Past awards and winners

For generations, the Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards have encouraged young Australians to find their voice through poetry and share the way they see the world.

Each year, thousands of students from across Australia have taken inspiration from Dorothea Mackellar’s remarkable literary legacy, creating poems that capture their experiences, imaginations, communities and connection to the Australian landscape.

Our past winners represent an extraordinary collection of young voices. Their poems reflect not only exceptional creativity and talent, but also the changing perspectives of young Australians over the decades.

Celebrating these winners is at the heart of the Awards. Their work reminds us of the enduring power of poetry to tell stories, express ideas and emotions, and capture a moment in time.

We invite you to discover and celebrate the poets who have helped shape the history of the Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards — and to be inspired by the next generation of Australian writers. Since 1984, we have received over 318,600 poems.