Noah Johnston from St Aloysius Catholic College and Lilith Fleming from Taroona High School have been named recipients of this year’s Frank MacDonald Memorial Prize.
This is an annual prize, with just six students from across Tasmania selected to participate in a 10-day study tour in April of the sites and landmarks of wartime.
Noah and Lilith had to first submit an essay, then they joined a total of 12 students who were selected for an interview in front of a panel.
From those 12, six were chosen to form the 2025 tour group.
“When I heard about this prize, I realised it was the perfect opportunity for me to explore one of my interests (nurses in World War One),” Lilith said.
The tour group has been meeting monthly to learn more about the war and the conditions the Australian soldiers faced on the Western Front.
Each member of the group has been thoroughly researching a soldier of their choosing and will present their findings to the group with a pilgrimage to that soldier.
Noah will give his pilgrimage to his great great great uncle George Garwood.
George was the youngest of three brothers from Birralee, near Westbury in the north of Tasmania, to enlist.
He survived the Western Front to return home, where he died soon after from war-related injuries.
Lilith is giving her pilgrimage to great great uncle Clyde Eugene Rowell, who died on the Western Front.
“I was inspired to do my pilgrimage for him as my grandpa had talked to me about him and his story and I wanted to learn more about my family’s history,” Lilith said.
“It has been amazing learning about not just Clyde but the rest of my family through him.
“I even had the chance to read his postcards that he sent to his younger brother (my great grandpa).”
Noah and Lilith shared what excited them most about the upcoming trip in April.
Noah said he is most looking forward to seeing all the places he has read about in history books, to be walking in the footsteps of these young men not much older than himself.
He has always had a passion for history, particularly World War One, and is very much looking forward to visiting Versailles, where the treaty to end the war was signed.
Noah might know all the dates, facts and figures, but to see and hear the personal stories is an experience he is sure will stay with him forever.
Lilith said she is excited to learn about the experiences of soldiers in the war as well as the nurses, as this was a large focus for her in her essay.
She also hopes to understand what motivated these soldiers to move across the world away from their families and their lives to fight for their countries.
