Anzac Memorial award for best non-fiction work on Australians at war up for grabs

It is for a work of non-fiction on the involvement of Australians in wars, campaigns, battles or peacekeeping operations that are represented in the Anzac Memorial's Hall of Service.

The hall displays 100 sites of military significance for NSW service personnel from the 19th century to more recent military operations.

The prize is open to citizens and permanent residents of Australia and New Zealand. Entries close on April 6, with the winners announced in September.

Veterans Minister David Elliott said the establishment of the award highlighted the importance of recording the nation's military history to honour and remember veterans.

"This is another step in ensuring the sacrifices of all those who have served in the defence forces and military operations continue to be profiled as part of the nation's military history, so our veterans will not be forgotten," he said.

The 2023 NSW Premier's History Awards have a total prize pool of $85,000.

The awards were first presented in 1997 to honour distinguished achievement in history by Australian citizens and permanent residents.

Last year's winner of the Australian Hisrtory Prize, valued at $15,000, was Alexis Vaegantz for French Connection: Australia's Cosmopolitan Ambitions.

Shortlisted were Semut: The Untold Story of a Secret Australian Operation in WWII Borneo, by Christine Helliwell, and Australia and the Pacific: A History, by Ian Hoskins.

Australia's Great Depression, by Joan Beaumont, Spies and Sparrows: ASIO and the Cold War, by Phillip Deery, and Harlem Nights: The Secret History of Australia's Jazz Age, by Deirdre O'Connell, were highly commended.

Past winners have included Alan Atkinson, Joan Beaumont, Stuart Macintyre, Ken Inglis, Inga Clendinnen, Bruce Scates, Mark McKenna, Warwick Thornton, Sean Scalmer, Ann McGrath, Nadia Wheatley and Grace Karskens.