australia at wsdc
The Australian Schools Debating Team is selected at the conclusion of each National Schools Debating Championships (NSDC). The team consists of five students who performed strongly at NSDC. The students typically come from a number of different states and territories.
A coach and two adjudicators are also selected to attend the World Schools Debating Championships (WSDC). The coach and adjudicators train and supervise the team members, and are usually themselves long-standing members of the Australian debating community. The coach and adjudicators are required to fulfil the relevant working with children requirements of their state or territory of residence.
Australia’s participation at WSDC is only possible because of the support of the Commonwealth Department of Education and Training, which provides funding to the team members. This funding permits all selected team members to attend the competition, regardless of their family background or the school they attend.
Past Australian teams at WSDC, and their result at the competition, are listed below. Our records of WSDC are sadly incomplete. If you can contribute further information, please let us know.
WSDC 2024 (Serbia)
Team Members:
William McCarthy (Captain)
Alice Liberman
Jenny Gong
Michael Kwak
Samuel Ricketts
Coach: Oliva Whyte
Adjudicators: Koh Kawaguchi and Gypsy Polacheck
Result: Octo-Finalists
WSDC 2023 (Vietnam)
Team Members:
Darshanik Aryal (Captain)
Devika Mukherjee
Jaime Leivers
Josh Qin
Max Thomas
Coach: Koh Kawaguchi
Adjudicators: Olivia Whyte and Xavier Hill Wilson
Result: Partial Double Octo-Finalists
WSDC 2022 (Online)
Team Members:
Thomas Nunn-Rutledge (Captain)
Catie Bako
Toby Mok
Harry Rae
Livia Tropea
Coach: Shiva Mukherjee
Adjudicators: Robert Barrie, Xavier Hill Wilson and Madeleine McNeil
Result: Octo-Finalists
WSDC 2021 (Online)
Team Members:
Max Fan (Captain)
Elanor Parkinson
Harry Rae
Ben Scott
Livia Tropea
Coaches: Zoë Chalmers, Daniel Yim and Ben Solomon*
Adjudicator: Madeleine McNeil**
Result: Octo-Finalists
*Ben Solomon was elected as an adjudicator but performed a coaching role as COVID disrupted the attendance of other coaches
**Xavier Hill Wilson and Michael Donaghue Evans also attended in a supervisory role
Pan-Pacific Debating Championships 2020 (Online)
Team Members:
Sierra Turay (Captain)
Luc Cazenave
Shiva Mukherjee
Ally Pitt
Ben Scott
Coach: Imogen Harper
Adjudicators: Callum Dargavel, Laura Gunning, Lauren Gunther, Mac Hanlin and Daniel Yim
Result: Champions
WSDC 2019 (Sri Lanka)
Team Members:
Rana Ibrahim (Captain)
Milly Chen
Ally Pitt
Ben Solomon
Sierra Turay
Coach: Imogen Harper
Adjudicators: Laura Gunning and Mac Hanlin
Result: Quarter-Finalists
WSDC 2018 (Croatia)
Team Members:
Daniel Yim (Captain)
Zoë Chalmers
Lauren Gunther
Rana Ibrahim
Ellen Thurlow
Coach: James Stratton
Adjudicators: Laura Gunning and Imogen Harper
Result: Quarter-Finalists
WSDC 2017 (Indonesia)
Team Members:
Daniel Yim (Captain)
Zoë Chalmers
Arth Mishra
Isabel Nolan
Jack Solomon
Coach: Bo Seo
Adjudicators: Sophie Large and James Stratton
Result: Quarter-Finalists
WSDC 2016 (Germany)
Team Members:
Eden Blair (Captain)
Egshiglen Chuluunhuu
Callum Dargavel
Xavier Redmond
Thomas Shortridge
Coach: Bo Seo
Adjudicators: Sophie Large and Nick Salmon
Result: Semi-Finalists
WSDC 2015 (Singapore)
Team Members:
Imogen Harper (Captain)
Eden Blair
Sarah Bostock
Manning Clifford
Luke Macaronas
Coaches: Chris Bisset and Daniel Swain
Adjudicators: Zoe Brown and Tyrone Connell
Result: Semi-Finalists
WSDC 2014 (Thailand)
Team Members:
James Stratton (Captain)
Jane Carroll
John Hajek
Sophie Large
Thomas Parnell
Coaches: Chris Bisset and Daniel Swain
Adjudicators: Elle Jones and Nick Salmon
Result: Quarter-Finalists
Pan-Pacific Debating Championships 2013 (Australia)
Team Members:
James Stratton (Captain)
Gabriel Bowes-Whitton
Zoe Brown
Soraya Pradhan
Annie Williamson
Coaches: Chris Bisset and Daniel Swain
Result: Champions
WSDC 2013 (Turkey)
Team Members:
Bo Seo (Captain)
Zoe Brown
Tyrone Connell
Nick Salmon
James Stratton
Coach: Steve Hind
Adjudicators: Chris Bisset and Kristen Price
Result: Champions
WSDC 2012 (South Africa)
Team Members:
Beatrice Paull (Captain)
Tyrone Connell
Emma Johnstone
Ned Lis-Clarke
Bo Seo
Coach: Steve Hind
WSDC 2011 (Qatar)
Team Members:
Beatrice Paull (Captain)
Tyrone Connell
Emma Johnstone
Ned Lis-Clarke
Bo Seo
Coach: Chris Croke
Result: Grand-Finalists
WSDC 2010 (Qatar)
Team Members:
Lucy Wark (Captain)
Laura Birchall
Joanna Connolly
Eleanor Gordon-Smith
Charlotte Thomas
WSDC 2009 (Greece)
Team Members:
Kelly Butler (Captain)
Chris Bisset
Emily Chalk
Daniel Swain
Eleanor Gordon-Smith
Charlotte Thomas
Result: Quarter-Finalists
WSDC 2008 (United States)
Team Members:
Kelly Butler (Captain)
Chris Bisset
Emily Chalk
Hugh Satterthwaite
Daniel Swain
Coach: Evan Goldman
Adjudicators: Todd Golding and Erin O’Brien
Result: Octo-Finalists
WSDC 2007 (Korea)
Team Members:
Kelly Butler
Paul Karp
Kaerlin McCormick
Jeremy Rich
James Wilson