What Matters? Competition 2011

Proudly Sponsored by Officeworks

Television viewers were given a unique insight into the hopes and aspirations of Australia's youth in the special screening of the 'What Matters?' competition, with a special program on the competition aired on Television Sydney, digital channel 44. The half hour program includes the eight 2011 finalists chosen from a field of over 1,800 entries, and the awards ceremony attended by Mrs Margaret Whitlam AO and SBS Dateline co-presenter Yalda Hakim.

The 2011 Award ceremony, held on August 4, was attended by Mrs Margaret Whitlam AO, SBS's rising star Dateline co-presenter Yalda Hakim, as well as Sydney Morning Herald journalist and What Matters judge Andrew West and other dignitaries.

Madeleine Boxall is the overall winner of the 2011 What Matters? Competition. Her entry, People Discriminate, Love Does Not, called for same-sex marriage equality.

The winners and runners up in each category were presented with a certificate as well as a monetary prize and five participating schools were also announced as the winners of Officeworks gift cards to the value of $1,000 each. Congratulations go to:

Year 5/6 Category Winner: Katie Laithwaite, Abbotsleigh
Runner-Up: Owen Small, Crescent Head Public School

Year 7/8 Category Winner: Gillian Bartlett, Concord High School
Runner-Up: Flynn Colby, Killarney Heights High School

Year 9/10 Category Winner: Tom Davidson-McLeod, St Mary's Cathedral School
Runner-Up: Krystina Batt, Queenwood School for Girls

Year 11/12 Category Winner, and Overall Competition Winner:

Madeleine Boxall, St Catherine's School Waverley
Year 11/12 category Runner-Up: Sarah Webster, Cecil Hills High School

As the overall winner, Madeleine was presented with a laptop and software package care of Officeworks and, as the Year 11/12 category winner, she was also offered the opportunity to participate in ReachOut's ReachOutReporters multimedia content producing program (www.reachout.com), receiving professional training and the opportunity to be published online and paid for her work.

We were so impressed by the calibre of entries this year, so even if you're not a finalist this time around you should be proud to be part of an eloquent and passionate generation! And remember, there's always next year!

What Matters? 2011 is proudly sponsored by Officeworks

For more information please call 02 9685 9187.

Each year we publish the winning entries in a booklet, which are available to download as a PDF

by clicking on the icons below. Do have a look, it’s an impressive selection of writing from some

of Australia’s best students.

Neither the Whitlam Institute nor the University of Western Sydney accepts responsibility for the content, accuracy or completeness of these materials. Any person who accesses or downloads these materials must exercise their own skill care and judgment with respect to their use and obtain their own professional advice. The views expressed in these materials are those of the authors, and do not necessarily represent the views of either the Whitlam Institute or the University of Western Sydney.