The talents of young writers from across the Fleurieu Peninsula were celebrated during the 2025 Mayors’ Short Story Challenge.

An initiative of Alexandrina Council, the District Council of Yankalilla and the City of Victor Harbor, the Challenge encourages school-aged children from Reception to Year 10 to let their imaginations run wild and share stories through creative writing.

The challenge received 544 entries from Alexandrina Council, 245 entries from District Council of Yankalilla, and 398 entries from the City of Victor Harbor.

The winners were announced at a celebration held at the Strathalbyn Library on Thursday 11 September. 

More than 200 people from across the Fleurieu attended to recognise the talented work of all the entrants.

Individual category winners received a $50 book voucher, with the overall winner from each council area receiving an additional $50 book voucher. 

The school where the overall winner is enrolled also received $1,000 from their council. In the case where a Home School student wins, the student is invited to select up to $1,000 worth of books or library resources for their local council library.

Special Option category entries were collated from across the region and were judged by members of City of Victor Harbor’s Disability Access and Inclusion Advisory Committee with prizes provided to the category winners by the committee. 

The overall winner’s school receives a $300 voucher to purchase new library resources for their Special Options students.

In presenting the awards, the Mayors from each council praised the children who took up the challenge and demonstrated their creative writing skills.

They also thanked the three public libraries for their coordination of the challenge, along with the principals, teacher-librarians, teacher, and student service officers who played a key role in encouraging students to enter and showcase their talents.

The prizes were provided by the respective councils and Friends of the Library groups and the Disability Access and Inclusion Advisory Committee.

2025 Mayors’ Short Story Challenge Winners

Category Alexandrina Council City of Victor Harbor District Council of Yankalilla

Reception to Year 2 Norah Higgins Libby Baggs Abigail Nottle

Year 1 Year 2 Year 2

Port Elliot Primary School Encounter Lutheran College Yankalilla Area School

Year 3 to Year 4 Henry Green Greta Freeman Joshua McCallum

Year 4 Year 4 Year 3

Home School Victor Harbor Primary School Yankalilla Area School

Year 5 to Year 7 Isaac Lorenz Ruben Croft Addi McArdle

Year 6 Year 7 Year 6

Tyndale Christian School Strath Encounter Lutheran College Rapid Bay Primary School

Year 8 to Year 10 Mia Steed Layla Beaty No entries

Year 10 Year 10

Tyndale Christian School Strath Victor Harbor High School

Overall Winner Isaac Lorenz & Mia Steed Layla Beaty Addi McArdle

Year 6 Year 10 Year 10 Year 6

Tyndale Christian School Strath Victor Harbor High School Rapid Bay Primary School

Special Options Luka Cox No entries Christopher Nemeth & Cruz Stevens

Primary School Category Eastern Fleurieu School R-6 Year 5 Year 6

Strathalbyn Myponga Primary School

Special Options No entries Heath Lloyd No entries

High School Category Victor Harbor High School

Special Options Overall Winner: Christopher Nemeth Year 5 & Cruz Stevens Year 6 Myponga Primary School

Rapid Bay Primary Principal Jenna McArdle, winner of the Year 5 to 7 category and overall winner Addi McArdle, with Yankalilla Mayor Darryl Houston.

Mayor Keith Parkes with some of the recipients of the Mayor’s Short Story Challenge from Alexandrina, Port Elliot Primary School teacher Laila BoscoWhite, left, on behalf of Norah Higgins, Henry Green and Isaac Lorenz.