Video transcript
NSW Premier's Spelling Bee 2018 - Junior state final

ANDREW LASAITIS: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen and our contestants. I have great pleasure in welcoming you to the Eugene Goossens Hall for this year's Junior State Final of the Premier's Spelling Bee. Let me begin by acknowledging we are on the traditional land of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. I pay my respects to elders past, present, and emerging, and extend that respect to other Aboriginals here today.

Welcome to the 50 junior state finalists, who have each won their regional final to be here with us. I'd like to extend a warm welcome to the principals, the teachers, fellow students, and families of these finalists, many of whom have travelled from all over the state to attend this morning's final. It is a real achievement to have progressed this far, so best of luck to you all. Special mention goes to the following schools that have brought classmates to cheer on their finalists-- Rozelle Public and Abbotsford Public School.

I extend our appreciation to the sponsors of this year's spelling bee, and welcome representatives from our principal partner, Modern Teaching Aids, Mr. Peter Boyd, Mr. Paul Mitchell, Ms. Natalie Sella, and Mr. Matthew Maher. Ms. Xenica Ayling, Marketing Coordinator from our media partner, ABC Radio Sydney. Thanks also go to Macquarie Dictionary, Pan MacMillan, the official word list provider. I would also like to acknowledge the contribution of our sponsor, Scrabble, who provided Australian edition games for host schools at the regional finals.

I am delighted to inform you that the Honourable Premier Gladys Berejiklian will be in attendance for the concluding stages of this morning's final. And all contestants are encouraged to stay until the end of the final to receive a medallion and prize from our distinguished guests. Our student officials chairing the final are from Cherrybrook Public School. They are accompanied by their teacher, Mr. Nick Starr. Special thanks in advance for their efforts here this morning. I will hand over to Emily Hughes and Lucas Xiao from Cherrybrook Public School, who will take over these proceedings after the official welcome. And so, I would now like to call upon Ms. Rosemary Davis, Director, Arts, Sports, and Initiatives with the New South Wales Department of Education to officially open the 2018 Junior State Final of the Premier's Spelling Bee.

ROSEMARY DAVIS: Well, good morning everybody, and a very warm welcome to a very warm city today. This is the grand final of the Premier's Junior State Spelling Bee. And on stage today, we have finalists from all over New South Wales. What a fantastic achievement, one that you should be very, very proud of. You are the best spellers in the competition. And wow, haven't we had some competitions? There has been 167,000 students participate in this competition, and they've been from 972 primary schools across New South Wales. That's an increase of 12,000 students from last year, and an extra 72 schools that have participated.

So this competition is growing and growing every year. When you think about that, students, that's bigger than the whole city of Cairns or Darwin. So that's how well you have done to be sitting here. And in sporting terms, we'd say that you've now made the New South Wales team. So we might verse Queensland next year in a state of origin of spelling. So you're the best of the best. For the parents and friends that are in the audience, these students have competed in regional finals across the state, and there was 3,800 students that made the finals-- 50 local finals in regional areas.

Some of these-- so we could tap into the remote areas of the state-- were done through connected classrooms and technology, which ensures that everyone gets access to the spelling bee. And it's great to have a look at the programme and see that we've got people from Tweed Heads, way up north to Aubrey, in the south to Narromine, out west to Wagga in the Southwest, and the list goes on. So a big thank you to the teachers, and to the parents in particular, for your support that enabled your child to be here today.

I'm sure you're very nervous, students. But if you think you're nervous, just have a look at your parents and friends in the audience. They are just as nervous for you. A big thank you to Wendy Harmer. You have a very focused job for the next three hours, Wendy, and I thank you for your terrific support. Doing the radio show this morning, I'm sure you would have been up about 4 o'clock in the morning. And I hear you have another function tonight, so it's a very, very long day for you. Thank you very much. And also, Wendy is very proud of her dad, who was a headmaster in the public school system. So it's great to have someone with that teaching pedigree in her family.

Also, just a quick shout out to our sponsors-- Modern Teaching Aids, Macquarie Dictionary, and also our prize sponsor, Scrabble. OK. Well, let the games begin. Good luck to all of you. I hope you have a wonderful time. This will be a memory that you'll keep forever. It is my great pleasure to welcome you all and to open the Premier's Spelling Bee. And I will now hand it over to Emily from Cherrybrook Public School. Thank you again.

[applause]

EMILY HUGHES: Thank you, Ms. Davis. I'd now like to introduce you to the three judges for today's event. They are Victoria Morgan, Amanda Banks, and Marianne Powles. Victoria Morgan has worked for Macquarie Dictionary since 2004. She is now senior editor, and works with a small team on the extensive Macquarie range. As language is continuously changing, it is a never-ending job to try to keep up to date with the new terms, as well as shifts in language and style of Australian English. She also manages the creation and content of state and national spelling bees.

Amanda Banks is the English advisor for kindergarten to year 6 with the early learning and primary education section of learning and leadership, New South Wales Department of Education. She loves her job because she gets to talk with teachers all day about English. Her favourite word used to be Czechoslovakia, because it sounded so exotic. But now it is two separate countries, and no longer exists as one. Her favourite word now is calendar.

Marianne Powles is the arts programme and partnerships coordinator in the arts, sports, and initiatives directorate of the New South Wales Department of Education. Prior to moving to the arts unit, she was a principal of Marulan Public School in the Southern Tablelands. She holds a master's in literacy education with a focus on language, and she has a great admiration for anyone who can accurately spell out loud.

LUCAS XIAO: In a career spanning four decades, Wendy has found success as a journalist, columnist, radio broadcaster, TV host, author, play writer, and comic performer. A former political journalist, Wendy ran away with the circus in the '80s, and forged a career in comedy at the Edinburgh Festival, London's West End, and on stages in Ireland, the US, and all over Australia. Wendy was a pioneer for women in the medias, as emcee of ABC TV'S 'The Big Gig,' and as the headline in Radio Today FM's morning crew, which dominated Sydney's radio rating for 11 years.

She is the author of some 30 fictional books for children, teens, and women. She has also written plays and opera libretto, and has been a prolific columnist for many magazines and newspaper, mostly notable as editor in chief of her own site for women, 'The Hoopla.' These days, you can hear her on ABC Sydney's radio as co-host of the Breakfast Programme with Robbie Buck between 6:15 AM and 10:00 AM. Wendy is married to Brendan. They have two children and live on Sydney's northern beaches. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Wendy Harmer.

[applause]

WENDY HARMER: Thank you very much indeed for all that. But, ah, can she spell?

[laughter]

Well, she can, but not out loud. Hello to all the moms and dads here. A big wave from you. Lovely to have you here. Welcome. If you are from out of town, as so many of you are, welcome to the Big Smoke. Where are all the brothers and sisters? Put your hands up here. Lovely to see you, too. What about a big cheer for your big brothers and sisters?

[applause]

Big cheer. And hello to all the teachers as well, and of course, our distinguished guests. And you. Wow. How good are you on the New South Wales team?

[applause]

EMILY HUGHES: Welcome to the first round of the Junior Final of the Premier's Spelling Bee. Please welcome Ella Huber.

WENDY HARMER: The first word today in the 2018 State Final of the Premier's Spelling Bee-- leaf. 'She held the leaf up to the light and could see the intricate pattern of its veins.' Leaf.

ELLA HUBER: Leaf. L-E-A-F. Leaf.

WENDY HARMER: That is correct. Thank you. Our next contestant, if you could come up. Thanks. [inaudible]

LUCAS XIAO: Please welcome Simone Bande.

WENDY HARMER: Your word this morning is era. 'The era most associated most with the dinosaurs is the Jurassic era.'

SIMONE BANDE: Era. E-R-A. Era.

WENDY HARMER: Correct.

EMILY HUGHES: Please welcome Grace Goldman.

WENDY HARMER: Your word today is donkey. 'The donkey was very stubborn and did not want to move.' Donkey.

GRACE GOLDMAN: Donkey. D-O-N-K-E-Y. Donkey.

WENDY HARMER: Correct.

LUCAS XIAO: Please welcome Elise O'Brien.

WENDY HARMER: The word I'd like you to spell is deer. 'We swerved to miss the deer that darted onto the road.' Deer.

ELISE O'BRIEN: Deer. D-E-E-R. Deer.

WENDY HARMER: Correct. Thank you.

EMILY HUGHES: Please welcome Emilia McCarthy.

WENDY HARMER: Your word today is crowd. 'A crowd had gathered to see the film star.' Crowd.

EMILIA MCCARTHY: Crowd. C-R-O-W-D. Crowd.

WENDY HARMER: Correct. Thank you.

LUCAS XIAO: Please welcome Jonathan Gayagay.

WENDY HARMER: Green is your word. 'She wore a green dress, the same colour as her eyes.' Green.

JONATHAN GAYAGAY: Green. G-R-E-E-N. Green.

WENDY HARMER: Correct.

EMILY HUGHES: Please welcome Leon Panopolous.

WENDY HARMER: Your word today, Leon, is garden. 'They were sent outside to play in the garden.' Garden.

LEON PANOPOLOUS: Garden. G-A-R-D-E-N. Garden.

WENDY HARMER: Thank you. Correct. Our next contestant.

LUCAS XIAO: Please welcome Varad Joshi.

WENDY HARMER: Your word today is Athens. 'A trip to Athens isn't complete without a visit to the Acropolis.' Athens.

VARAD JOSHI Athens. A-T-H-E-N-S. Athens.

WENDY HARMER: Correct. Thank you.

EMILY HUGHES: Please welcome Samaira Zaman.

WENDY HARMER: Spain. 'My brother is planning to go to Spain for the running of the bulls festival in Pamplona.' Spain.

SAMAIRA ZAMON: Spain. S-P-A-I-N. Spain.

WENDY HARMER: Could you just repeat that for me, please?

SAMAIRA ZAMON: Spain. S-P-A-I-N. Spain.

WENDY HARMER: Correct. Thank you very much indeed. I heard a little bit of a-- I wasn't sure whether I heard an E or an A there. The next contestant please.

LUCAS XIAO: Please welcome Starbella Tonkin.

WENDY HARMER: Your word is moon. 'In stories about werewolves, you should never go outside when there's a full moon.' Moon.

STARBELLA TONKIN: Moon. M-O-O-N. Moon.

WENDY HARMER: Correct.

EMILY HUGHES: Please welcome Oliver Bishell.

WENDY HARMER: Your word is barn. 'We had a good store of hay in the barn to use over the winter.' Barn.

OLIVER BISHELL: Barn. B-A-R-N. Barn.

WENDY HARMER: Correct.

LUCAS XIAO: Please welcome Carla Anderson.

WENDY HARMER: Could you please spell round? 'I like the round mirror better than the square one.' Round.

CARLA ANDERSON: Round. R-O-U-N-D. Round.

WENDY HARMER: Correct.

EMILY HUGHES: Please welcome Diksha Chowdhary.

WENDY HARMER: Your word is half. 'My brother and I had half the chocolate bar each, so it was fair.' Half.

DIKSHA CHOWDHARY Half. H-A-L-F. Half.

WENDY HARMER: Thank you. Correct.

LUCAS XIAO: Please welcome Mnhar Singh Lamba

WENDY HARMER: Please spell for us window. 'We were taught to close every window before shutting down the computer.' Window.

MNHAR SINGH LAMBA: Window. W-I-N-D-O-W. Window.

WENDY HARMER: Correct.

EMILY HUGHES: Please welcome Ruby Smith.

WENDY HARMER: The word we have for you is taste. 'I love the sweet, creamy taste of ice cream.' Taste.

RUBY SMITH: Taste. T-A-S-T-E. Taste.

WENDY HARMER: Thank you.

LUCAS XIAO: Please welcome Grace Wellington.

WENDY HARMER: And your word this morning is rash. 'He wasn't supposed to scratch his rash, even though it was really itchy.' Rash.

GRACE WELLINGTON: Rash. R-A-S-H. Rash.

WENDY HARMER: That's correct. Thank you.

EMILY HUGHES: Please welcome Elias Reeve.

WENDY HARMER: Your word is floor. 'There are clothes all over the floor of my room.' Floor.

ELIAS REEVE: Floor. F-L-O-O-R. Floor.

WENDY HARMER: Correct.

LUCAS XIAO: Please welcome George Wall.

WENDY HARMER: Your word is front. 'The stairs at the front of the house get very slippery when it rains.' Front.

GEORGE WALL: Front. F-R-O-N-T. Front.

WENDY HARMER: Correct.

EMILY HUGHES: Please welcome Marley Brown.

WENDY HARMER: Could you please spell inside? 'Inside the box was a collection of old medals.' Inside.

MARLEY BROWN: Inside. I-N-S-I-D-E. Inside.

WENDY HARMER: That is right. Thank you.

LUCAS XIAO: Please welcome Zachary Glover.

WENDY HARMER: The word I have for you, rather, is rain. 'Farmers are hoping that the rain will fill their dams.' Rain.

ZACHARY GLOVER: Rain. R-A-I-N. Rain.

WENDY HARMER: Thank you. Correct.

EMILY HUGHES: Please welcome Nethuli Pathirana.

WENDY HARMER: Your word today is bear. 'A bear can be very dangerous, so you never want to approach one if you see it in the wild.' Bear.

NETHULI PATHIRANA; Bear. B-E-A-R. Bear.

WENDY HARMER: Thank you. Correct.

LUCAS XIAO: Please welcome Sophia Stojko.

WENDY HARMER: The word I have for you today is foil. 'You need a foil and a protective mask in the sport of fencing.' Foil.

SOPHIA STOJKO: Foil. F-O-I-L. Foil.

WENDY HARMER: Correct. Thank you.

EMILY HUGHES: Please welcome Bruce Zhang.

WENDY HARMER: Your word is inbox. 'It took me a whole day to clear the emails from my inbox after I came back from my holiday.' Inbox.

BRUCE ZHANG: Inbox. I-N-B-O-X. Inbox.

WENDY HARMER: Correct.

LUCAS XIAO: Please welcome Madelyn Maloney.

WENDY HARMER: Your word is start. 'The crowd was silent as the race was about to start.' Start.

MADELYN MALONEY: Start. S-T-A-R-T. Start.

WENDY HARMER: Thank you. Correct.

EMILY HUGHES: Please welcome Daniel Thompson.

WENDY HARMER: The word is rice. 'Rice is a perfect accompaniment for a stir fry.' Rice.

DANIEL THOMPSON: Rice. R-I-C-E. Rice.

WENDY HARMER: Thank you.

LUCAS XIAO: Please welcome Kolpo Shayano

WENDY HARMER: The word I have for you here is silver. 'My new ring is made of silver.' Silver.

KOLPO SHAYANO Silver. S-L-I-- Can I say it again?

WENDY HARMER: Mm-hmm.

KOLPO SHAYANO S-I-L-V-E-R. Silver.

WENDY HARMER: Correct.

EMILY HUGHES: Please welcome Callan Peterson.

WENDY HARMER: Your word is rose. 'I cut a rose from the garden, but got scratched by one of its thorns.' Rose.

CALLAN PETERSON: Rose. R-O-S-E. Rose.

WENDY HARMER: Thank you.

LUCAS XIAO: Please welcome Marcus Kilburn.

WENDY HARMER: The word is storm. 'The storm suddenly hit, and we all raced for cover.' Storm.

MARCUS KILBURN: Storm. S-T-O-R-M. Storm.

WENDY HARMER: Thank you.

EMILY HUGHES: Please welcome Jessica Woods.

WENDY HARMER: Your word today is goat. 'My aunt's goat often gets into trouble for eating the clothes drying on the line.' Goat.

JESSICA WOODS: Goat. G-O-A-T. Goat.

WENDY HARMER: That is correct.

LUCAS XIAO: Please welcome Julian Nielsen.

WENDY HARMER: Your word is trust. 'She's been my friend for many years, and I can trust her to help.' Trust.

JULIAN NIELSEN: Trust. T-R-U-S-T. Trust.

WENDY HARMER: Thank you.

EMILY HUGHES: Please welcome Eden Sykes-Stuart.

WENDY HARMER: The word I would like for you to spell today is power. 'We lost all electrical power in the blackout.' Power.

EDEN SYKES-STUART: Power. P-O-W-E-R. Power.

WENDY HARMER: That is quite right. Thank you.

LUCAS XIAO: Please welcome Oscar Sutherland.

WENDY HARMER: We're looking for the spelling of the word story today. 'We read a short story about pirates in class.' Story.

OSCAR SUTHERLAND: Story. S-T-O-R-Y. Story.

WENDY HARMER: Thank you. Quite right.

EMILY HUGHES: Please welcome Charlie Wellings.

WENDY HARMER: Carpet is your word. 'We have green carpet in the living room.' Carpet.

CHARLIE WELLINGS: Carpet. C-A-R-P-E-T. Carpet.

WENDY HARMER: Quite right. Thank you.

LUCAS XIAO: Please welcome Mikaela Bathan.

WENDY HARMER: The word is real. 'This story is even more exciting because you know it happened in real life.' Real.

MICHAELA BATHAN: Real. R-E-A-L. Real.

WENDY HARMER: Thank you. Correct.

EMILY HUGHES: Please welcome Raaid Mahbub.

WENDY HARMER: Peru. 'Peru was a Spanish colony before claiming independence in 1826.' Peru.

RAAID MAHBUB:: Peru. P-E-R-U. Peru.

WENDY HARMER: Thank you. Correct.

LUCAS XIAO: Please welcome Kevin Quach.

WENDY HARMER: Skim is the word I have for you. Skim. 'Look how the words skim across-- the birds, rather-- skim across the lake.' Skim.

KEVIN QUACH: Skim. S-K-I-M. Skim.

WENDY HARMER: Thank you. Correct.

EMILY HUGHES: Please welcome Caelin Su.

WENDY HARMER: And your first word today is river. 'We paddled our canoes along the river.'

CAELIN SU: River. R-I-V-E-R. River.

WENDY HARMER: Thank you. Correct.

LUCAS XIAO: Please welcome Maxim Ceccato

WENDY HARMER: The word I have for you is party. 'I'm having a birthday party next week.' Party.

MAXIM CECCATO: Party. P-A-R-T-Y. Party.

WENDY HARMER: Thank you.

EMILY HUGHES: Please welcome Pramit Foisol.

WENDY HARMER: The word I have here for you is hunt. 'Please help me hunt for my wallet.' Hunt.

PRAMIT FOISOL: Hunt. H-U-N-T. Hunt

WENDY HARMER: That's correct. Thank you.

LUCAS XIAO: Please welcome Sophia Maniaci.

WENDY HARMER: Salad is your word. 'I don't like tomatoes, so I always pick them out of my salad.' Salad.

SOPHIA MANIACI:: Salad. S-A-L-A-D. Salad.

WENDY HARMER: Correct. Thank you.

EMILY HUGHES: Please welcome Alex Zhang.

WENDY HARMER: Thanks, Alex. Your word, Alex, is stamp. 'I'll have to buy a stamp before I can post this letter.' Stamp.

ALEX ZHANG: Stamp. S-T-A-M-P. Stamp.

WENDY HARMER: Thank you.

LUCAS XIAO: Please welcome Rylee Steele.

WENDY HARMER: Your word today is bell. 'I think Alexander Graham Bell, who invented the telephone, would be surprised to see the types of phones we use today.' Your word, again, is bell.

RYLEE STEELE Bell. B-E-L-L. Bell.

WENDY HARMER: Thank you.

EMILY HUGHES: Please welcome Caleb Samuels.

WENDY HARMER: Volt is the word we're looking for in this particular use. 'The remote control car needs a 9 volt battery.' Volt.

CALEB SAMUELS: Volt. V-O-L-T. Volt.

WENDY HARMER: You've got it. Thank you.

EMILY HUGHES: Please welcome Safin Zaman.

WENDY HARMER: Your word today is wool. 'I learned how to spin wool into yarn, which I could then knit.' Wool.

SAFIN ZAMAN Wool. W-O-O-L. Wool.

WENDY HARMER: Thank you. That's correct.

EMILY HUGHES: Please welcome Kurt Roberts.

WENDY HARMER: Your word is network. 'Because we have a network in our office, we can all use the same printer.' Network.

KURT ROBERTS: Network. N-E-T-W-O-R-K. Network.

WENDY HARMER: Well done. Thank you. Correct.

LUCAS XIAO: Please welcome Niklas Kappelmann.

WENDY HARMER: We're looking for the spelling of the word pasta. 'A quick meal is pasta with fresh tomato and basil.' Pasta.

NIKLAS KAPPELMANN:: Pasta. P-A-S-T-A. Pasta.

WENDY HARMER: Thank you. Correct.

EMILY HUGHES: Please welcome Layla Stuart.

WENDY HARMER: Pain is the word I would like you to spell. Pain. 'The pain in his leg made walking difficult.' Pain.

LAYLA STUART: Pain. P-A-I-N. Pain.

WENDY HARMER: Thank you. Correct.

LUCAS XIAO: Please welcome Lewis Millward.

WENDY HARMER: Your word is shoe. 'My shoe has a hole in it, and now my foot is wet.' Shoe.

LEWIS MILLWARD: Shoe. S-H-O-E. Shoe.

WENDY HARMER: Correct.

EMILY HUGHES: Please welcome Samuel Wilson.

WENDY HARMER: Your word is bush. 'We drove through open country, then through bush.' Bush.

SAMUEL WILSON: Bush. B-U-S-H. Bush.

WENDY HARMER: Thank you. Correct.

LUCAS XIAO: Please welcome Thanh Tran

WENDY HARMER: And your word is numbat. 'The numbat likes like to eat termites more than ants, so it lives in a hollow logs where it can find more of them.' Numbat.

SPEAKER 8: Numbat. N-U-M-B-A-T. Numbat.

WENDY HARMER: Thank you very much.

EMILY HUGHES: That concludes round 1. Please give around of applause to all students.

[applause]

[Competition continues after Premier speaks and awards certificates]

ANDREW LASAITIS: Ladies and gentlemen and students, it is now my pleasure to welcome the Honourable Premier Gladys Berejiklian to the microphone.

[applause]

GLADYS BEREJIKLIAN: It's just turned good afternoon, so good afternoon, boys and girls. I've been watching you all with admiration. Congratulations for getting this far in the spelling bee competition. As adults, we're all absolutely amazed at how well you are going, and we wish you the very best for the rest of the competition. But even getting this far means that you have essentially come through thousands and thousands of students. So the fact that you're even here today means that all of you are very special and great spellers. And can all the adults please give a wonderful round of applause to the wonderful children?

[applause]

I also want to thank your emcee, or your reader today, Ms. Harmer, who's doing an outstanding job, and also the judges, because it's so nerve-racking for them. I can see them nodding their heads every time you get a question right or wrong. So can we give a round of applause for those people supporting you today?

[applause]

And boys and girls, there's a final round of applause that we need to give. And that is to all the teachers and parents here, because I bet many of you have been practicing at school or at home, and you've had somebody read out the words and nod their head or cross their head if you're right or wrong. So can all the students please give a wonderful round of applause to the parents and teachers here today?

[applause]

Now, I want all of you to take today's experience back to your schools-- the confidence you've gained from today, and keep being great spellers. And I know how nerve-racking it can be, because even if you can spell the word, to come up here and have all the lights flashing and all the cameras on you makes it a bit nerve-racking. But the fact that you've done so well is so impressive. Now I've got one last word-- anyone-- that I'd ask someone to spell. Does anyone know how to spell my surname?

[laughter]

That was a joke, don't worry.

WENDY HARMER: I've got one for you Premier!

GLADYS BEREJIKLIAN: Uh-oh.

WENDY HARMER: You now know how to spell cicada.

GLADYS BEREJIKLIAN: Yes. I confessed-- I actually confessed to Ms. Harmer that I would have put an extra C in the word cicada. So to that young boy who got cicada right, well done. But boys and girls, I'm thrilled to be here. Incredibly proud that this spelling bee challenge is under my name. And I wish you the very best, not just for the rest of the competition, but in all your school life. Keep up the wonderful effort, because you are impressive, and I know you'll do well no matter what you apply yourself to. Thank you so much, and congratulations.

[applause]

ANDREW LASAITIS: Thank you, Premier. If the Premier could remain on stage, please. I would like to invite from Modern Teaching Aids, Ms. Natalie Sella, as well as Rosemary Davis from the Department of Education to join you. Students, please come to the front when your name is called to receive your medallion, your certificate, and your prizes. And the students that are still on stage at the end of this round, because you will get quite a cool bag of prizes, we'll just put them on the side behind Cherrybrook students over there, just when we get started with the competition again. So firstly, could I call to the front of the stage

Ella Huber.

[applause]

Simone Bande.

[applause]

Grace Goldman.

[applause]

Alyse O'Brien.

[applause]

Emilia McCarthy.

[applause]

Jonathan Gayagay.

[applause]

Leon Panopoulos.

[applause]

Varad Joshi.

[applause]

Samaira Zaman.

[applause]

Starbella Tonkin.

[applause]

Oliver Bishell.

[applause]

Carla Anderson.

[applause]

Diksha Chowdhary.

[applause]

Mnhar Singh Lamba.

[applause]

Ruby Smith.

[applause]

Grace Wellington.

[applause]

Elias Reeve.

[applause]

George Wall.

[applause]

Marley Brown.

[applause]

Zachary Glover.

[applause]

Natuli Pathirana.

[applause]

Sophia Stojko.

[applause]

Bruce Zhang.

[applause]

Madelyn Maloney.

[applause]

Daniel Thompson.

[applause]

Kolpo

Shayano.

[applause]

Callan Peterson.

[applause]

Marcus Kilburn.

[applause]

Jessica Woods.

[applause]

Julian Nielsen

[applause]

Eden Sykes-Stuart.

[applause]

Oscar Sutherland.

[applause]

Charlie Wellings.

[applause]

Michaela Bathan.

[applause]

Raaid

Mahbub.

[applause]

Kevin Quach.

[applause]

Caelin Su.

[applause]

Maxim Ceccato.

[applause]

Pramit

Foisol.

[applause]

Sophia Maniaci.

[applause]

Alex Zhang.

[applause]

Rylee Steele.

[applause]

Caleb Samuels.

[applause]

Safin Zaman.

[applause]

Kurt Roberts.

[applause]

Niklas Kappelmann.

[applause]

Layla Stuart.

[applause]

Lewis Millward.

[applause]

Samuel Wilson.

[applause]

And Thanh Tran.

[applause] [Competition continues after

Premier awards certificates]

Thank you so much to Premier Berejiklian, Natalie Sella from MTA, and Rosemary Davis.

[applause] ROUND 7

WENDY HARMER: Our first contestant please.

LUCAS XIAO: Please welcome Alyse O'Brien.

WENDY HARMER: Referendum. 'A referendum was held to change the voting age from 21 to 18.' Referendum.

ALYSE O'BRIEN: Referendum. R-E-F-E-R-E-N-D-U-M. Referendum.

WENDY HARMER: That is correct. Thank you.

EMILY HUGHES: Please welcome Emilia McCarthy.

WENDY HARMER: Oxygen. 'Red blood cells carry oxygen to every cell of your body.' Oxygen.

EMILIA MCCARTHY: Oxygen. O-X-Y-G-E-N. Oxygen.

WENDY HARMER: Correct. Thank you.

LUCAS XIAO: Please welcome Jonathan Gayagay.

WENDY HARMER: Masonry. 'Beautiful local sandstone had been used in the masonry of the new house.' Masonry.

JONATHAN GAYAGAY: Can you please repeat the word?

WENDY HARMER: Masonry.

JONATHAN GAYAGAY: Masonry. M-A-C-E-M-R-Y. Masonry.

WENDY HARMER: I'm afraid that is incorrect. It's M-A-S-O-N-R-Y.

EMILY HUGHES: Please welcome Leon Panopoulos.

WENDY HARMER: Nullify. 'The missing signature was enough to nullify the contract.' Nullify.

LEON PANOPOLOUS: Nullify. N-U-L-L-A-F-Y. Nullify.

WENDY HARMER: No. I'm sorry, that's incorrect. N-U-L-L-I-F-Y.

EMILY HUGHES: Please welcome Diksha Chowdhary.

WENDY HARMER: Piteous. 'The piteous cries of the baby birds was a sign that they were hungry.' Piteous.

DIKSHA CHOWDHARY: Piteous. P-I-T-I-O-U-S. Piteous.

WENDY HARMER: No. I'm sorry, that is incorrect. P-I-T-E-O-U-S.

EMILY HUGHES: Please welcome Mnhar Singh Lamba.

WENDY HARMER: Suburbia. 'The sprawl of suburbia had started to encroach on the countryside.' Suburbia.

MYNAH SINGH LAMBA: Suburbia. S-U-B-U-R-B-I-A. Suburbia.

WENDY HARMER: Correct.

LUCAS XIAO: Please welcome Zachary Glover.

WENDY HARMER: Metropolitan. 'The planners are being criticised for the problems of the metropolitan transport system.' Metropolitan.

ZACHARY GLOVER: Metropolitan. M-E-T-R-O-P-O-L-I-T-A-N.

WENDY HARMER: That's correct.

ZACHARY GLOVER: Metropolitan.

WENDY HARMER: Metropolitan. Thank you.

EMILY HUGHES: Please welcome Bruce Zhang.

WENDY HARMER: Cessation. 'The United Nations called for a cessation of fighting.' Cessation.

BRUCE ZHANG: Can you please repeat the word?

WENDY HARMER: Cessation.

BRUCE ZHANG: Cessation.

WENDY HARMER: Yeah. 'The United Nations called for a cessation of fighting.'

BRUCE ZHANG: Cessation. S-E-S-A-T-I-O-N. Cessation.

WENDY HARMER: No. I'm sorry, that's wrong. C-E-S-S-A-T-I-O-N is what we were looking for.

EMILY HUGHES: Please welcome Callan Peterson.

WENDY HARMER: Intelligible. 'She whispered just loudly enough to be intelligible.'

CALLAN PETERSON: Intelligible. I-N-T-E-L-L-I-G-I-B-L-E. Intelligible.

WENDY HARMER: Correct.

LUCAS XIAO: Please welcome Kevin Quach.

WENDY HARMER: Sustenance. 'Athletes need to ensure they have plenty of sustenance in their diet.'

KEVIN QUACH: Sustenance. S-U-S-T-O-N-E-N-C-E. Sustenance.

WENDY HARMER: I'm sorry, that's incorrect. Sustenance is S-U-S-T-E-N-A-N-C-E. Thank you.

EMILY HUGHES: Please welcome Pramit Foisol.

WENDY HARMER: Pleasurable. 'Catching up with my cousin is always a pleasurable experience.' Pleasurable.

PRAMIT FOISOL: Pleasurable. P-L-E-A-S-U-R-A-B-L-E. Pleasurable.

WENDY HARMER: Correct.

EMILY HUGHES: Please welcome Caleb Samuels.

WENDY HARMER: Renegade. 'It was clear from the voting papers that there was a renegade in our midst.' Renegade.

CALEB SAMUELS: Renegade. R-E-N-N-A-E-G-A-D-E. Renegade

WENDY HARMER: No. I'm sorry, that one is incorrect there. Renegade. R-E-N-E-G-A-D-E.

LUCAS XIAO: Please welcome Safin Zaman.

WENDY HARMER: We have paralegal. 'Until she qualified as a lawyer, she could only work as a paralegal.'

SAFIN ZAMAN Paralegal. P-A-R-A-L-E-G-A-L. Paralegal.

WENDY HARMER: That is correct.

LUCAS XIAO: Please welcome Thanh Tran.

WENDY HARMER: Parameter. 'Changing just one parameter in the experiment, such as temperature, will alter the results.' Parameter.

THANH TRAN: Parameter. P-E-R-A-M-E-T-E-R. Parameter.

WENDY HARMER: No. I'm sorry, that is incorrect. Parameter. P-A-R-A-M-E-T-E-R. Thank you for that.

[applause]

EMILY HUGHES: That concludes round 7. Please give a round of applause to all the students leaving the stage at the end of this round.

[applause]

WENDY HARMER: All right, we're down to our bright and brilliant final eight. And we're going up another level in the difficulty of the words, so get prepared for some thrills and spills, folks. I'm ready. Thank you.

LUCAS XIAO: Please welcome Alyse O'Brien.

WENDY HARMER: Rhetoric. 'The paper accused the politician of bluster rhetoric, and even worse, outright lies.' Rhetoric.

ALYSE O'BRIEN: Rhetoric. R-E-T-E-R-I-C. Rhetoric.

WENDY HARMER: No, I'm afraid that's incorrect. R-H-E-T-O-R-I-C.

EMILY HUGHES: Please welcome Emilia McCarthy.

WENDY HARMER: Etymology. 'Knowing the etymology of a word can sometimes help you spell it.' Etymology.

EMILIA MCCARTHY: Etymology. E-T-Y-M-O-L-O-G-Y.

WENDY HARMER: Correct.

LUCAS XIAO: Please welcome Mnhar Singh Lamba.

WENDY HARMER: Jodhpurs. 'She wished her jodhpurs weren't in the wash, because they were much more comfortable to ride in than jeans.' Jodhpurs.

MNHAR SINGH LAMBA Can you please repeat the word?

WENDY HARMER: Jodhpurs.

MNHAR SINGH LAMBA Jodhpurs. Can you repeat the word one more time, please?

WENDY HARMER: Jodhpurs.

MNHAR SINGH LAMBA Jonpurs?

WENDY HARMER: Jodhpurs.

MNHAR SINGH LAMBA Jodhpurs. J-O-D-P-U-R-S. Jodhpurs.

WENDY HARMER: I'm sorry, that's wrong. It's J-O-D-H-P-U-R-S. Jodhpurs. Thank you.

LUCAS XIAO: Please welcome Zachary Glover.

WENDY HARMER: Poultice. 'He applied a poultice to his wound to reduce the swelling.' Poultice.

ZACHARY GLOVER: Could you please repeat the word?

WENDY HARMER: Poultice.

ZACHARY GLOVER: Can you please repeat it one more time?

WENDY HARMER: 'He applied a poultice to his wound to reduce the swelling.' Poultice.

ZACHARY GLOVER: Uh, I'm not sure. P-O-L-T-I-C-E. Poultice.

WENDY HARMER: I'm sorry, that's incorrect. P-O-U-L-T-I-C-E.

ZACHARY GLOVER: Oh.

WENDY HARMER: Oh, I know. So annoying.

EMILY HUGHES: Please welcome Callan Peterson.

WENDY HARMER: Delirium. 'The crowd was in a delirium of joy when their team came back from 20 points behind to win the game.' Delirium.

CALLAN PETERSON: Delirium. D-E-L-I-R-I-U-M. Delirium.

WENDY HARMER: That is correct.

EMILY HUGHES: Please welcome Pramit Foisol

WENDY HARMER: Your word is peripheral. 'We shouldn't waste our time worrying about peripheral issues.' Peripheral.

PRAMIT FOISOL Peripheral. P-- Can you repeat--

WENDY HARMER: Peripheral.

PRAMIT FOISOL Peripheral. P-E-R-I-F-I-L. Peripheral.

WENDY HARMER: No. I'm sorry, that's not right. P-E-R-I-P-H-E-R-A-L. Thank you.

LUCAS XIAO: Please welcome Safin Zaman.

WENDY HARMER: Incinerator. 'Everyone used to have an incinerator in their backyard, but they caused too much pollution, so they were banned.' Incinerator.

SAFIN ZAMAN Incinerator. I-N-C-I-N-E-R-A-T-O-R. Incinerator.

WENDY HARMER: That is correct.

[applause]

EMILY HUGHES: That concludes round 8. Please give a round of applause to all the students leaving the stage.

[applause]

WENDY HARMER: So we have three clever boots remaining. Are you ready to go? Not really?

[chuckle]

It's a bit too nerve-racking? We'll keep going. We are getting there, that's for sure. I'm ready with my words.

EMILY HUGHES: Please welcome Emilia McCarthy.

WENDY HARMER: Irredeemable. 'The all sadly agreed that the situation was irredeemable.'

EMILIA MCCARTHY: Irredeemable. I-R-R-E-D-E-E-M-A-B-L-E. Irredeemable.

WENDY HARMER: Yep. You got it. Round of applause this.

[applause]

EMILY HUGHES: Please welcome Callan Paterson.

WENDY HARMER: Your word is cologne. 'The cologne had a pleasant fragrance.' Cologne.

CALLAN PETERSON: C-O-L-O-G-N-E. Cologne.

WENDY HARMER: Thank you very much. You got it.

[applause]

LUCAS XIAO: Please welcome Safin Zaman.

WENDY HARMER: Your word is rubicund. 'His rubicund complexion made him a good choice to play Santa Claus.' Rubicund.

SAFIN ZAMAN Rubicund. R-U-B-I-C-A-N-D. Rubicund.

WENDY HARMER: I'm sorry, that is incorrect. R-U-B-I-C-U-N-D is what we were looking for.

EMILY HUGHES: That concludes round 9. Please give a round of applause for all the students leaving the stage.

[applause]

WENDY HARMER: We have our two contestants. Well, down to the pigeon pier at the end. Best of luck. I'm ready.

EMILY HUGHES: Please welcome Emilia McCarthy.

WENDY HARMER: Enthusiasm. 'By the sixth hour of the opera, the audience's enthusiasm was waning.' Enthusiasm.

EMILIA MCCARTHY: Enthusiasm. E-N-T-H-U-S-I-A-S-M. Enthusiasm.

WENDY HARMER: That's correct.

[applause]

EMILIA MCCARTHY: Wow! [disbelief]

WENDY HARMER: That's very good. I don't think you can-- I don't think you can believe it.

EMILY HUGHES: Please welcome Callan Peterson.

WENDY HARMER: Cantilever. 'The observation deck over the canyon needed a cantilever to support its weight so it wouldn't collapse.' Cantilever.

CALLAN PETERSON: Cantilever. C-A-N-T-E-L-E-V-E-R. Cantilever.

WENDY HARMER: I'm afraid that is incorrect. C-A-N-T-I-L-E-V-E-R.

[applause]

[inaudible]

And we have a winner, ladies and gentlemen!

ANDREW LASAITIS: Ladies and gentlemen, Emilia McCarthy from Glenmore Park Public School.

WENDY HARMER: Well, Emilia, are you surprised at yourself?

EMILIA MCCARTHY: Yes.

WENDY HARMER: You are?

EMILIA MCCARTHY: Because there was a lot of smart people here, and there was a lot of very, very, very hard words.

WENDY HARMER: Well, you turned out to be the smartest of the lot, so that's excellent. So tell me, how did you prepare for this competition?

EMILIA MCCARTHY: My mum read the-- My mum let me read the words a few times, but most times, she was just testing me on them.

WENDY HARMER: OK. Is she here today?

EMILIA MCCARTHY: Yes.

WENDY HARMER: Oh, there's m-- Come on, mum. Come on-- And dad's here too?

EMILIA MCCARTHY: Yes he's here too.

WENDY HARMER: Come on, all the family. Let's come down here and--

[applause]

EMILIA MCCARTHY: Sophia, you can come too.

WENDY HARMER: Is that your little sister?

EMILIA MCCARTHY: Yes. Sophia tried to test me on a few words.

WENDY HARMER: She tries to-- What's her name?

EMILIA MCCARTHY: Sophia.

WENDY HARMER: Sophia.

[applause]

MR. MCCARTHY: You did well. You did very well.

WENDY HARMER: So I wonder when it was that you first reAlysed that you had a super speller in the family, dad?

MR. MCCARTHY: She was probably about two years of age. She was starting to read books, so I think that she had a calling for it, so-- I mean, we helped her out, but she really does it all.

WENDY HARMER: That's magnificent.

[applause]

Well, what do you think of your big sister?

SOPHIA: I think she's the best sister.

WENDY HARMER: Aw.

[applause]

ANDREW LASAITIS: From Belair Public School, runner up, Callan Peterson.

[applause]

And again, let's congratulate today's winner, from Glenmore Park Public School, Emilia McCarthy.

[applause]

And Wendy Harmer will present the trophy as well.

[applause]

A huge thank you also to our chairpeople from Cherrybrook Public School. A round of applause for Cherrybrook.

[applause]

Thank you so much for what was an extraordinary and quite long morning, which is now afternoon. Thank you so much.

[applause]