Amethyst May
Winner of National History Challenge - Victorian Award Ceremony 2025
The BSCDG congratulates Amethyst on her academic achievement this year!
Amethyst was awarded a gold medal at the Victorian Award Ceremony for National History Challenge 2025 in the ‘Women in History’ category.
Her 10 minute documentary, ‘Ballarat Women in the Great War’ features original film footage, photographs and records of the endeavours of the Lucas Factory ‘Girls’ during World War 1 to establish the longest Avenue of Honour in Australia.
Amethyst, our youngest dancer, is 14 years old and a year 8 student at Mt Clear High School.
Kaye Leckie, 2025 President BSCDG
About Amethyst:
Amethyst May, the youngest dancer in the Ballarat Scottish Country Dance Group is still learning the dance style after completing a Beginners’ Course for her Scouting and Compass awards.
She is 14, in Year 8 at Mount Clear College and an avid student. As an extension activity for Humanities she decided to research the Lucas Girls and their involvement in creating an Avenue of Honour during World War 1. She then developed her response to the topic Conflict and Resolution, into a 10 minute documentary featuring original footage, photos & records with her own filming and commentary.
This was submitted through her school to the National History Challenge and selected for the National judging. She was awarded a gold medal in Year 8 and in the special category of Women in History at the 2025 Victorian Award Ceremony, falling incrementally short of a platinum medal awarded at Parliament House in Canberra.
We are proud of her achievements, her continued efforts in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Program and hope to see future historical media presentations like “Ballarat women in the Great War” which was screened at BSCDG one evening after dancing.
