Present to collect their awards were two Orange children who came first and third in the ABC Radio Children’s Writing Awards.

Tobias Johnston, 11, came first with his story Arcane Intellect and Amy Robinson, 10, came third with her poem A Cat’s Secret. 

Second place in the children’s award was Celine Ng of Winthrop, Western Australia with Adieu, Thirteen.

“Mine was a poem about being a cat called Misty,” Amy said. 

She said her inspiration came from her own cat.

“I’ve always wondered what she does as a cat while I’m at school,” Amy said.

Tobias said is was a sci-fi and fantasy story about a renegade in an empire that has futuristic technology.

“I prefer fantasy to all the other [genres],” he said.

The judges’ comments said it was a futuristic adventurous tale and an imaginative story with clearly thought out organisation names, characters and weapons.  

Central West Libraries reading and writing coordinator Jasmine Vidler also personally congratulated Tobias for allowing the introduction to immediately unfold with excitement and action. 

Also announced were the first, second and third place recipients of the short story competition.

Movement at the Station by John Scholz of Willonga South Australia came first with the judges likeing the method of narration and imagery.

Second place was Quiet Child by Carmel Lillis of Yarraville, Victoria and Discriminating Judgement by Ruth McConnell of Chapman in the ACT came third.

First place in the Open Poetry was second was The Little Explorer’s Diary by Margaret Bradstock of Coogee NSW.

Romeo and Juliet by Peter O’Shaughnessy from Eaton, Western Australia, came second and The Tree of Antiquity by Jacqui Merckenschlager of Murray Bridge, South Australia, came third.

The judges said The Little Explorer is a white woman travelling by steamer, then on horseback, up the Queensland coast to the gulf country in the 1880s.

The poem was noted for the use of quotes from a ‘real life’ diary at the head of some of the stanzas.

Overall, poems entered in the competition revealed Aboriginal themes, race emerged as a top concern, landscape, environment, climate change, bush fires, shearers, drovers, settlement, corner shops, swimming and outback towns featured as subjects.

The winner of the Bush Poetry section were The Novice and the Bard by Max Merckenschlager of Murray Bridge, South Australia.

Willy Wally Gully by Will Moody of Bellingen, NSW, came second and The Race Napoleon Won by Elizabeth Egan of Crookwell, NSW came third.

The judges said the title of The Novice and the Bard tells who those having a conversation in the poem are.

“However, we have to guess for ourselves the identity of the Bard, especially as he is the one “biting” the novice poet for a meal.

“This mild confusion allows the writer of this poem to set up a moving account of the Bard’s life, now in its later stages.

“The detail of the story reveals the Bard as Henry Lawson, as well as something of his philosophy.

“The poem’s truth is the believability of Lawson’s voice, recreated for today.”

The topics of the Bush Poetry entries included shearers, drovers, animals, nature, campfires, bushfires and recollections.