RSL and Schools Remember ANZAC Art Competition for 2025
The annual RSL and Schools Remember ANZAC Commemoration began in 1953 as a collaborative event between RSL NSW and the Department of Education. Since then, it has expanded to include Catholic Schools NSW and the Association of Independent Schools NSW.
Proceedings, held at the Anzac Memorial Hyde Park, are delivered entirely by school students including the Master of Ceremonies, keynote address, readings and musical accompaniment.
The service also includes an Inspection of the Guard by the official party, ‘The Ode’, The Last Post, and Rouse. The service aims to educate primary and secondary school students about Australia’s military history, whilst paying respect to the service and sacrifice of servicemen and women of the Australian Defence Force.
To mark the 70th anniversary of this service in 2023, RSL NSW, the Department of Education, Catholic Schools NSW and the Association of Independent Schools NSW launched an art competition for NSW school students. Following its success, the art competition and exhibition returned in 2025, where two artworks will be selected for the cover of the 2025 service program.
Past program covers have showcased iconic images such as poppies, the Cobbers sculpture at Australian Memorial Park, and ANZACs at Gallipoli.A sample of this program can be viewed here.
All finalists’ artwork will be displayed at the Anzac Memorial in April 2025 and included in the service program.
For more details on guidelines, judging and FAQs, see below.
RSL and Schools Remember ANZAC Art Competition 2025
Winners
Primary School Division
- Remembering the past, cherishing the present – Year 4, Abbotsford Public School
Secondary School Division
- They Shall not Grow Old – Year 8, St Johns the Evangelist Catholic High School
Highly Commended
Primary School Division
- In Memory’s Hourglass: 110 years of ANZAC – Year 4, Sacred Heart Primary School
- Remembrance of 110 years – Year 5, Shellharbour PS
Secondary School Division
- Footprints of the Brave: A Soldier’s Legacy – Year 8, Bethany College Hurstville
- Echoes of Valor : 110 years of ANZAC – Year 9, Arthur Phillip High School
Finalists
Primary School Division
- Their Sacrifice Is Our Inspiration – Year 5, Marion Catholic Primary School
- In Memory’s Hourglass: 110 years of ANZAC – Year 4, Sacred Heart Primary School
- ANZAC – Year 5, St Mary and St Mina’s Coptic Orthodox College
- Remembering the past, cherishing the present – Year 4, Abbotsford Public School
- Remembrance of 110 years – Year 5, Shellharbour PS
- Roots of the Poppies – Year 6, Warnervale Public School
Secondary School Division
- They Shall not Grow Old – Year 8, St Johns the Evangelist Catholic High School
- Footprints of the Brave: A Soldier’s Legacy – Year 8, Bethany College Hurstville
- The Tree of Hope in a Poppy Field – Year 9, Kesser Torah College
- Echoes of Sacrifice – Year 10, Sydney Boys High School
- Echoes of Valor : 110 years of ANZAC – Year 9, Arthur Phillip High School
- Eternal Fields of Sacrifice – Year 10, Campbelltown Performing Arts High School
110 years of the ANZAC Spirit
Consider:
- Four words encompass the ANZAC spirit: courage, mateship, sacrifice and endurance
- A personal connection to the student’s Australian defence family history
- Connecting the history of Australian service with contemporary veterans on ANZAC Day.
Each school may submit up to two artworks. Multi-campus schools may submit two artworks per campus.
Each sector head office will complete the first round of judging, where two primary and two secondary finalists will be selected. The Department of Education can submit up to three primary and three secondary finalists.
Fourteen finalists will be judged by an expert judging panel, where one primary and one secondary submission will be chosen as the winners.
The judging criteria will consider:
- Conceptional strength
- Relevance of the submitted artwork to the theme
- Artistic interpretation of the theme
- Originality of the submission
The judges’ decision will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.
All finalists, including winners, receive:
- A session with the Anzac Memorial Veteran Artist in Residence*
- Artwork on display at the Anzac Memorial in April 2025
- Finalist certificate and medal
- Invitation to attend the 2025 RSL and Schools Remember ANZAC Service and Exhibition Launch
*pending program proceeding in 2025
In addition, winning artists also get:
- An invitation to attend the 2025 NSW ANZAC Day Dawn Service in Martin Place as VIPs
- Artwork featured on the cover of the 2025 RSL and Schools Remember ANZAC Service Program
Each school may submit up to two artworks. Multi-campus schools may submit two artworks per campus. For schools that are K-12 please submit a separate form for primary and secondary school entries.
Artworks must be scanned or photographed and attached to the online submission form, which can be found at the bottom of this page. If using a phone to create the image, please ensure that the camera frames the artwork with the edges in frame. Artworks should be saved as high resolution and either as PDF or JPEG format.
Ensure your artwork file is named as: ‘SchoolName_ArtworkTitle’
All finalists will be required to complete a Permission to Publish form. This form must be sent in with their original artwork for the expert judging panel. Please note this form will be for the finalists only and will be sent to the finalists’ schools when they are announced.
- 20 May 2024: Competition opens
- 1 November 2024: Competition closes
- 15 November 2024: Finalists are announced and notified
- 6 December 2024: Winners announced and notified
- 3 April 2025: Finalists attend RSL and Schools Remember ANZAC Service, Exhibition Launch and Workshop
- 3 – 30 April 2025: Exhibition at Anzac Memorial
Can regional and remote schools enter?
Yes, the competition is open to all students in all primary and secondary schools within NSW.
Are there any age restrictions?
No, the competition is open to students of all ages in primary and secondary school. Students must be attending school in 2024.
Can we submit a group/class artwork?
No, the competition is only open to individual students’ artwork.
Can I copy?
No, the competition strictly requires original work. Judges are looking for creativity and originality, so you must not copy artwork, photographs or images created by someone else or sourced from the internet, books or other publications. Only your unique creation will be considered eligible.
Do I have to enter a painting?
No. You can use any physical materials you like, including paint, pencil, oil pastel, crayon and collage, as long as the artwork is dry, has no sharp edges, is two dimensional and doesn’t sit higher than 5mm above the surface of the paper. Print-outs of digitally created drawings (e.g. those drawn with a stylus on a tablet) are not eligible for entry.
Can I use a canvas board or similar material, rather than paper?
No, as the finalist’s artwork will be on display in a frame, restriction on both size and material, and specified works need to be A3 portrait and on paper.
Does the artwork need to be created at school in class?
No, students can create their artwork at home or within the curriculum.
Curriculum references
Can the school enter more than once?
No. You can only submit one entry per school with a maximum of two finalists’ artwork.
Can I submit my child’s own artwork?
No, all submissions must be done through the school. Each school can submit a maximum of two artworks for judging.
How do I obtain the Permission to Publish form?
All finalists will be required to complete a Permission to Publish form. This form must be provided and sent in with the original artwork for the expert judging panel. Please note this form will be for the finalists only and will be sent to the finalists’ schools when they are announced.
Who is on the expert judging panel?
The panel is made up of representatives from the NSW Education Standards Authority, Art Gallery of NSW, RSL NSW and the Anzac Memorial Veteran Artist in Residence.
How are finalists and winners announced?
Finalists will be announced via email to the school on 15 November 2024.
Winners will be announced via email to the school on 6 December 2024.
All announcements will also be shared on RSL NSW’s website and social media channels.
For general competition questions please contact RSL NSW: events@rslnsw.org.au
Contact details for your school sector:
Department of Education: DoEEvents@det.nsw.edu.au
Association of Independent Schools NSW: ctuttocuore@aisnsw.edu.au
Catholic Schools NSW: Philippa.Bucknell@csnsw.catholic.edu.au
The competition “parties” are The Returned and Services League of Australia (NSW Branch) (RSL NSW), The Anzac Memorial, NSW Office of Veteran Affairs, NSW Department of Education, Association of Independent Schools NSW and Catholic Schools NSW.
By entering the RSL and Schools Art Competition 2024, entrants accept these terms and conditions as stated.
Copyright
The artwork submitted must be the original work of the student themselves and not infringe the copyright, moral rights or other rights of any third party. Artworks that are deemed to not belong to or be created by the student will NOT be eligible.
Licensing of artwork
Participants of the competition (including winners and finalists) grant the Parties non-exclusive rights to reproduce their artwork in material form, to photograph, publish and/or communicate it to the public for competition-related purposes, and anything incidental to such purposes, by the Parties: marketing, publicity, educational and publication uses, the competition and its exhibition in all media, including but not limited to electronic/digital, broadcasting and print media, in perpetuity. Permission to so reproduce the work must be conveyed by the student to any party outside the Parties. Where reasonable, the Parties will attribute the student as the author of the work and reproduce the work in full. Details of the work may be used at the Parties’ discretion. Entrants (including winners and finalists) will not be entitled to any fee for such use.
Privacy
RSL NSW collects personal information for the purposes of registration and to keep schools informed about the contest. RSL NSW is committed to protecting the privacy of personal information which the organisation collects, holds and administers. RSL NSW will use all reasonable efforts to protect the privacy of individuals’ personal information and to comply with the obligations imposed by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APP).
RSL NSW will not share any personal data about entrants with any party excluding the Parties to the competition, without the consent of the parent, teacher or guardian.
RSL and Schools Remember ANZAC Art Competition 2024
Winners and Finalists
Primary School Division
- The Last Journey – Year 6, St Augustine’s Primary School
- In Memory of those Fallen – Year 5, St Anthony of Padua Catholic College (PRIMARY SCHOOL WINNER)
- To Serve, Protect and Prosper – Year 5, Wauchope Public School
- The Last Hat – Year 6, Pitt Town Public School
Secondary School Division
- For Those We Lost and Those Who Came Home – Year 10, St Joseph’s High School
- The Flowers of Remembrance – Year 9, Bethany College Hurstville
- Sandy the Waler – Year 8, Arndell Anglican College
- Why Lest We Forget? – Year 8, Arndell Anglican College (SECONDARY SCHOOL WINNER)
- Memories not to be Forgotten – Year 7, Penrith High School (HIGHLY COMMENDED)
- Tears of Remembrance – Year 9, Arthur Phillip High School
RSL and Schools Remember ANZAC Art Competition 2023
Winners and Finalists
Primary School Division
- The sun will always shine on the soldiers for past, present and future – Year 4, Bankstown West Public School
- Lest we Forget – Year 6, Cambridge Park Public School (Primary School Winner)
- Fate – Year 6, Warnervale Public School
Secondary School Division
- Service Dogs – Year 8, Tuggerah Lakes Secondary College Berkeley Vale Campus (Highly Recommended)
- Our Unsung Heros – Year 7, Tuggerah Lakes Secondary College Berkeley Vale Campus (Secondary School Winner)
- Anzac – Year 9, Amity College – Prestons Campus
- The Hindenburg Line, Year 9, Queenwood School for Girls
- A love story during a war – Year 7, St Anthony of Padua Catholic College, Austral
- Young Soldier – Year 7, St Clare’s High School