Lynette Russell Prize Winner 2023

Lynette Russell Prize for First Peoples’ History in Schools 

Winner 2023

Bairnsdale West Primary School

Women left to right: Megan Liston, Angie McKail, Aunty Dottie (Dottie Moffatt, Koorie Engagement Support Officer), Sylvia Holland. Blokes left to right: Paul West, Doug Vickers ( principal), Peter McPhee, Grattan Mullett (Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation (GLaWAC))

The 2023 prize was awarded to Bairnsdale West Primary School for their work alongside local Aboriginal people, the Gunaikurnai, educating and engaging students in local First People’s histories. In December 2023, HCV Chair Peter McPhee attended a Bairnsdale West Primary School assembly to present the award: 

McPhee reports:

I went to Bairnsdale West Primary School on 12 December to congratulate the school on the award of the 2023 Lynette Russell Prize for First Peoples’ History in Schools. Our announcement was: “This entry to the Lynette Russell Prize was a whole school effort by the Bairnsdale West Primary School with a great deal of substance, a sustained effort that was built into the school year, and a deep engagement with local Indigenous people and creative material.”

The school was delighted and responded: “At Bairnsdale West PS we are proud to receive this award and we remain committed to teaching the true history of Australia and acknowledge that it is an important part of reconciliation. Our local Aboriginal people, the Gunaikurnai, and their history should be celebrated, and we will continue to work closely with local Koorie groups to inform our school community about this. Our motivation is to have a positive influence in the wider community by helping others to understand the ongoing impact of colonisation on our First Nations People.” The school assembly was a moving and unforgettable event.

The HCV welcomes enquiries from individuals and organisations that wish to sponsor awards and prizes in areas relating to history and the work of historians. 

The HCV also welcomes donations at any time. All contributions help to support our work towards achieving our cultural purposes. Donations over $2 are deductible for Australian tax-payers.