After winning this year's Chief Minister's Anzac Spirit Prize, the Campbell High School students travelled to the place where the soldier's remains were first exhumed.

The pair won the study tour to the Western Front after demonstrating a deep understanding of the First World War, but they found a greater appreciation for the reality of the horrors a century ago on the former battlefields.

"I was touched by how many small cemeteries there were all across rural France," Ella said.

"It wasn't just like going to a cemetery; it felt like you were visiting the soldiers themselves," Elisabeth said.

The Year 10 students represented the ACT and Chief Minister Andrew Barr at the centenary commemorations of the battles of Fromelles and Pozieres in July, each laying a wreath at one of the ceremonies.

They toured with other Australians, including veterans who shared their experiences in more recent conflicts.

The 2016 Chief Minister's Anzac Spirit Prize had a specific focus on the Western Front, with entrants asked to research stories about the sacrifices Australians had made in that theatre of the war.

Responding to war correspondent Charles Bean's interview with a mortally wounded soldier, Elisabeth wrote a song called Proud.

"Charles Bean asked him 'will they remember me back in Australia', so my lyrics are talking to soldiers and saying yes, we do remember you; you would not believe how proud we all are," she said.

Ella drew on her experience speaking to veterans while marching as a Scout at memorial services to pen a poem comparing and contrasting the experience of 1916 and 2016.

"It felt much more real to hear personal stories," she said. "[The experiences] are similar but they're also different."

Students in years 9 and 10 are already preparing for the 2017 competition, with entrants asked to explore the connection between France, Australia and the Anzac spirit.

The competition, part of First World War centenary commemorations, closes in February next year.