Lola’s winning entry titled “Whose Voice Counts? Fear, Media, and the 1951 Communist Party Referendum”, critically examined how public perception, media influence, and Cold War political rhetoric shaped democratic engagement during the controversial 1951 vote to ban the Communist Party.
Her research entry was awarded State Gold for New South Wales and the National Winner in the highly competitive Democracy category.
In addition to cash prizes, Lola will attend several prestige events acknowledging her achievements including a special ceremony at NSW Parliament House, and an all expenses paid trip to Canberra for the official national award presentation ceremony.
The challenge had around 9,500 applications nationwide.
Lola participating in the National History Challenge went far beyond writing an essay. She researched complex themes, engaged with primary sources, evaluated media influence and connected historical lessons to modern civic life.
We are extremely proud of Lola’s achievement, reflecting her commitment to academic excellence, critical enquiry and a curiosity to think deeply about the world around her.
Photo credits: Profile photo by Kurt Petersen; Front cover poster State Library of WA from Australia, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
