STATE TEAM HISTORY
In 1971 the Australian Debating Federation held the inaugural National Schools’ Debating Championships in Sydney. South Australia defeated Victoria in the Grand Final to become Australia’s first national champions. For information on the SA Schools’ State Debating Team please click here.
Selection in the State Team is a commendable achievement and follows a rigorous selection process. Each year the team is accompanied by two coaches and two adjudicators interstate to compete at the National Schools’ Debating Championships. The following individuals have represented South Australia:
2023 - Melbourne
Coach - Jessica March, Shiva Mukherjee & Evelyn Vincin Walker
Adjudicators - Jessica March & Georgia Zhang
Team
1. Devika Mukherjee (C) (Wilderness)
2. Phoebe Chalmers (Seymour College)
3. Max Thomas (PAC)
4. Thomas Henchliffe (PAC)
R. Isabella Teague (Seymour College)
R. Nicholas Henchliffe (PAC)
R. Alexander Koh (SPSC)
2022 - Canberra
Coach - Madeleine McNeil, Jessica March & Shiva Mukherjee
Adjudicators - Shiva Mukherjee & Angus Brosnan
Team
1. Devika Mukherjee (C) (Wilderness)
2. Max Thomas (PAC)
3. Xander Grice (SPSC)
4. Phoebe Chalmers (Seymour College)
R. Thomas North (PAC)
R. Nick Henchcliffe (PAC)
R. Matilda Byrnes (St Ignatius)
2021 - Hobart
Coach - Ashwini Ravindran, Madeleine McNeil & Shiva Mukherjee
Adjudicators - Zoë Chalmers & Madeleine McNeil
Team
1. Winter Birkett (C) (Scotch College)
2. Devika Mukherjee (Wilderness)
3. Max Thomas (PAC)
4. Thomas North (PAC)
R. Kyan Jenkins (PAC)
R. Xander Grice (SPSC)
R. Minka Dorsey (Seymour)
2020 - Online!
Coach - Will Thomas & Ashwini Ravindran
Adjudicators - Madeleine McNeil & Kate Munn
Team
1. Shiva Mukherjee (C) (SPSC)
2. Olivia Whyte (Seymour)
3. Jessica March (Seymour)
4. Winter Birkett (Scotch College)
R. Thangam Verghese (Scotch College)
R. Ishani Sood (Wilderness)
2019 - Northern Territory
Coach - Will Thomas & Madeleine McNeil
Adjudicators - Kate Munn & Zoe Chalmers
Team
1. Shiva Mukherjee (C) (SPSC)
2. Olivia Whyte (Seymour)
3. Onor Nottle (Scotch College)
4. Edmund Black (PAC)
R. Jessica March (Seymour)
R. Steph Madigan (Unley High)
R. Georgia Zhang (Glenunga)
2018 - Perth
Coach - Will Thomas, Tyson Leung & Soraya Pradhan
Adjudicators - Ana Kosmynina & Will Thomas
Team
1. Zoe Chalmers (C) (Seymour)
2. Ashwini Ravindran (Wilderness)
3. Shiva Mukherjee (SPSC)
4. Olivia Whyte (Seymour)
R. Onor Nottle (Scotch)
R. Luke Bardy (PAC)
R. Angus Brosnan (PAC)
2017 - Brisbane
Coach - Charlie Bruce, Tyson Leung & Helena Karapetis
Adjudicators - Soraya Pradhan & Will Thomas
Team
1. Zoe Chalmers (C) (Seymour)
2. Madeleine McNeil (Wilderness)
3. Shiva Mukherjee (SPSC)
4. Onor Nottle (Scotch College)
R. William Ritossa (SPSC)
R. Yash Giri (PAC)
R. Angus Brosnan (PAC)
2016 - Sydney
Coach - Soraya Pradhan
Adjudicators - Gordon Wicks & Hamish Richardson
Team
1. Alexei Economou (C) (SPSC)
2. Alexander Lai De Oliveira (Golden Grove High School)
3. Madeleine McNeil (Seymour)
4. Zoe Chalmers (Seymour)
R. Laura Hanlon (Seymour)
R. Indran Mukherjee (SPSC)
R. Onor Nottle (Scotch College)
2015 - Adelaide
Coach - Lloyd Wicks & Soraya Pradhan
Team
1. Britt Mashado (C) (Seymour)
2. Alexandra Lowe (Seymour)
3. Helena Karapetis (Wilderness)
4. Will Thomas (Blackfrairs)
R. Alexei Economou (SPSC)
R. Alexander Lai De Oliveria (Golden Grove High School)
R. Indran Mukherjee (SPSC)
2014
Team
1. Hamish Richardson (C) (Christian Brothers College)
2. Tyson Leung (Walford)
3. Peter Robertson (SPSC)
4. Sarah Abell (Seymour)
R. Helena Karapetis (Wilderness)
R. Alex Lowe (Seymour)
R. Hamish Litt (SPSC)
2013
Team
1. Zoe Brown (C) (Seymour)
2. Soraya Pradhan (Seymour)
3. Tyson Leung (Walford)
4. Peter Robertson (SPSC)
R. Hamish Richardson (Christian Brothers College)
R. Sarah Abell (Seymour)
2012
Team
1. Gordon Wicks (C) (SPSC)
2. Zoe Brown (Seymour)
3. Soraya Pradhan (Seymour)
4. Luke Lehman’s (Cornerstone College)
R. Peter Robertson (SPSC)
R. Sarah Abell (Seymour)
R. Tyson Leung (Walford)
2010
Team
1. Charlotte Thomas (C) (Seymour)
2. Ben Bishop (SPSC)
3. Charlie Bruce (SPSC)
4. Candice Caretti (St. Ignatius’)
5. Bree Nicolo (Seymour)
R. Alyssa Pradhan (Seymour)
R. Gordon Wicks (SPSC)
2009
Coach – Todd Golding & Warwick Ambrose
Team
1. Charlotte Thomas (C) (Seymour)
2. Charlie Bruce (SPSC)
3. Bree Nicolo (Seymour)
4. Eleanor Wilcox (St. Dominic’s Priory School)
R. Ben Bishop (SPSC)
R. Candice Caretti (St. Ignatius’)
2008
Coach – Todd Golding & Genevieve Lewis
Adjudicator – Anna Baulderstone
1. Rebecca McEwen (C) (Loreto)
2. Jack Batty (Scotch)
3. Patrick McCaffrie (St. Ignatius’)
4. Lloyd Wicks (SPSC)
R. Charlotte Thomas (Seymour)
R. Samuel Williams (Scotch)
2007
1. Warwick Ambrose (Marryatville High School)
2. Susanne Nicholson (St. Peter’s Girls)
3. Eleni Watts (Walford)
4. Lloyd Wicks (SPSC)
R. Jack Batty (Scotch)
R. Rebecca McEwen (Loreto)
2000 - Melbourne
Coach - Rob Koh
Adjudicator - Tom Webb
1. Enzo Belperio (SPSC)
2. Laura Thomas (Brighton High School)
3. Aparna Rao (Brighton High School)
4. Liana Williams (Norwood Morialta High School)
R. Chad Catterwell (Blackfriars)
R. Ann Sibree (Walford)
1999 - Canberra
Coach - Rob Koh
Adjudicator - Tom Webb
1. Simon Buscai (CBC)
2. Enzo Belperio (SPSC)
3. Laura Thomas (Brighton High School)
4. Kim Anderson (SPSC)
R.Sarah Newport (Brighton High School)
R.Nicola Malone (Wilderness)
1998 - Darwin
Coach - Rob Koh
Adjudicator - Todd Golding
1. Caroline Croser (St. Peter's Girls)
2. Caitlin Gill (Loreto)
3. Alison Lloyd-Wright (Glenunga High School)
4. James Messner (PAC)
R.Kim Anderson (SPSC)
R.Laura Thomas (Brighton High School)
1997 - Perth
Coach - Cressida Wall
Adjudicator - Todd Golding
1. Mark Thompson (Trinity)
2.Roland Dillon (CBC)
3. Caitlin Gill (Loreto)
4. Matthew Anderson (Brighton High School)
R.Alison O'Reilly (St. Dominic's)
R.Alison Lloyd-Wright (Glenunga High School)
1996 - Adelaide
Coach - Simon Slade
Adjudicator - Cressida Wall
1. Mark Thompson (Trinity)
2. Jeremy Hillman (Concordia)
3. Beth Fullgrave (Wilderness)
4. Roland Dillon (CBC)
R. Carolus Walraven (Concordia)
R. Brett Hill (SPSC)
1995 - Hobart
Coach - Simon Slade
Adjudicator - Cressida Wall
1. Shom Goel (PAC)
2. Rohan Hoote (SPSC)
3. Will Rayner (PAC)
4. Justina Gardiner (Loreto)
R. Tali Costi (Heathfield
1994 - Melbourne
Coach - George Karzis
Adjudicator - Geroge Salvenera
1. Andrew Gormley (C) (SPSC)
2. Todd Golding (CBC)
3. Phillip Ivancic (CBC)
4. Andrew Dwyer (Poultney)
R. Tomm Webb (Adelaide High School)
R. Christina Mignone (Loreto)
1993 - Canberra
Coach - George Karzis
Adjudicator - Jo Dyer
1. Simon Poulton (C) (PAC)
2. Todd Golding (CBC)
3. Phillip Ivancic (CBC)
4. Andrew Gormley (SPSC)
R.Tomm Webb (Adelaide High School)
R.Caroline Gill (Loreto)
1992 - Gold Coast
Coach - Anthony Durkin
Adjudicator - Jo Dyer
1. Jade Herriman (C) (Adelaide High School)
2. Rob Koh (PAC)
3. Victoria Bannon (Walford)
4. Kym Taylor (Wilderness)
R.Andrew Gormley (SPSC)
1991 - Hobart
Coach - Anthony Durkin
Adjudicator - Jo Dyer
1. Anthony Jucha (C) (St. Michael's)
2. Gessida Wall (Loreto)
3. Jewel Topsfield
4. Michael Goldberg (PAC)
1990 - Melbourne
Coach - Tracey Korsten
Adjudicator - George Karzis
1. Andre Fagrizio (C)
2. Tim Gow
R. Matt Giblin
1989 - Sydney
Coach - Anthony Durkin
Adjudicator - Jo Dyer
1. Nick Ryan (C) (St. Ignatius')
2. Annabell Crabb (Wilderness)
3. Michael Dwyer (Pultney)
4. Neil McIntosh (Pembroke)
1988 - Brisbane
Coach - Anthony Durkin
1. Kate Thornton (Saint Peter's Girls)
2. Nick Ryan (St. Ignatius')
3. Kamal Farouque (Norwood High School)
4. Any Barrett (Henley High School
1987 - Perth
Coach - Anthony Durkin
Adjudicator - Francis Greenslade
1. Jo Dyer (C) (Seymour)
2. Kate Thornton (Saint Peter's Girls)
3. Amy Barrett (Henley High School)
4. Ian Richardson (Pembroke)
1986 - Adelaide
Coach - Anthony Durkin
Adjudicator - Martin Hislop
1. Grantley Newell (C) (St. Ignatius')
2. Jo Dyer (Seymour)
3. Kate Thornton (Saint Peter's Girls)
4. James Greentree (Pembroke)
1985 - Melbourne
Coach - Anthony Durkin
Adjudicator - Graham Edwards-Wilson
1. George Karzis (C) (Pultney)
2. Grantley Newell (St. Ignatius')
3. Daniel O'Connor (St. Ignatius')
4. Alan Hayward (Salisbury East High School)
1984
Coach - Simon Stretton
Adjudicator - Julie McIntyre
1. James Mullighan (C) (Pultney)
2. Antra Hood
3. Christine Barnden
4. Christian Legg
1983 - Canberra
Coach - Michael Blinman
Adjudicator - Anthony Durkin
1. Sarah Dunn (C) (Loreto)
2. Farah Farouque (Norwood High School)
3. Simon Slade (Pultney)
4. Brenton James (St. Paul's)
1982
Coach - Peter Adamson
Adjudicator - Matthew Mitchell
1. Margaret Illman (C)
2. Colleen Sheedy (St. Dominic's)
3. Andrew Scobie (Pulteney Grammar)
4. Brenton James (St Paul's)
1981
1. Grant Kelly (C) (Poultney)
1980 - Gold Coast
Coach - Peter Admason
Adjudicator - Neville Smith
Team
1. David Crocker (C) (St. Paul's)
2. Anthony Hogan (St. Paul's)
3. Nicola Atchison (Heathfield High School)
4. Grant Kelly (Poultney)
1979 - Perth
Coach - Neville Smith
Adjudicator - Peter Adamson
Team
1. Anthony Durkin (C) (St. Paul's)
2. Anne Moore (Saint Peter's Girls)
3. David Crocker (St. Paul's)
4. Mark Purvis (St. Michael's)
1978 - Adelaide
Coach - Neville Smith
Adjudicator - Peter Adamson
Team
1. Anthony Crocker (C) (St. Paul's)
2. Doug Rills (SPSC) (deceased)
3. Jennifer Goodale (Woodlands)
4. Anthony Durkin (St. Paul's)
R. Warwick Nettle (SPSC)
1977 - Sydney
Coach - Neville Smith
Adjudicator - Nadia McLaren
Team
1. Susanne Cole (C) (Woodlands)
2. Anthony Crocker (St. Pauls)
3. Sidhra De Souza
4. Sue Boyce
Unfortunately our records are incomplete. If you have more information regarding the past history of the SA State Team please contact us at president.sada@gmail.com