The Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards 2025

The Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards seeks to capture the imaginations of school students across Australia, inspiring them to express their thoughts and feelings through the medium of poetry in their pursuit of literary excellence. This year nearly 8,500 poems were received from over 5,800 students from 660 schools across Australia.

Students were encouraged to take inspiration from a place of choice. The optional theme was ‘All the Beautiful Things’. Students were encouraged to write about topics and experiences that sparked their poetic genius.

There were many creative and heartfelt expressions from students as they explored the wonder and beauty in the world around them. A number of students from Year 6 entered the competition, responding to our poetry unit based around the text Bindi by Kirli Saunders. We were excited to hear that Maya Haysom-McDowell (Year 6) was presented with a Highly Commended award for her poem Devastation.

Well done to all the girls who entered and congratulations Maya for your sensitive and insightful poem about fire. You can read Maya’s poem below.

– Year 6 teachers

Devastation

A tree, ashen.
A house, blackened.

Slivers of orange,
Flitting amongst smouldering rubble.

Lives ruined
Dreams shattered.

But suddenly…

A speck of green,
Among the black.                                                                                                                                                         

Dusted with charcoal
But growing strong.

Flourish, little sprout.
Regrow our lives.

– Maya Haysom-McDowell
Age 11 years
Class 6F3
MLC School