28/02/2001
The Royal Australian Mint today announced the winner of the Victorian section of the national Centenary of Federation coin design competition.
Interestingly, the winning design was co-prepared by two students from Lara Lake Primary School near Geelong, Ryan Douglas Ladd and Mark Aaron Kenndey.
Ryan and Mark's design will be officially unveiled on the 3 May 2001.
Background
Late last year the Royal Australian Mint conducted a nation-wide competition to find a school student from every Australian State and self-governing Territory whose Centenary of Federation design will appear on a nationally-circulated 20c coin. The competition is a key element of the Mint's Centenary of Federation Coin Program, and supports the aim of involving Australians from every corner of our country in the Centenary of Federation celebrations.
The Victorian design is the fourth of nine to be revealed during 2001. Each State and self-governing Territory will have its own student-designed 20 cent coin, as well as a 50 cent coin bearing its official coat of arms. The student designs will be unveiled close to the time of the official Centenary of Federation celebrations in every State and Territory. The coins will be released in both collector and circulating form during the course of the year.
A cheque for $5,000 will be presented to Lara Lake Primary School by the Royal Australian Mint. Chaffey Secondary College in Mildura and Wedderburn College 75km north-west of Bendigo will receive runner-up awards of $1,000, thanks to the efforts of students Megan Gerber and Mia Hayes respectively.
Mr Graeme Moffatt, Controller of the Mint, said "I was extremely pleased to see such maturity in the primary schoolers' designs. And it is especially touching that two friends have designed the coin together." He expressed special thanks to the many school principals and teachers in Victoria who pitched in to enable their students to submit designs. In total just over 260 Victorian schools submitted entries to the Mint, with most schools putting forward at least three designs.