Lionel Logue and the King’s Speech context:
Lionel Logue was not only a high achieving academic student, but also a member of our first 18 football team, and winner of the College’s annual public speaking award: the ‘Elocution Prize’. Those who have seen The King’s Speech film, based on Logue’s work with the Duke of York, later to become King Geroge VI of England, would appreciate the magnitude of his achievements in assisting others with public speaking, as well as the value of oral language skills. It is for this reason that, amongst our other Public Speaking and Debating programs in both the Preparatory and Secondary Schools, we also host our annual ‘in-house’ public speaking competition, dedicated to Lionel Logue’s memory: the King’s Speech Competition.
Since its inaugural beginning in 2011, the King’s Speech Competition has sought entries from students within three divisions: the Preparatory School (years 5 and 6), Middle Years (Years 7 to 9) and Senior Years (Years 10 to 12). Students from Years 5 to 12 then compete in a round of heats before three or four finalists are selected from each division to enter the finals. The final requires students to deliver one prepared and one impromptu speech to a panel of three independent judges from the Rostrum organisation. Whilst only three boys are chosen from each division to receive the Lionel Logue Award, the issues discussed and skills demonstrated by all competitors continue to be an annual testament to the bravery, intellectual dexterity, originality, empathy and oral language skills our boys develop through all that they do at PAC.
King’s Speech Results – 2026
In the final of our 2026, 16th annual King’s Speech Competition, 10 competitors from Years 5 to 12 delivered a total of 20 speeches on a broad selection of issues. Topics included the English language, why break times should be longer, deforestation and why we should go cashless in our Prep School speeches. In the Middle and Senior Years topics included the illusion of connectivity, the most dangerous thing in the world is certainty, and some highly sophisticated analysis of personal, social, cultural and political issues.
Winners of the Lionel Logue Award in 2026 were Sam in the Preparatory School Division, Aidan in the Middle Years Division, and Ollie in the Senior Years Division.