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The Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards is the oldest and largest poetry competition for school students in Australia.
The poetry awards aim to capture the imagination of students, inspiring them to express their thoughts creatively through poetry; while celebrating the legendary work of Dorothea Mackellar, author of the famous poem ‘My Country’. It is a unique national event, giving Australia’s young people a voice and an opportunity to strive for excellence in literature.
The awards are hosted by the Dorothea Mackellar Memorial Society which is based in Gunnedah, north-west NSW.
The awards were recognised in 2007 for its achievement in enriching Australian cultural life by the prestigious Manning Clark House National Cultural Award.
The 2009 Australia Bush Laureate Awards named the Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Society winner of the Judith Hosier Award for outstanding achievement in nurturing Australia's heritage of verse through our annual poetry competition.
Searching for Stars contrasts to our earlier themes relating to this vast land, its rivers, oceans,fauna, flora and people. Chosen to coincide with the International Year of Astronomy, it evokes images of spaces above and beyond us, of heroes and role models and even television stars.
As the saying goes "the sky is the limit", particularly when it comes to your creativity. We look forward to your entries.
Introducing a new category this year open to high school students only - The Centenary of Canberra Award - for the best poem telling the story of our nation's capital. Click on the link below for more information.
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