Media

2005/2006 writing competition

Group photo The top three

Top Row L-R: Gordon Parker (Executive Director), Dennis Sleigh (Highly commended), Daniel Cremin (Highly commended), Ingrid Barr (Highly commended), Hon Cherie Burton MP, Mark Miller (Highly commended), Siobhan Walsh (2nd place), Robert Stephenson (1st place), Peter Joseph (Institute Chairman).

Bottom Row L-R: Daniel Bainbridge (Highly commended), Jean Sharman (Highly commended), Catriona Russell (Highly commended), Judith Fleming (3rd place)

The top three place getters:
1st place: Robert Stephenson (Centre)
2nd place: Siobhan Walsh (Right)
3rd place: Judith Fleming (Left)
Dog image 

We thank each and every one of the 634 entrants in the Black Dog Writing Competition.   We were overwhelmed by the enthusiastic response we received to this competition and sincerely thank all entrants for sharing their inspiring accounts of how they cope with depression.  
The prizes and awards were presented on 31 May 2006 at a ceremony presided over by the Assistant Minister for Health (Mental Health) the Hon Cherie Burton MP.

Read a news release [PDF, 91KB] PDF version [129KB]

Read the judges’ overview of the entries [Flashpaper] PDF version [41KB]

See more photos from the awards ceremony [Flashpaper] PDF version [1.5MBKB]

Hear some of the winners talk about their stories [3min 03sec Macromedia Breeze Presentation - best with broadband internet connection]

The stories can be downloaded and printed using Macromedia Flashpaper. To print, click on the printer icon (second from the right).

The winners:

1st Prize: Robert Stephenson, SA Learning to Live, Not Suffer - The drugs that didn't get away [Flashpaper] PDF version [68KB]
Poem - Time Does Not Stop (as referred to in story) [Flashpaper]
PDF version [48KB]
2nd Prize: Siobhan Walsh, NSW The Black Dog: An Owner's Manual [Flashpaper] PDF version [100KB]
3rd Prize: Judith Fleming, NSW Understanding My Son's Black Dog [Flashpaper] PDF version [96KB]

Highly commended awards:

Anonymous, TAS How to live with the Black Dog [Flashpaper] PDF version [99KB]
Daniel Bainbridge, WA How I Deal with my Mum's Depression [Flashpaper] PDF version [41KB]
Ingrid Barr, VIC
Daniel Cremin, NSW Learning to Live with Depression [Flashpaper] PDF version [68KB]
Michael Griffith, NSW Me, my Family and Our Secret [Flashpaper] PDF version [47KB]
Kylie Ladd, VIC Bringing the Black Dog to Heel [Flashpaper] PDF version [90KB]
Mark Miller, NSW How to Live with the Black Dog (Depression) [Flashpaper] PDF version [104KB]
Megan Redfern, QLD How to Live with the Black Dog [Flashpaper] PDF version [83KB]
Catriona Russell, QLD Hair of the Dog [Flashpaper] PDF version [213KB]
Jean Sharman, NSW How to Live with the Black Dog [Flashpaper] PDF version [57KB]
Dennis Sleigh, ACT How to Live with the Black Dog [Flashpaper] PDF version [39KB]
Meg Wright, QLD How to Live with the Black Dog [Flashpaper] PDF version [76KB]