Bunbury Museum and Heritage Centre’s History Mysteries competition recognised for innovation and engagement

A South West writing competition has been recognised on the national stage for its innovation in getting young people engaged in their local history. Bunbury Museum and Heritage Centre’s History Mysteries Young Writers Competition claimed top prize at the 2023 Australian Museums and Galleries Association National Awards for the Level 1 Interpretation, Learning and Engagement category. The unique competition sees a Bunbury relic with little known background travel to various schools throughout the Greater Bunbury region, with students told the few details known about the item and encouraged to submit a short story filling in the blanks. BMHC team leader Jenny Scott was excited by the win, saying it was “an honour just to be nominated”. Established in 2022 for high school students, this year’s competition will see the inclusion of a primary school division for Year 5 and 6 students and three separate high school categories. History Mysteries project leader Anna O’Connor said the program aimed to unlock students’ creative side, while also being centred in Bunbury’s heritage. “I always enjoyed creative writing at school and thought that there weren’t always many opportunities out there for creative writing ... so I wanted to create something for the young writers out there. “As a former teacher, creative writing was always an exciting topic to teach so it was so nice to have something that’s quite tangible, and relevant to kids, because it’s something local, yet there is so much scope for your imagination.” Bunbury Mayor Jaysen Miguel said he was thrilled for Bunbury to be acknowledged for a project that provided children with such a sense of belonging. “It’s a huge honour to receive national recognition for our work and it’s been exciting to be able to shine the spotlight on Bunbury. “We think it’s important to engage everyone in the stories of the place they call home, learning more about the local history of Bunbury is a great way to feel a sense of belonging and inclusion in our City. “By asking students to think about how Bunbury has changed over time we’re encouraging them to consider their sense of place, and to connect the people and places of yesteryear to what they’re familiar with today.” Entries for this year’s competition will close on June 30 for primary school students and August 31 for high school students.