Girls' school wins museum project with sentiment attached

The National Museum invited school students to tell stories about Australia's defining moments that have shaped Australia and will continue to shape society into the future. Schools submitted video entries about the historical and contemporary defining moments using acting, animation, claymation, historic photos, drawings and rapping. The Beverly Hills High School team centred its video on the abolishment of the White Australia Policy. It won in the collaboration category.

"As a group, we realised how deeply each and every one of us had been touched by the abolishment of the White Australian Policy," student Sarika Tihim said. "Most of us, coming from parents who have immigrant backgrounds, really connected with this topic."

"Of all the significant moments in Australia's history, we felt as though it isn't spoken about as often, despite playing a pivotal role," fellow student Sarah Ghunaim said. "As someone whose parents are both refugees, we are appreciative of the abolishment of this policy - we wouldn't be here in Australia if it hadn't happened. When it ended, the doors to multiculturalism opened."

National Museum director Mathew Trinca says the program promotes Australian history and initiates important conversations in schools.

"Australia's Defining Moments Digital Classroom has taken important moments in our history to students around Australia and has become an essential element of the museum's telling of the nation's stories," Dr Trinca said. "The History Makers challenge has made it possible for those students to speak back to the museum and tell us about the moments that are significant to them."

The Museum's Head of Education Jared Wilkins, congratulated students on their inventive and informative videos. "These short films combine the use of digital technology and museum theatre techniques to tell these uniquely Australian stories in new ways," he said. "Allowing students to make their own connections with, and expressions of, Australian history is a key aim of Australia's Defining Moments Digital Classroom. Not only do the students learn something each year, so do the judging panel as students often choose stories from their local community and share something we didn't know."

Schools shared in $25,000 of prizes rewarded by the museum and project sponsor, the Gandel Foundation. Beverly Hills Girls High School won $2000. This was the second year of the competition.

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