Premier's Spirit of ANZAC Prize



Premier’s Spirit of Anzac Prize

For Year levels: Victorian students in Years 9, 10, 11 and 12
Topic: What does the “Anzac spirit” mean today in a diverse and multicultural Australia? To what extent can your definition be related to the events and peoples of World War One?
Competition Format: Online submission
Accepted entry modes: essay, artwork, poem, short story, audio, video, musical composition, web page.
Deadline for entries: 5pm Wednesday 6 September 2023.
Prizes: Ten prize recipients will participate in a ten day all-expenses paid international study tour to Türkiye in 2023.
Coordinating and/or Sponsoring Organisation: Office for Veterans, Department of Families, Fairness and Housing.
Special Features: Offers Victorian students the opportunity to explore Australia’s wartime and peacekeeping history and be awarded a fully funded international study tour.
Opportunities for HTAV members: Teacher supervisor positions for the study tour available
For more information: email the Premier's Spirit of Anzac Prize team at soap@dffh.vic.gov.au.
Website: https://www.vic.gov.au/premiers-spirit-anzac-prize


The Premier’s Spirit of Anzac Prize (SOAP) is an annual competition open to students enrolled in years 9 to 12.

SOAP offers young Victorians the opportunity to:

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

More than 500 students have taken part since the program started in 2005.

The Victorian Government is excited to announce that the 2023 Premier’s Spirit of Anzac Prize is NOW OPEN. This year, the Prize is a celebration of Türkiye’s Centenary of Independence and the significant ties between Australia and Türkiye.

Prize recipients will participate in an all-expenses-paid international study tour to Türkiye, retracing the experience of Australian men and women at war on the Gallipoli Peninsula and the making of the Anzac legend.

SOAP is run by the Office for Veterans, part of the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH).

Teachers who would like to chaperone the study tour are invited to email soap@dffh.vic.gov.au to register interest. All expenses will be covered for chaperones.

How to enter

To enter, students are asked to respond to a topic related to the Spirit of Anzac. Students can explore the prompt from multiple disciplines and apply in a range of formats including essay, artwork, video, audio, music, webpage or poem.

Students are encouraged to seek firsthand experiences when developing their responses.

Students must have their parent/carer's permission to participate, as well as support from their school.

Key dates

The topic and assessment criteria are NOW AVAILABLE on the SOAP website

The competition will be open for four weeks.

Winners will be notified by late October with travel expected to take place in early December 2023.

Find out more

Check the website Premier's Spirit of Anzac Prize | Victorian Government (www.vic.gov.au).

To express your interest in being a teacher chaperone, email the Spirit of Anzac Prize team at soap@dffh.vic.gov.au



Search Engines and Tips

The Shrine of Remembrance Melbourne does not hold service records. However, they do have some useful links for researching family history and war medals.


Historical Information

Culture Victoria

  • Ballarat Underground
    The story of the miners who left Ballarat to fight in the First World War.
  • Chinese Anzacs
    The Chinese Australians who fought during World War I.
  • Geelong Voices
    Remembering residents of Geelong who fought in World War I, World War II and the Vietnam War.
  • In the Face of Uncertainty
    How medical science and innovation responded to the horrific injuries sustained during World War I.
  • Villers-Bretonneux
    The school at Villers-Bretonneux was destroyed during World War I warfare and rebuilt by donations from Australian school children.
  • World War I: Coming Home
    Repatriation Hospitals were built during World War I to help soldiers who had suffered physical or mental injury during the war re-cooperate and re-enter society.


Department of Veterans' Affairs

Various

Apps


Sponsors & partners

  • Education Victoria - Sponsor Logo
  • National History Challenge - Sponsor Logo

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Please note: Indigenous Australians are advised that the HTAV website may include images or names of people now deceased.