2011 Kokoda Winners AnnouncedThe winners of this years George Collins Award have been announced by Gary Blackwood MP after another year of exceptional entries by local students.
The award is named in honour of George Collins, an 91 year old retired Warragul businessman and Kokoda Veteran who fought with the 2nd/14th Battalion at Kokoda in 1942.
The George Collins Award, now in its fourth year aims to raise awareness among Baw Baw Shire students of the actions and bravery shown by Australians who served in Papua New Guinea during the Second World War.
The successful students will trek the Kokoda Track in July this year on a 9 day trek that will take them over paths used by Australian soldiers during the conflict. Students will also prepare for the trek with experienced Kokoda Trekkers Bernie Rowell and Gary Blackwood.
The application process involved year 10 students from the region being invited to submit an essay of no more than 600 words explaining what the Kokoda story meant to the applicant, and what it means to Australia today.
This year more than twenty applications were received from across the shire, with eight students being asked for secondary interviews, and finally two students selected for the award.
The winners for 2011 were Duncan Hamilton of St Pauls Anglican Grammar School and William Sheils of Marist-Sion College Warragul.
The financial support and generosity of local businessmen Bernie Rowell, Michael Blackwood, Duncan McNeil and the Collins family after whom the award is named made it possible for two finalists to be awarded the George Collins Kokoda Award in 2011.
As part of the award, the two successful students also attended a dinner at Parliament House Melbourne hosted by Gary Blackwood in honour of the 39th Battalion which during the campaign comprised a large number of servicemen from the Gippsland region. | 
