RENEE Drury will soon be making a “life-changing journey” to stand on the shores of Gallipoli 100 years after Australia and New Zealand soldiers landed.
The student from Clairvaux MacKillop College, Upper Mt Gravatt, is one of 70 Queensland students who won Premier Campbell Newman’s Anzac Prize.
The students will make an historical trip to attend the 2015 Gallipoli dawn service in Turkey to commemorate the 100th anniversary since Anzac soliders landed there during the First World War.
Miss Drury, who starts Year 11 next year, said the tour would be a “big opportunity” to see and hear first-hand what the Anzacs did for Australia.
“I’m Australian, and the Anzac story is what shaped our land and our culture,” Renee said.
“It’s all thanks to the Anzacs.
“I’m really excited to be standing on the shores where the soldiers stood.”
Students were selected based on a two to five-minute presentation on the Anzac tradition in Australia and how future generations could keep the tradition alive.
The judging panel included Anzac descendants and current members of the Australian Defence Force.
While researching for her application, Renee discovered information about a family member who fought in the Anzacs.
“When I applied for the Premier’s prize, Dad found out we had a great-great uncle who was in the Anzacs, which we never knew about before,” she said.
Along with Renee, 15 Queensland Catholic school students won the Premier’s Anzac prize.
Mr Newman said the tour would give students an opportunity to “immerse themselves in the spirit of Anzac”.
“The Anzac story is so important to Australia and we’re excited that these students will be able to learn more about it in this way,” Mr Newman said.
“It will be a unique experience and honour for these students and chaperones to stand on the Gallipoli Peninsula, 100 years to the day from when the Anzac soldiers landed.”
The Queensland students and their chaperones will also visit Belgium and France during their trip.
