The annual Ron Rathbone local history competition winners were announced on Saturday 13 October 2025 at a ceremony at the state-heritage listed Lydham Hall in Rockdale.
The year there were joint winners in both the Open and High School categories.
Rockdale's Convalescent Homes and Nurses, Post WW1 written by Nicole Blay and Janette Pelosi, and Growing Up in Lennox Street by John Tregoning were announced as joint winners in the Open Category.
Rockdale's Convalescent Homes and Nurses, Post WW1 looks at the individuals who served as nurses during and after the First World War caring for Rockdale's returned servicemen.
The work also provides new insights into the converted tramcar hospital in Ramsgate.
Growing Up in Lennox Street by John Tregoning provides a personal insight into Rockdale in the 1950s with old memories brought to life through detailed stories and photographs.
Joint winners were also announced in the High School Category.
Albert Horace Hake - Bayside Resident, Sydney Tech Old Boy and Hero of the Great Escape written by Minh Hoang from Sydney Technical High School, highlights local hero Albert Horace Hake through a variety of primary and secondary sources.
The Loss of Public Housing in Bayside, written by Joshua Osei-Agyei from Sydney Technical High School, examines the creation and subsequent loss of public housing in the Bayside area.
The 2025 judging panel consisted of Anne Slattery OAM and lifetime member of Botany Historical Trust, Robert Hanna, President of the Botany Historical Trust, Wesley Fairhall, President of the St George Historical Society, and Rockdale Library staff member Analies Steensma.
After the ceremony invitees enjoyed a morning tea and a private tour of Lydham Hall which is home to a wonderful collection of fine antiques and period objects.
The annual Ron Rathbone Local History Competition, established in 2006 and named after past Mayor and avid historian Ron Rathbone, encourages local research with all entries added to Council's local history collection.
Entries will be on available online and on display at the Rockdale Library.
Mayor McDougall said:
"I would like to congratulate this year's winners. These well researched and interesting works highlight our vibrant history and make a valuable addition to our local history archive.
"I am pleased that Bayside continues to support this annual competition recognising the valuable role historians play in uncovering our hidden history."
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