When Amelia A’s English class at Coonabarabran High School was asked to write an opinion piece on the subject “What Matters?” she never imagined she would end up in Sydney, meeting former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam.

The Year 10 student’s story ”Bystander” was announced as the overall winner of the Whitlam Institute’s annual “What Matters?” essay competition, at the University of Western Sydney (UWS).

Australian authors Emily Rodda and Professor Jane Goodall were among the judges who chose Amelia’s story out of entries from 860 students in Years 5 to 12, across NSW and the ACT.

Students were invited to submit a 400-600 word essay on social issues important to them and wrote about a diverse range of topics including global warming, the environment, poverty and the importance of family and friends.

Crime novelist and member of the UWS writing and society research group Professor Goodall, said in writing about peer pressure and bullying, Amelia had “succeeded to find an individual voice for a story that was drawn from her own lived experience”.

“Amelia constructed a vivid and personal story, which draws the reader into the scene and displays a genuine concern for the problems faced by her own age group,” Professor Goodall said.

Each finalist was presented with a certificate signed by Mr Whitlam, a monetary prize and an invitation to attend a young writers’ workshop.

Amelia said she was looking forward to writing as a career. “I want to be a journalist, to cover social issues and because I love writing,” Amelia said.