The Anzac Memorial Trustees Military History Prize is being awarded as part of the NSW Premier's History Awards. The Prize is valued at $10,000.
The Military History Prize is for a work of non-fiction published as a book or e-book, publicly released or made available as a broadcast film, television or radio program, DVD, podcast, website or application for mobile/handheld devices, on the involvement of Australians in wars, campaigns, battles and/or peacekeeping operations represented in the Anzac Memorial’s Hall of Service.
All works nominated for the NSW Premier’s History Awards 2024 must be first published, screened, broadcast or made publicly available between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024.
In the Anzac spirit, the Prize is open to citizens and permanent residents of Australia and New Zealand.
Further details about the intent and eligibility criteria of the Prize can be found below.
Submissions are now closed.
2023 Winner and Shortlist
Winner
Soldiers and Aliens: Men in the Australian Army’s Employment Companies during World War II by June Factor (Melbourne University Publishing) Read the judges comments
Shortlist
The Scrap Iron Flotilla: Five Valiant Destroyers and the Australian War in the Mediterranean by Mike Carlton (Penguin Random House Australia) Read the judges comments
He belonged to Wagga: The Great War, the AIF and returned soldiers in an Australian country town by Ian Hodges (Australian Scholarly Publishing) Read the judges comments
Highly Commended
The War Game: Australian war leadership from Gallipoli to Iraq by David Horner (Allen & Unwin) Read the judges comments
Frequently asked questions
What type of events does the Military History Prize encompass?
The subject matter for the Prize covers the broad scope of military history including combat and non-combat roles (eg nursing); battle front and/or home front history and both conflict and peacekeeping service. The impact of military events on Australia and its people is an eligible subject.
Are works on Australia’s frontier conflicts eligible for the Military History Prize?
Books on Australia’s frontier conflicts are not eligible for the Military History Prize but are eligible for the Australian History Prize category in the Premier’s History Awards.
What are the ‘wars, campaigns, battles and/or international peacekeeping operations represented in the Anzac Memorial’s Hall of Service’?
The Centenary Extension of the Anzac Memorial was opened in 2018 to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the end of the Great War. To mark the centenary an artwork was created by Fiona Hall in the new Hall of Service of the Centenary Extension which displays a chronology of plaques commemorating 100 battlefields and/or sites of military significance for service personnel from New South Wales. A sample of soil collected from each of the sites is displayed within the respective plaques to represent those who served, and in many instances died and still lie buried, at these sites. These 100 sites span from the granting of limited self-government to NSW in 1855 to the present day. The full list of the 100 sites can be found here.
Do the works have to be completely factual?
It is intended that all works submitted for the Prize should be non-fictional. However, the use of fictional techniques, eg re-enactments, for exposition or dramatization for works such ‘as a broadcast film, television or radio program, DVD, podcast, website or application for mobile/handheld devices’ are permitted if the content that is being presented is essentially factual.
Are children’s books eligible for the Military History Prize?
Children’s books are not eligible for the Military History Prize but are eligible for the Young Peoples History Prize category in the Premier’s History Awards