Mayor's Writing Competition

Entries are now closed for the 2026 Mayor's Writing Competition.

We take great pride in this competition, which aims to inspire and motivate young minds. This year's theme, "lost and found", was selected by Mayor Mathew Hatcher.

Close to 430 entries were received this year. Good luck to everyone who entered.

A huge thank you to our sponsor: Community Bank Batemans Bay, Bendigo Bank.

Key dates

• Finalists will be announced in August 2026.
• Winners will be announced on Wednesday, 9 September 2026, at the award presentation.

Prizes include:

Syd Hayes Creative Writing Award

• Handcrafted pen generously donated by local artisan Richard Turley.
• Perpetual shield displayed at the recipient’s school

Category Winners

• $100 pre-paid debit card

Category Runner‑Ups

• $50 pre-paid debit card

All Finalists

• Winning entries published in the 2026 Anthology.
• Complimentary copy of the 2026 Anthology.
• Official finalist certificate.
• Plus, additional prizes.

Plagiarism and Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools or resources

• All work must be the sole creation of the named entrant, not that of parents or others.
• Submissions must not be created or enhanced by Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology.
• The artwork must be the sole creation of the named entrant. No images from the internet or artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to create the artworks. They must be the original and unpublished work of the named entrant.
• Submissions found to be plagiarised or created by AI will be rejected.
• Council and judges may use plagiarism and AI detection software in their decision-making process.
• The judges’ decision is final.

Entry terms and conditions

• Read the terms and conditions (301.4 KB)
• Complete your entry and consent form (339.8 KB)
• Mayors' Writing Competition 2026 entry title page (149.0 KB)
• Mayor's Writing Competition 2026 writing tips (704.5 KB)
• Must be a Eurobodalla Shire resident

A special mention to our sponsor, Community Bank Batemans Bay Bendigo Bank, for their continued support of this fantastic competition.

Sponsored by:

More information

To find out more about this competition contact your local library: