Five lucky Queensland high school students have arrived home after a trip to Gallipoli as part of this year’s Anzac Day Commemorations.

They were winners of the inaugural Premier’s Anzac Prize and today Premier Campbell Newman and Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek heard their stories.

Amy Psaltis reports.

TRANSCRIPT

They may be a little jet-lagged but these students were all smiles at Parliament House this morning.

The competition they entered required them to create a multi-media presentation capturing the Anzac spirit.

This Year 12 student from St Andrews Catholic College in Cairns said she couldn’t believe it when the Education Minister called to tell her she’d won.

Emma Kearney, Prize Winner: “I had a missed call on my mobile phone so I called it back and it was Mr Langbroek saying that I’d won it so yeah I couldn’t believe it, it was amazing.”

The group returned with images from Lone Pine and Menin Gate, but the highlight was witnessing a moving dawn service at Anzac Cove.

Glenn Edwards, Chaperon: “Anzac cove is just a magical place it’s a place where you just get to sit and appreciate the moment take some time to sit down on the beach, listen to the water lapping on the shore and to be able to share it with five great kids and another great chaperone was very rewarding was very rewarding.”

Premier Newman accepted a special thank you gift on behalf of the students. A painting incorporating sand from Gallipoli was created by prize winner, Elijah Douglas.

This year’s prize allowed five students to make the journey, but in two years time the government is hoping to take 40 students to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the landing at Gallipoli.

Five students will again be selected for next year’s pilgrimage, with entries opening in July.

Amy Psaltis, QUT News.