General News
23 November, 2023
Former local awarded Prime Minister’s literary prize
Maryborough’s former local and award-winning author is making waves again — with her recent success for an “exceptional” book securing her the top spot alongside the nation’s best literary names. Considered to be one of Australia’s most...
Maryborough’s former local and award-winning author is making waves again — with her recent success for an “exceptional” book securing her the top spot alongside the nation’s best literary names.
Considered to be one of Australia’s most coveted prizes for writers across the country, the 2023 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards will forever hold a special place in Maryborough’s heart.
Creating a historical moment of her own, Shannyn Palmer, a product of the town, took out the gold medal for her book, Unmaking Angas Downs: Myth and History on a Central Australian Pastoral Station, in the Australian History category.
The book records oral histories of the Anangu people who travelled to and lived at the station — established in the late 1920s at Walara, Central Australia — providing a rarely given historical account by First Nations voices compared to the records most often kept for places like Angas Downs by white pastoralists.
A decade long effort, Dr Palmer’s outstanding work, according to the judges, is a “book of our times” and the author herself, the judges said, brings “an exciting new voice in history-making”.
“I feel really honoured that my work is being seen and recognised at this level, in this way,” Dr Palmer said.
“While I was studying history at university, I was struck by the fact that I was learning a lot of stuff about our past here in Australia that I didn’t actually learn growing in high school and so I became really interested in exploring why that was the case — why so much of our history hadn’t been shared or told.
“[This book] then sort of emerged from that questioning.”
With multiple qualifications under her belt, including a PhD in History from the Australian National University, Dr Palmer also credits her humble beginnings at Maryborough Education Centre (MEC), for her success.
“I’m proud of having grown up in regional Victoria and I’m proud of having come from Maryborough,” she said.
“The person I am today, is because of my childhood, my upbringing and my schooling.
“I think my English teachers would particulary be happy about this award because I’ve always loved writing and it’s always been something I’m good at. I had a really good experience in school, I developed a lot as a person and there’s some teachers who have had a great impact on me.”
According to Dr Palmer, coming from a small town doesn’t mean you can’t go on to achieve great things — and her advice to the younger generation is to always dream big.
“I think everyone needs to focus on what their goals and desires are, whatever it is that puts a fire in your belly, keep focusing on that,” she said.
“What I’ve achieved is a testament to the fact that anything is possible, no matter where you come from — you can still accomplish amazing things in your life.
“Never let anybody tell you otherwise.”
This is the second award Dr Palmer has received for her book — in August this year, she also received the Chief Minister’s Northern Territory History Book Award.
To read more about Dr Palmer’s book Unmaking Angas Downs, including the judges comments for her recent win, visit creative.gov.au