Just two weeks after news that Fyshwick artist Margaret Hadfield had won the $6000 SOHO Art Prize for 2025, her oil painting, #lestweforget@Wimbie Beach, has been announced as one of the 32 finalists in the 20^th annual Gallipoli Art Prize, of which she was the inaugural winner in 2006.

The $20,000 prize, to be judged by Jane Watters, Barry Pearce, Elizabeth Fortescue and John Robertson, is sponsored by the Gallipoli Memorial Club in Sydney, invites artists to respond to the themes of loyalty, respect, love of country, courage, comradeship, community, peace and freedom.

Many of the works reference World War I, some depict contemporary servicemen and others are inspired by relatives who have served in the armed forces.

Animals also feature, including AE Stubbs-Race’s artwork, Left, a reference to the Australian war horses who were left behind at Gallipoli Cove.

“Although I didn’t attend a dawn service at Wimbie Beach, near Surf Beach,” Hadfield told CityNews, “I had heard of it from my friends, who are nearby residents. [They] sent me some images to enlighten me. Today everything is videoed or photographed. I have included the reference to social media and to images of people looking at phones.”

Hadfield said she had used her friends and her daughter Kerrie as models, following an en plein air session at Wimbie Beach last year.

The winner of the Gallipoli Art Prize will be announced on April 16 in Sydney, then the works will be at 6-8 Atherden Street, The Rocks from April 17-May 11.

All 2025 Gallipoli Art Prize finalist works are here.