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Story of lost landscape beneath Bass Strait wins Victoria’s top history award

Issued by Wind & Sky Productions

Story of lost landscape beneath Bass Strait wins Victoria’s top history award

Ballarat, Victoria – A digital storytelling project exploring the extraordinary landscape that once connected mainland Australia to Lutruwita/Tasmania has won the 2026 Victorian History Award, the premier prize at the Victorian Community History Awards, presented by the Royal Historical Society of Victoria.

The Land Bridge, created by Ballarat-based Wind & Sky Productions, brings to life a vast landscape now submerged beneath Bass Strait, revealing its rich human history and the dramatic environmental changes that transformed it.

Thousands of years ago, when sea levels were much lower, Bass Strait was a wide grassy plain, inhabited and managed by First Peoples. Rising seas eventually submerged the landscape, separating Tasmania from mainland Australia and creating the unique marine environment we know today.

Through documentary film, photography, illustrated essays, podcasts and educational resources, The Land Bridge brings together First Nations knowledge and scientific research to explore this remarkable history. The project is freely accessible at thelandbridge.au.
Produced in collaboration with Palawa, Gunaikurnai and Bunurong communities and leading Australian researchers, the project was supported by the Australian Government through the Our Marine Parks grant program.

Wind & Sky producers Lucinda Horrocks and Jary Nemo were delighted by the recognition.
“The Land Bridge holds a special place in our hearts. It’s an amazing story of a drowned landscape, the people who lived there, and the connections that continue today.”

“Our biggest and loudest thank you goes to the First Nations partners, scientific collaborators and wonderful community of creators on both sides of Bass Strait who helped make this project what it is. We’re also deeply grateful to Parks Australia for supporting the project.”

Lucinda Horrocks accepted the award at the Victorian Community History Awards ceremony at Melbourne’s Wheeler Centre on 29 October.

The Victorian History Award is the highest honour presented at the awards, organised by the Royal Historical Society of Victoria and supported by the Edward Wilson Estate.
The judging panel described The Land Bridge as “beautifully structured and visually compelling”, saying it makes “a complex and expansive subject accessible without diminishing its depth or significance.”

Explore The Land Bridge: https://thelandbridge.au/
Award winners: https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/victorian-community-history-awards/2026-victorian-community-history-awards-winners/

ENDS

Interviews and media assets
Wind & Sky producers Lucinda Horrocks and Jary Nemo are available for interviews about the award, the making of The Land Bridge and the extraordinary history of Bass Strait.
Additional high-resolution images, project screenshots and documentary footage are available for media use on request.

Image credits
Please include the following credits when reproducing images supplied with this release:
• Award presentation: Courtesy of the Royal Historical Society of Victoria. Photo by Claryssa Humennyj-Jameson, ISKA PHOTOGRAPHY.
• The Land Bridge website screenshots (Home Page and Introduction): Courtesy of Wind & Sky Productions.
• Timelapse landscape: Courtesy of Wind & Sky Productions. Photo by Jillian Mundy.
• Colin Hughes and Buck Brown: Courtesy of Wind & Sky Productions. Photo by Jillian Mundy.

About Wind & Sky Productions

Wind & Sky Productions is a Ballarat-based documentary and digital storytelling company specialising in stories of community, culture, history and science. Working collaboratively with communities, researchers and organisations, Wind & Sky combines film, photography, audio, writing and digital media to create engaging and accessible stories.

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Get The Word Out acknowledges the Turrbal and Jagera peoples as the Traditional Custodians of Meanjin (Brisbane), where we are based. We recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and community, and pay our respects to Elders past and present. We extend this respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.