On Saturday 27 June 2026, St Hilda’s Year 9 team were crowned national Engineering champions and secured five top-three placings at the da Vinci Decathlon National Finals at Knox Grammar School in Sydney, having won the Western Australian state title to qualify.
The da Vinci Decathlon is one of Australia’s leading academic competitions, designed to challenge students through complex, interdisciplinary problem-solving. Inspired by the genius of Leonardo da Vinci, the competition encourages participants to think creatively, work collaboratively and apply higher-order thinking skills across a diverse range of disciplines, from Engineering and Science to Code Breaking, Literature and Ideation.
Having earned their place at Nationals by taking out first place in Western Australia, the St Hilda’s team welcomed the opportunity to test themselves against the country’s best. Competing in teams across a range of challenging disciplines, the girls demonstrated exceptional resilience, ingenuity and teamwork throughout the event.
Their efforts resulted in an extraordinary achievement, including being crowned National Champions in Engineering and securing top-three placings across five disciplines.
National finals results in Sydney
🥇 1st – Engineering
🥈 2nd – Ideation
🥉 3rd – Code Breaking
🥉 3rd – Science
🥉 3rd – Literature
These results are particularly significant given the breadth of skills required in the competition. Across the Decathlon’s disciplines, students are challenged to analyse complex problems, think laterally, communicate effectively and collaborate under pressure, all qualities that our students displayed in abundance.
Before competition began, staff overheard students from other schools being told to “look out for the powder blue” – a reflection of St Hilda’s established reputation from sustained success at the event.
Building on St Hilda’s reputation
The experience extended beyond the competition hall. While in Sydney, the girls visited the University of Sydney, where they enjoyed a guided tour of the campus and gained valuable insight into university life. Walking through one of Australia’s leading universities gave students the opportunity to reflect on their future aspirations and imagine the many pathways available beyond St Hilda’s.
Congratulations to our remarkable Year 9 da Vinci Decathlon team. Their success at the National Finals is a testament not only to their academic ability, but also to their curiosity, determination and willingness to embrace challenges. We are incredibly proud of all they have achieved and look forward to following their future accomplishments.
The da Vinci Decathlon is a perfect example of the types of opportunities available to students in our Gifted and Talented Program.
