13 August 2026

Premier’s Spirit of Anzac Prize – 2026 student competition

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