Student Prizes and Medals

These prizes are determined at the Department’s examination meeting at the end of the second semester. All prizes, unless stated otherwise, are decided on the basis of students’ performance in their History Units of Study. Submissions for the essay prize, however, may be made either by students themselves, or by tutors and lecturers.

Junior Prizes (First Year)

George Arnold Wood Memorial Prize for History I
Cash Award: $125 (2011)
Usually awarded to the single best student in a first year course.

  • 2010: Michael Starkey
  • 2009: Rachael Hyde
  • 2008: Johanna Gibson
  • 2007: James Christie
  • 2006: Joseph Cole
  • 2005: Mitchell Baer
  • 2004: Emma Torzillo and Luke Heffernan
  • 2003: Sarah Hambly and Edward Cohen

George Vari Prize in Medieval and Early Historical Studies
Cash Award: tba
In alternate years, usually given to the best student in first year Middle Ages or Early Modern Medieval Studies.

  • 2009: Daniel Swain
  • 2008: Josephine Jun Kin Seto and Catherine Blake
  • 2005: Sarah Kaine
  • 2004: Vanessa Crosby
  • 2003: David Cunningham

A.E. (Tony) Cahill History Prize
Cash Award: $450 (2011)
Established in 2004 by friends, former students, colleagues and members of the family of Mr. A.E. (Tony) Cahill, who was a member of the History Department from 1963-1998. Awarded annually to the best first year student in Late Modern European History.

  • 2010: Daniel Barabas, Louise Coleman and Lauren Holz
  • 2009: Tristan Orgill
  • 2008: Sophie Barrow, Sarah-Jane Cartwright and Hugh Lars Storlien
  • 2007: David Thompson and Jessica Andrews
  • 2006: Madeleine Darcy and Robert Chiarella
  • 2005: Michael Mendell and David Primrose
  • 2004: Shane Greentree

Senior Prizes (Second and Third Years)

Maud Stiles Memorial Prize in Senior History
Cash Award: tba
Usually awarded to the best female student in History.

  • 2010: Bianca D'Angelo
  • 2009: Sarah Bates
  • 2008: Alexandra Connie Robinson
  • 2007: Stephanie Mawson and Naomi Hart
  • 2006: Trieste Corby and Jane Taylor
  • 2005: Alice Lam and Natasha Wheatley
  • 2004: Alice Lam and Emily Pollnitz
  • 2003: Heather McIntyre

George Arnold Wood Memorial Prize for History II
Cash Award: $125 (2011)
Usually awarded to best performing student in second year courses.

  • 2010: Katren Rogers
  • 2009: Angela Evans
  • 2008: Zoe Fitzgerald
  • 2007: Robert Chiarella
  • 2006: Naomi Hart and Chris Croke
  • 2005: Sophia Loy-Wilson and David Earl
  • 2004: Edward S. Cohen
  • 2003: Lucy Kaldor

G.S. Caird Scholarship in History II
Cash Award: $2,400 (2011)
Usually awarded to the best second year student who is proceeding to History III (Hons.; i.e., has to be in 2901/2902 or 2691).

  • 2010: Antares Wells
  • 2009: Hannah Martin
  • 2008: Angela Evans
  • 2007: Isobelle Barrett Meyering
  • 2006: Naomi Hart
  • 2005: Natasha Wheatley and Alex Skinner
  • 2004: Alice Lam and David E. Cunningham
  • 2003: Altin Gavranovic and Katharine Blake

Isabel M. King Memorial Prize for History III
Cash Award: tba
Usually awarded to most proficient student in Hons. III.

  • 2010: Catharine Horne
  • 2009: Misa Han
  • 2008: Anna Grunseit
  • 2007: Isobel Barrett Meyering
  • 2006: Jack Sexton and Philippa Macaskill
  • 2005: Owen Cooper and Philippa Hetherington
  • 2004: Altin Gavranovic
  • 2003: Hilbert Chiu

J.H.M. Nolan Memorial Prize for Proficiency in History
Cash Award: $130 (2011)
Usually awarded to the student at Level Two showing the most promise, or to the best student in 2nd year Honours (2901/2902, 2691).

  • 2010: Deirdre O'Connell
  • 2009: Clarissa Hirst and Hannah Ryan
  • 2008: Hannah Martin
  • 2007: Julia Bowes and Tess Mierendorff
  • 2006: Alix Baumgartner and Lydia Connell
  • 2005: Jack Sexton
  • 2004: Poppy Bourne and Heather A. McIntyre
  • 2003: Emily Pollnitz

Helen Newbon Bennett Memorial Prize for History III
Cash Award: tba
For best essay in a senior Unit of Study

  • 2010: Hamish Boland-Rudder and Leon Perlman
  • 2009: Hannah Martin
  • 2008: Ellen Kathleen Stephens
  • 2007: Louise Beange
  • 2006: Natasha Wheatley
  • 2005: Alice Lam
  • 2004: David Rylance
  • 2003: Agnieszka Sobocinska and Rebecca Simmons

History IV (Honours)

University Medal

  • 2010: Angela Evans, Jessica Hope
  • 2009: Christopher Beshara, Anne Hanley, Stephanie Mawson, Martin Silverton
  • 2008: Christopher Croke, Naomi Hart
  • 2007: Jamie Miller, Natasha Wheatley, Jane Taylor
  • 2006: Philippa Hetherington
  • 2005: Heather McIntyre, Emily Pollnitz, Altin Gavranovic

Ernest Bramsted Prize for Modern or Medieval European History
Cash Award: $350 (2011)

  • 2010: Thomas Atkinson
  • 2009: Anne Hanley
  • 2008: Angus Courtney and Penelope Nash
  • 2007: Natasha Wheatley
  • 2006: James Robertson
  • 2005: Katharine Blake and Craig Lundy
  • 2004: Katherine Colleran and Patricia Leehy
  • 2003: Nicholas Gordon

The Philippe Erdos Prize in History
Cash Award: $1,000 (2011)
To best 4th year thesis provided the student has not won other prizes

  • 2010: Jessica Hope
  • 2009: Daniel Thompson
  • 2008: Naomi Hart
  • 2007: Jane Taylor
  • 2006: Philippa Hetherington
  • 2005: Emily Pollnitz
  • 2004: Hilbert Chiu
  • 2003: Alecia Simmonds

Charles Trimby Burfitt Prize for the Study of Australian History Prior to 1900
Cash Award: tba

  • 2010: Timothy Gourlay
  • 2008: Isobelle Barrett Meyering
  • 2007: Vasudha Sathanapally and Kathryn Ticehurst
  • 2006: Emma D'Arcy
  • 2005: Heather McIntyre
  • 2004: Alana Piper
  • 2003: Jemima Mowbray

Charles Brunsdon Fletcher Prize for Pacific History
Cash Award: $340 (2011)

  • 2010: Claire McAulay and Adriana Wild Taylor
  • 2009: Alexandra Robinson
  • 2008: Emma Ede
  • 2007: Jamie Miller
  • 2006: Felicity Errington
  • 2005: Matthew Rudd
  • 2004: Oliver Jones
  • 2003: Lila Oldmeadow

Aisling Society of Sydney Prize for an Essay on Irish or Irish-Australian History
Cash Award: $150 (2011)
Student enrolled in senior courses in either Celtic Studies or History

  • 2010: James Montgomery
  • 2009: Belinda Kim Jang and Jessica Stone
  • 2008: Michael Coward
  • 2007: Anne Hanley and Christopher Mason
  • 2006: Evan Ellis
  • 2005: Daniel Hill
  • 2004: Melissa Markauskas
  • 2003: Juliet Dewar