Hay Shire Youth Art & Photography Postcard Competition 2026: Local Digital Creators Under 31
Hay Shire Council in regional New South Wales, Australia has launched a Youth Art & Photography Postcard Competition under the theme Love Hay. Children, teens and young adults can celebrate the region's places and people through original art, photography and digital designs. Selected work may be turned into promotional postcards for visitors, so this is a real creative-design opportunity rather than merely a social-media hashtag campaign.
Applicants: Hay Shire residents aged 30 or under
The competition is open to people who reside in Hay Shire and are aged 30 years or younger, with categories catering from preschool through to young adults. The deadline is 5pm on Monday 23 November 2026. Because the council explicitly restricts the applicant's residence to Hay Shire, an artist living elsewhere in Australia or internationally should not assume they are eligible. The official competition terms and entry form govern how residency and age are verified.
What artworks are sought?
The official call specifically invites cameras, sketchbooks, paintbrushes and DIGITAL tools. Its Love Hay theme includes local landscapes such as the Hay Plains and Murrumbidgee River, wildlife, agriculture, historic locations, community events and ordinary moments of regional life. A photograph, graphic illustration or digital artwork can qualify if it complies with the art or photography category and with the work-format rules in the Council's downloadable conditions.
Competition categories and prizes
The award divisions include Artwork Preschool (gift), Artwork Primary School and Secondary School (A$50 Love Hay gift card each), Artwork Young Adults (A$100 gift card), Photography Preschool and Primary School (A$50), Photography Secondary School (A$50) and Photography Young Adults (A$100). Selected entries may be professionally reproduced as postcards. The announcement does not specify a guaranteed printing run or cash equivalent beyond the stated gift cards.
Hay Shire Council's local history and purpose
Hay Shire Council is the elected local government authority based in Hay, NSW. It runs community and tourism programmes and maintains the official Council noticeboard and Hay Visitor Centre. The postcard competition aims to promote a recognizable visual identity for Hay and offer young residents a showcase. It is posted as an official Council opportunity dated 15 October 2026 with entry forms and conditions, giving applicants a verifiable public authority and legitimate submission materials.
Submission route and original terms
Download the relevant artwork or photography entry form and the published terms from Hay Shire Council's announcement, confirm the acceptable file or physical submission format and supply consent when the entrant is a minor. For questions, contact the Hay Visitor Centre at the telephone number shown by the council, 02 6993 4045. The Council administers judging and prize delivery.
This article provides a summary. To avoid misunderstandings, please be sure to check the official page for full details.
Information verified on 19 October 2026.
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Aion Digital Art Award is a separate media-art competition organised by Aion Laboratory, unrelated to the Hay Shire event.
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