Entry guide · Australia

Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards

An established national school poetry award with age-based categories.

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Competition & entry information

Writing: Poetry
Location: National
Preparation level: Stretch
Opportunity: Competition

Who can enter?

Students in Australian education settings, Kindergarten to Year 12; home-school entries are included.

What do you write?

Current guide: up to 80 lines; check the new edition’s limits.

How to enter

Use the official student, parent or teacher entry process and select the correct category.

Dates and planning notes

2027: March–June pattern · 2027 TBC
Annual pattern
The organiser describes an annual 1 March–30 June window. The 2027 round is not yet announced.

Official sources

Official website / entry information ↗

Checked 4 October 2026. Preparation levels are editorial guidance, not a prediction of winning. Recheck the live rules, fees and eligibility before entering.

Turn your target into stronger writing

Prepare with purpose.

Creative Writing · Poetry · Real Stories

Australian Writing
Competition Coaching

For secondary students building their voice and craft through Australian national and local writing competitions.

Preparation focusVoice, structure and expression

Working towardsA suitable target each term

Understand the brief and choose a suitable competition.
Develop stories, poems and personal writing through regular practice.
Learn to revise with purpose and make stronger writing choices.
Build a body of original work over successive competition goals.

What students build: A stronger writing process, purposeful drafts and an original piece prepared for a suitable submission.

Discuss the Australian course →

What preparation can develop

Beyond the final submission.

A clearer sense of voice, audience and purpose.
More deliberate choices in structure and language.
The ability to use feedback and revise independently.
A growing portfolio and a next writing goal.

How our coaching works →

Students complete their own work. Coaching respects the organiser’s rules on feedback, editing and AI; where entry editing is restricted, teaching uses separate practice tasks.