Rock Eisteddfod is an Australia wide competition in which schools produce an 8-minute dramatisation of a chosen theme and involves student performers, backstage crew and painters as well as staff and parents. Smith's Hill first entered this competition in 1989 and in 1993 made the Open Grand Final for the first time.

In 1995 we won the Open Grand Final with "Luna Magic" and therefore went into Premier Division. Smith's Hill has made it to the Premier Grand Final every year bar one and came second in 1999.

For the last four years we have experienced great success in this competition coming fourth, third, fourth and second in the State Grand Final all four years. In 2004 and 2006 our school came second in Australia and in our performance of "Tibet - Roof of the World" in 2006 resulted in a private audience with The Dalai Lama.

ROCK EISTEDDFOD 2009

>> see photos of Premier division Guernica

>> see photos of RAW division Black Tide

>> see photos of Pre-RAW division Romeo and Juliet

Friday 31st August was one of the highlights of my career when I saw so many of our students perform so well on stage at the Rock Eisteddfod. We had more than 1000 Smith’s Hill performers, backstage crew, painters, staff, parents and spectators at WIN Entertainment Centre as our students made us all so proud.

Our Year 7 RAW team performed their version of Romeo and Juliet set in ancient China. The Year 8, 9 and 10 RAW team performed “Black Tide”, a battle between marine life and an oil spill. Both teams received awards of excellence for Visual Enhancement and Lighting and the Yrs 8, 9, 10 team won and award for Concept and Environmental Awareness. They also won the Environmental Issue Award for their important portrayal of the problem of oil pollution.

The Year 10, 11 and 12 Premier team performed Guernica, a Picasso inspired story about the horrors of the Spanish Civil War. They received Awards of Excellence for: Choreography, Stage Use, Set Design, Drama, Visual Enhancement, Costuming, Soundtrack and Concept.

Jennifer Green won the Student Achievement Award and Smith’s Hill won the Gemma Dale award for being the school that was voted the friendliest school who demonstrated the spirit of Rock Eisteddfod. Congratulations to all those involved – you were wonderful.

A CD with photos of the performances will soon be available for overnight loan, thanks to an ex-parent Peter Mowbray for the great photos.

Greg Carlon