The Simpson Prize

The Simpson Prize is a national competition for Year 9 and 10 students. The competition encourages participants to focus on the significance of Australia's experiences in World War I.

Winners for each state and territory travel to overseas battlefields the year after they submit their winning entries. Winners and runners-up travel to Canberra for a two-day program and Presentation Ceremony at Parliament House.

The Simpson Prize requires you to respond to a set question using both the Simpson Prize Australian War Memorial Source Selection (which can be found here) and your own research.

You are encouraged to agree, debate with or challenge the statement from a variety of perspectives – individual, national and global – and to use sources in a variety of forms.

You are expected to make effective use of a minimum of three of the sources provided (see link above). Up to half of your response should also make use of information drawn from your own knowledge and research.

For more details, click here.

The competition is funded by the Australian Government Department of Education.


Sponsors & partners

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

We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn and work. The HTAV Office is located on the lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. These lands were never ceded. We pay our respect to their ancestors and Elders, past and present.

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