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Department of Premier and Cabinet

Frank MacDonald Memorial Prize

Frank MacDonald MM

The Competition

The Frank MacDonald Memorial Prize (FMMP) is a competition that commemorates and preserves the meaning of the Anzac spirit in the Tasmanian community.

In 2023, six Year 9 students have been selected from around Tasmania to take part in the 202-24 Frank MacDonald Memorial Prize. As part of the Prize students will:

  • go on a 10-day Study Tour in April 2024 (incorporating Anzac Day).
  • visit the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, and
  • attend educational meetings held once a month in the lead up to the Study Tour (November 2023 to April 2024).

Students also undertake research into individual soldiers as part of the preparation for the Study Tour.

The Study Tour will travel to sites and landmarks of wartime, either within Australia or internationally (subject to appropriate travel clearances and public health advice).

The group will be led by a Tasmanian Government Tour Leader, and be accompanied by two teachers, a parliamentarian and an RSL representative. The State Government will meet the cost of travel, transfers, travel insurance, accommodation, tour activities, and meals for each winner and the chaperones.

About the Frank MacDonald Memorial Prize

The Frank MacDonald Memorial Prize was first awarded in 2004 and is an initiative of the Tasmanian Government, supported by RSL Tasmania. The Prize is administered by the Department of Communities Tasmania, with an education component provided by the Department of Education.

The prize recognises World War I veteran, Frank MacDonald, who was born in Ulverstone in 1896, and died in August 2003 at the age of 107.

Frank MacDonald was one of the last of the 40th Infantry Battalion, Australian Imperial Force; the only all-Tasmanian Battalion raised in World War I. He was responsible for repairing signal lines between headquarters and trenches and received the Military Medal for working courageously under heavy fire. He also served in World War II and received the Legion of Honour in 1998.

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