Welcoming the Mayor and Mrs MacLachlan, President of Braidwood Regional Arts Group, Gill Burke, commented that an excellent aspect of this competition had been its open entry to all Palerang residents. Thus fine work had come in from both full and part-time arts practitioners. Indeed, at least two of the works on show had been produced by relative beginners who both were clearly very talented.

The prize winners were chosen by a panel of three judges. These were the Mayor, the weaver Solvig Baas Becking AM and the painter, writer and print-maker Robin Wallace-Crabbe. Both the artist-judges are very distinguished practitioners with works in many national and international collections. The judges felt that the standard of work was very high. They recommended the whole Exhibition, displayed the previous week at Braidwood's National Theatre, be taken to Bungendore rather than just those they listed as Highly Commended from which the winners were chosen.

In his address the Mayor welcomed the beginnings of a Palerang Art Collection and hoped that another competition might be held next year, perhaps with the theme of Palerang Heritage. He stressed his decision to add a further prize had been to encourage people to think Palerang-wide rather than in terms of Braidwood or Bungendore. The Mayor thanked BRAG for its work organising the competition and the two Exhibitions and congratulated the two winners.

And the winners were . . . John Hockey whose oil painting 'Palerang Peak' will hang in the Bungendore Council Chambers and Guy Hayes whose watercolour 'Palerang Window' will hang in Braidwood. Both works will be on display this week in the Braidwood Library.

In addition, a 'Peoples Choice' Prize was awarded. This had been voted on during the Braidwood Exhibition. Edwin Power chef and owner of restaurant 'Somewhere Special on Wallace' generously donated one hundred dollars prize-money. An anonymous donor then matched this. Christine Payne won the Prize for 'Palerang Profile' a large roundel made of found metal objects.