Nine public school students have been awarded the Premier’s Anzac Memorial Scholarship to tour sites of deep significance to Australia’s war history.

The scholarship recipients will travel to Greece during the term 3 school holidays tp deepen their understanding of Australia’s role in the Second World War on the 85th anniversary of the Greek and Crete campaigns of 1941.

The tour will include participation in commemorations, visits to museums, war memorials and significant historical and cultural sites.

These include the battlefields at the gorges of Tempe and Pinios, the Commonwealth War Graves at Suda Bay and the 6th Australian Division Memorial in Stavromenos.

Among the group will be Mabel Turner from Burwood Girls High School.

"To be given the opportunity to go on this tour is an honour,” she said.

“I look forward to enriching my modern history studies, but more importantly, I look forward to the chance to commemorate the sacrifice of soldiers and others who served in the Second World War and beyond. I am deeply privileged to be able to represent Burwood Girls High School and the state of NSW on this tour."

The scholarship recipients were recently welcomed by Minister for Veterans David Harris at the Anzac Memorial in Hyde Park, alongside Mr Georgios Skemperis, the Consul-General of Greece in Sydney.

The students also received their research tasks, met with the tour historian and accompanying teachers and attended a commemorative service in the Hall of Memory.

Alexander Collins, from Port Hacking High School, will be one of the accompanying teachers.

"Greece and Crete are some of Australia's most overlooked wartime stories, yet they unfolded just a few hundred kilometres from the shores of Gallipoli,” Mr Collins said.

“There is no better education than standing where history happened. It is an honour to travel there, pay respect to those who served, and carry that understanding home so their courage and sacrifice is never forgotten."

More than 58,000 Allied troops, including significant numbers of Australians from the 6th Division, were deployed to Greece in 1941 to support Greek forces against the Axis invasion.

Following the withdrawal from mainland Greece, more than 26,000 Allied troops evacuated to Crete, including thousands of Australians who would take part in the island’s defence.

The campaign came at a heavy cost, with 274 Australians killed, 507 wounded and more than 3,000 taken prisoner during the fighting.

The Battle of Crete and the wider Greek campaign remain defining chapters in Australia’s wartime history, marked by courage in the face of overwhelming odds and the enduring bond between Australian and Greek communities.

More than 200 students from 148 government and non-government secondary schools from across NSW applied for PAMS this year.

Minister Harris said the tour will be a deeply meaningful experience.

“As a former school principal, I am proud to see our government supporting young people to learn about Australia’s military history and provide a reminder that the freedoms we have today are a result of the service and sacrifice of our defence personnel.”

The scholars selected demonstrated academic strength, a passion for history, and a commitment to community engagement.

The scholarship recipients from our public schools are:

• Christopher Marshall Baulkham Hills High School
• Becky Manning Asquith High School
• Zachary Chai Ryde Secondary College
• Charlie Martin NBSC Manly Selective Campus
• Logan Doig Leeton High School
• Blake Bridges Merewether High School
• Rory Byrne Newtown High School of the Performing Arts
• Mabel Turner Burwood Girls High School
• Xara Umer Kooringal High School

More information about the 2026 Scholarship is available here: https://www.veterans.nsw.gov.au/education/premiers-anzac-memorial-scholarship/