About the awards

The Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards seek to capture the imaginations of school students across Australia, inspiring them to express their thoughts and feelings through the medium of poetry in their pursuit of literary excellence. The standard of entries year after year is consistently high, yet the winning poems never cease to impress the judges. From reading the entries of both the primary and secondary students, one can get an idea of the current events and issues that have had a great impact on young Australians over the decades.

The awards are held every year between the 1 March and the 30 June with the winners announced on the first Friday in September.

Key dates for 2026:

  • Entries open on Sunday 1 March 2026.
  • Entries close on Thursday 30 June 2026.
  • Winners announced at 10am (EST) on Friday 4 September 2026.

 

Optional theme

Our poets are encouraged to take inspiration from wherever they may find it, however if they are looking for some direction, they are invited to use this year’s optional theme to inspire their entries.

The optional theme for 2026 is “The Traveller”. Students are encouraged to write about topics and experiences that spark their poetic genius (in whatever form they choose.)

Download the competition poster here:

Eligibility

  • Only students enrolled in an Australian education facility (Kindergarten to Year 12) are eligible to enter.
  • Poems must be no more than 80 lines (2,000 characters) with no illustrations, graphics or decorations included.
  • Poems on any subject are accepted, the annual theme is optional.
  • Poems that have been previously entered in the Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards are NOT ELIGIBLE to be entered.
  • Poems entered in other competitions are eligible to be entered.

Conditions of entry

  • The Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards is for students enrolled in an Australian education facility (Kindergarten to Year 12).
  • All types of mainstream schooling systems are eligible, as well as home schools, Highly Potential and Gifted Education (formerly GAT) programs, special needs groups, alternative education and individual young writers.
  • Entries are limited to up to 3 poems per student.
  • Poems can be submitted by students, an accredited teacher or a parent/guardian on behalf of a student participating in the competition via the online form (available from Sunday 1 March 2026).
  • Entries sent by email or post will not be accepted.
  • Poems must be the student’s own work (any excerpts from or rewording of another poem must be appropriately referenced). Poems deemed to be works of plagiarism or using Artificial intelligence (AI) will be disqualified. Note that all poems are checked for plagiarism and AI prior to judging.
  • Copyright of the poem remains with the poet.
  • By submitting, you give the Dorothea Mackellar Memorial Society Inc. the permission to publish your poem and quote excerpts on digital platforms and in our external communications.
  • Entries are judged anonymously. The Judges decisions are final. Due to the volume of submissions, individual feedback cannot be provided.
  • Prize details and judging information can be found here.
  • All personal details provided will be collected in alignment with our Privacy Policy.
  • Entrants may be asked to assist in media publicity in the form of comments and/or photographs.

Entry fees

Please find following the fees for entering the 2025 Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards:

Entry type Number of entries Amount (incls. GST)
Individual entry – for homeschooled students or students not participating in a school entry Up to 3 poems $20.00
School entry Up to 30 poems $30.00
  Over 30 poems $60.00
  Over 100 poems $80.00

Entry fee payment is by credit card only. An invoice will be issued by email within 2 weeks of purchase. Refunds are not provided for unised entries.

Annoucement of winners

  • Winners and runners-up will be contacted in early August.

  • Winners are announced during the Digial Presentation Ceremony and via social media on first Friday of September each year.

  • Runners-up, shortlisted, highly commended, and commended are also published online on this day.

  • Due to the sheer volume of entries, unsuccessful applicants will NOT be contacted.

Participation Certificates

  • Participation certificates will be mailed to all participants following the Presentation Certification in September.

  • As they are posted from a regional post office, please allow 1-3 weeks for them to arrive.

Annual Anthology

  • The annual anthology includes all the winning, runners-up, shortlisted, highly commended and commended poems from all competition categories.

  • Anthologies are available to be ordered in hardcopy or digital format in October. Ordering details will be provided following the Presentation Ceremony.