It gives me great pleasure to announce the works that have been shortlisted for the inaugural Prime Minister's Prize for Australian History.
The nation's pre-eminent award for excellence in the field, the prize is part of the Government's commitment to raising the profile of Australian history in the community and restoring it to a central place in school curricula.
A total of 151 works were nominated and the call for nominations and the assessment process have highlighted the volume and quality of work being done in this important field.
I would like to thank my Advisory Committee - Ms Lisa Paul, Emeritus Professor Geoffrey Blainey AC, Associate Professor Gregory Melleuish, Ms Jackie Huggins and Bishop Tom Frame - who have worked very hard to give proper consideration to all of these works.
The Committee has advised me that it has shortlisted the following works for my consideration for the prize. I would like to congratulate:
* Peter Cochrane for "Colonial Ambition: Foundations of Australian Democracy";
* David Branagan for "TW Edgeworth David: A Life";
* Les Carlyon for "The Great War"; and
* Josephine Flood for "The Original Australians: Story of the Aboriginal People".
The Committee has also made a special mention of the contribution of two further works to our understanding of Australia's artistic and political history. These commendations are to Geoffrey Bardon and James Bardon for their work "Papunya: A Place Made After the Story" and to various authors for a group of works nominated as part of the "Sesquicentenary of Responsible Government in New South Wales 1856-2006".
I congratulate all of the prize nominees whose research is contributing to our understanding of the nation's past. I will be announcing the winner and presenting the prize, comprising an embossed gold medallion and a grant of $100,000, on 20 June 2007.