History of NSDC

The National Schools Debating Championships (NSDC) first took place in 1971, and have occurred annually since then.

At the end of each competition, the winning team takes home “The Door”, a large trophy inscribed with each year’s winners. The best speaker in the Grand Final is awarded the Chris Erskine Medal.

The past winners of NSDC are listed below.

2024 (Adelaide) — Winners: VIC

Alice Lieberman

Bianca Chung

Jenny Gong

Nicholas Bogdan

2023 (Melbourne) — Winners: SA

Devika Mukherjee

Max Thomas

Phoebe Chalmers

Thomas Henchliffe

2022 (Canberra) — Winners: QLD

Zoë Fraser

Thomas Musgrave

Thomas Nunn-Rutledge

Harry Rae

2021 (Hobart) — Winners: VIC

Hamish Bruce

Max Fan

Erin Kim

Livia Tropea

2020 (Online) — Winners: NSW

Brendon Chen

Jinyoung Kim

Ally Pitt

Bennett Roebuck-Krautz

2019 (Darwin) — Winners: NSW

Laura Charlton

Ally Pitt

James Price

Anna-Sophia Zahar

2018 (Perth) — Winners: NSW

Alex De Araujo

Indigo Crosweller

Sophie Shead

Daniel Yim

2017 (Brisbane) — Winners: NSW

Ella Finlay

Isabella Monardo

Elinor Stephenson

Daniel Yim

2016 (Sydney) — Winners: Queensland

Callum Dargavel

Tristan Hurree

Isabel Nolan

Xavier Redmond

2015 (Adelaide) — Winners: NSW

Eden Blair

Imogen Harper

Thomas Shortridge

Sam Wolfe

2014 (Melbourne) — Winners: NSW

Imogen Harper

Sophie Large

Seb Rees

James Stratton

2013 (Canberra) — Winners: NSW

Gabriel Bowes-Whitton

Fiona Lin

Harry Rogers

James Stratton

2012 (Hobart) — Winners: Victoria

Tyrone Connell

John Hajek

Annie Williamson

Ronald Zhang

2011 (Perth) — Winners: NSW

Emma Johnstone

Bo Seo

Harry Stratton

Evie Woodforde