NSW Premier’s Anzac Memorial Scholarship – Authentic History Learning

The NSW Premier’s Anzac Memorial Scholarship (PAM) is a prestigious History scholarship that is awarded to a select number of NSW Year 11 History students who demonstrate a sincere respect for the service and sacrifice of Australians in times of war and peacekeeping operations.

Congratulations Molly Hoogland who won this scholarship!

The award is a fully funded two-week travel study tour and gives history students an authentic learning opportunity to investigate significant Australian sites accompanied by a military historian. Molly is studying History through the International Baccalaureate Diploma. Molly’s application demonstrated her positive leadership and personal excellence through diligent work practices, a responsible approach towards her learning and her lived connections between her passion for History and service to both her school and the wider community. Molly will be travelling with 19 Year 11 students from schools across NSW to discover Singapore and Darwin through a historical lens in the September holiday break.

Brigida Zagora
Head of HSIE (Humanities and Social Sciences)

Student Reflection

Earlier this year I was extremely excited to find out that I had been selected for the Premier’s Anzac Memorial Scholarship. This award is for NSW Year 11 students, and alongside other history students I will be travelling to Singapore and Darwin on a tour of important historical and cultural sites related to the legacy of the Anzacs. The application process for this award consisted of writing a personal essay, sharing a submitted History investigation and gaining the recommendation from the Principal and Head of History.

In the June/July break I met with the other scholars, accompanying History teachers and our tour historian, Professor Peter Stanley, at the Anzac Memorial in Hyde Park. The scholars came from all across the state, including Dubbo, Albury and the Blue Mountains. Amidst the artefacts and stories of the exhibits in the museum, we discussed source analysis and context before a briefing about the places that we will visit.

Some of the sites on the tour include:

  • Battle Box and Fort Canning
  • Bukit Chandos Memorial
  • Sentosa Island
  • Kranji War Memorial
  • Former Ford factory
  • Changi Prison Chapel and Museum
  • Darwin Military Museum
  • Katherine Gorge

I am very grateful to have been offered this wonderful opportunity, and I wish to thank my history teacher and the Head of History, Ms Zagora, and Ms Skerman for their support and letters of recommendation.

Molly Hoogland
Year 11