News
12 June, 2026
Students practice public speaking skills as part of parliament roadshow
The auditorium of the Gibraltar Hotel in Bowral rang out to the sounds of high school students practicing their speeches as part of the NSW Parliament’s Regional Roadshow on Thursday.
The auditorium of the Gibraltar Hotel in Bowral rang out to the sounds of high school students practicing their speeches as part of the NSW Parliament’s Regional Roadshow on Thursday.
The day consisted of a Public Speaking Competition in the morning as well as a Youth Forum in the afternoon.
First launched in 2024 by the NSW Legislative Council during the NSW Parliament’s Bicentenary year, the Public Speaking Competition gives high school students the opportunity to share their perspectives as well as developing confidence and leadership skills.
Judges for the competition were Member for Wollondilly, Judy Hannan and President of the NSW Legislative Council, The Hon. Ben Franklin.
Senior high school students travelled from as far away as Crookwell, Richmond and even the Blue Mountains to take part in the day, which also included a Youth Forum in the afternoon, where the students could discuss topics relevant to them with politicians and ensure their voices were heard loud and clear.
Students were given six topics to speak on for only six minutes, including:
- Chasing Windmills;
- Unread;
- Kindness Economy;
- Tick, Tick....Boom!:
- The Edges; and
- Cat in the Hat
The Southern Wire spoke to two students from Chevalier College and Moss Vale High School.
Year 12 Chevalier College student Miguel Matias spoke on the theme of ‘Tick, Tick...Boom!
“I feel like I was really successful today and I think I really used this opportunity to say what I wanted to and bring to light that time really runs out faster than we think as humans,” he said.
“We need to cherish that chance and these opportunities everyday that we seem to miss.”
He also praised the organisers for putting on the roadshow.
“It gives opportunities for so many kids to represent their schools and what they’re passionate about, and I think it’s a really powerful platform to be utilised,” he said.
“I am considering a career in teaching, and so I want to use my passion to help others and my coach Ms Paynter has been a really influential figure in my life for what I want to do from now on.”
Year 11 Moss Vale High student Brigid Martin spoke about creative repression in her topic.
“It something I’ve been passionate about since I was very small – I love writing and stories and its always just been a thing for me,” she said.
“I keep seeing more and more people just not being creative at all and repressing it because they don’t think they’re good enough to be heard, and I thought ‘well it’s a pretty original thing to talk about, so I might as well give it a shot!”.
She also thanked one of her mentors from Moss Vale High School for giving her the impetus to speak.
“The lady that came with me, Miss Steyne is a bit newer to the school, but she definitely helped me out the most, and she chose which one of us would come to this forum as well as helping me find resources from previous years. And I think this competition is incredible and that they get us all involved, especially smaller communities like here in Bowral and Moss Vale – I'm looking around and seeing private schools, but also public schools and I think that’s really good they’re giving us the opportunity at all.”
The winner of the Public Speaking Competition was Year 12 Wollondilly Anglican School student William Norman, who gave a passionate speech without notes and drew the audience in with his topic on ‘The Edges’.
William will head to the State Final at NSW Parliament House in Sydney with all the other regional finalists on December 4.
Read More: Bowral, Southern Highlands, Southern Tablelands, Wollondilly, Crookwell, Goulburn