Lane Cove History 2026 Prize – Tell Your Lane Cove Story

Ever wondered about the story behind your street, your family, or a local landmark? The Lane Cove Historical Society (LCHS) is inviting locals to help preserve and celebrate the rich history of Lane Cove by entering the 2026 Lane Cove History Prize.

The winner will receive a cash prize of $1500.

The award encourages Lane Cove residents to research and document the colourful history of the Lane Cove Municipality. There is also a 2026 LCHS Student History Prize, giving younger locals the chance to get involved too.

You do not need to be a historian to enter — just someone with curiosity and a connection to Lane Cove.

A successful entry should document aspects of the lives of people in Lane Cove and its environs, including areas beyond modern-day Lane Cove, which once covered a broader area.

As one of the earliest settlement sites on the northern side of Sydney Harbour, Lane Cove has a fascinating history, and many of its stories are still waiting to be told. In the 20th and 21st centuries, the community has also experienced significant social change, all of which deserves to be reflected on and recorded.

A vibrant community like Lane Cove deserves to have its strengths, achievements and stories recognised and celebrated.

Submissions can be on any aspect of Lane Cove’s history, but this could also be a wonderful opportunity to tell your family’s Lane Cove story.

Other possible research topics include:

• interesting Lane Cove individuals or families
• the history behind your street
• early settlers or ethnic groups who came to live in Lane Cove
• bushcare groups
• your local sporting team’s history
• your local school’s history
• your local church’s history
• your local community group’s history
• local roads and transport systems

This is also a great opportunity for Lane Cove seniors to write their own histories, or for families to sit down with grandparents, older relatives or neighbours and document their memories of life in Lane Cove.

Entry Requirements

For the 2026 LCHS Lane Cove History Prize, entrants may submit one of the following:

• an essay (illustrated where appropriate) of 5,000 to 7,000 words
• an oral history, either a video or audio recording, of 30 to 45 minutes
• a documentary-style video of 7 to 20 minutes

Find full guidelines and entry details here.

Guidelines, Submissions and Closing Date

Details, including guidelines and submission criteria, can be found here. Entries must be submitted by 31 August 2026. If you have any questions about the prize, you can email [email protected].

The best submissions will be published in the LCHS Journal, archived in the LCHS Collection and given to the Local Studies Unit of the Lane Cove Library. While this project will primarily benefit Lane Cove residents, it will also enrich historical research resources in New South Wales and Australia more broadly.

2026 LCHS Student History Prize

This prize is open to students aged 18 years and under. Entries should follow the above guidelines, but be of a shorter length.

Students are encouraged to submit:

• a written text about the life of an interesting person, building or sport, illustrated with photos and/or drawings
• a video or audio interview with an interesting person, accompanied by a written explanation
• a short documentary on video

Shortlisted entries for the Student History Prize will receive a certificate, with the winning entry awarded a $200 book voucher.

To encourage younger students, a $100 book voucher will also be awarded to the best shortlisted entry from a primary school student.

The range of possible themes is broad and could include an institution such as a sporting club, musical group, church, family, house, street or a person connected to the area.

Younger students might choose to interview their grandparents, research their family’s story, or explore the history of a local sports or music club that interests them.

Entry form links can be found here.

History Writing Workshop

The Lane Cove Historical Society is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Lane Cove History Prize and to assist locals to enter the prize they are organising a workshop on Monday 20 April 2026 at 6:00 pm  8:00 pm at the Lane Cove Library.

This is a FREE event but you must register here via the Trybooking app.

The workshop will cover:

• Where to find the best research sources
• How to make your entry look professional
• What makes a winning submission
• Plus, this year we’ll include a special session on how to create oral histories.

Previous Winners

The prize is now awarded every second year.  Previous winners include:

The 2025 the winner was  Christina Faulk for her essay, “The Tribulations of Mr Digby and Dr Campbell Superintendents, Tarban Creek Mental Hospital” (Tarban Creek used to be part of Lane Cove).  Read about the winning entry here.

The 2023 winner was Jane Van Balen.

Jane’s Prize-winning essay was named, ‘A Gentle Artist: The Life of H. Leonard Greening (1904-1984)’.

As the name suggests, the essay celebrates the life of Jane’s grandfather, known as Len Greening, who emigrated from England to Australia in 1924. Trained originally in England as a machinist, Len had also commenced his studies in art before he left England, and he continued his art studies at the East Sydney Technical College. He found work as a commercial artist with WD and HO Wills, eventually joining the advertising department, where his artistic skills found expression.  Read more here.

The 2022 winner was Ruth Benfield, for an affectionate and sensitive account of Ruth’s family connections with Carisbrook Historic House in the 1950s and 1960s.  More details here.

The 2020 winner was  Dr. Susan Ingham for her essay, “Hold Your course. The Participation of Women in the Lane Cove Sailing Clubs”.  This essay arose from Susan’s considerable personal interest in the emergence of sailing as a sport and in the participation of women in the sport.  More details here.