Towers resident Brenda Joy Pritchard took out the $10,000 Cloncurry Poetry Prize at a ceremony at Chinaman Creek Dam on Friday.

Brenda-Joy is a North Queensland local, who has been performing her poetry around the country for many years. Her poem impressed the judges; its style and story stood out among the other 230 plus poems received.

Judges voted her poem Where Heroes Abide as the winner with Cloncurry Shire Council saying her poem encapsulated the 'Spirit of the Outback' beautifully.

There were over 200 entries of which 50 were whittled down for judges to choose from and Cloncurry Shire Council printed the top ten on their Facebook..

Ms Pritchard said the spirit of the outback was best expressed through the people "who loved it, lived it and are still loving and living it."

"The poem is written from the point of view of a woman as a tribute to our men," she said.

"Nothing encapsulates the outback more than the courageous men and women who live in it."

David Judge was named as the competition's runner-up for 2022 with his poem The Spirit of the Outback. Each judge also chose a highly commended poem:

. Spirit of the Veins by Kaylah Faulkner from ACT

. Outback Warrior by Chandra Clements from QLD

. Returning Disciple by Emma Catherine Southwood from WA

On behalf of Cloncurry Shire Council, Mayor Greg Campbell thanked all those who participated in The Cloncurry Prize Poetry Competition 2022.

"This year's entries reinforced The Cloncurry Prize as one of the richest and most prestigious poetry contests in the country," he said.

Ms Pritchard was the second winner of the award, following the win of Victorian man David Campbell in 2021. Mr Campbell was one of the judges for this year's competition.

Mayor Greg Campbell said the poetry competition was inspired by Dame Mary Gilmore and her connection to Cloncurry and it was a chance for people stuck home during COVID lockdowns to express their creative spirit.

"The concept of the prize was to highlight our wonderful country and ignite our sense of national pride during the COVID-19 lockdown," Cr Campbell said.

Information regarding the 2023 poetry competition will be announced later this year.

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