A DESIRE to pass on the importance of history to her students has seen Penshurst librarian Karen Pentland awarded the 2014 Ron Rathbone Local History Prize.
Entrants in the prize, which has run since 2006, were asked to submit a piece of research on Rockdale’s history, buildings, organisations, people, parks, natural features or events.
The prize is named after former mayor, councillor and historian Ron Rathbone OAM.
A librarian at Bethany College, Mrs Pentland said her piece looked at the important contributions that Bexley residents made to the World War I effort.
‘‘I really wanted to look at what happened to the people left at home and how they supported their loved ones,’’ she said.
She researched 59 families who each donated to the Bexley Patriotic Fund-raising Flag, similar to the well-known Kitchener flag, which raised £20,000.
The winning piece took six months to complete and Mrs Pentland said she soon became engrossed in their stories.
‘‘I could really understand where they were coming from,’’ she said.
‘‘I share so many similarities with them that I felt connected.’’
Mrs Pentland said the win was a complete surprise.
‘‘I was really shocked but chuffed,’’ she said.
Other winners included Ramsgate Public School pupil Christian Hill, who won the primary school category, and Tandee Wang, of Sydney Technical High, who won the high school category.
See more about the awards and entries: http://www.rockdale.nsw.gov.au/library/Pages/Library_RonRathbonePrize.aspx
