By Mr Brett Lamson, Head of Year 12

On Thursday 12 September I was lucky enough to attend the awards ceremony for the finalists in the ‘What Matters?’ Writing Competition, put on by the Whitlam Institute at the University of Western Sydney, with this year marking the 20^th year that the competition has been running. This year saw that greatest number of entries ever received, some 5,500, from young people from every state and territory across Australia. The challenge was for students to write a 600-word piece that encapsulated what matters to them.

The entries ranged from poetry to short stories to essays and opinion pieces, and the judges had their work cut out for them reading through the many entries and trying to decide which best captured the essence of what truly matters to young people across Australia at this specific point in history.

Before the winners were announced, we were treated to a tour of the Female Orphan School building that houses the Whitlam Institute, the oldest three-story building in Australia. We were told about the long and storied history of the building, that began as the Female Orphan School in 1818 before becoming the Protestant Orphan School in 1850 and then a psychiatric facility from 1888-1980s. After this time, the building fell into disrepair, and it wasn’t until the 1990s when the University of Western Sydney petitioned the New South Wales Government to take over the site, that the building was restored to its former glory. The tour also included a look at the prime ministerial public museum of former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam, that is permanently housed within the Whitlam Institute.

The award ceremony itself featured speeches by award winning author Michelle Law and Walkley award winning journalist Jan Fran. It was incredibly interesting and informative to hear from two writers who had achieved such success and the advice they had for young writers looking to pursue a career in writing.

It was fantastic to see Kerry-Anne awarded the runner up prize in the Year 11/12 category, a tremendous achievement, and a testament to her ability as a writer. I encourage all students to keep an eye out for the ‘What Matters?' Writing Competition next year to enter their work and take part in this outstanding literary competition.