Hahndorf Primary School Wins Dairy Australia’s Picasso Cows Prize
A decorated, life-sized fibreglass cow called “Sweet Cowaline” earned Hahndorf Primary School the programme’s overall championship. The school received a A$2,000 grand prize in the first round of the 2026 Picasso Cows initiative.
Dairy Australia’s programme uses classroom projects to examine the journey of dairy products from farms to consumers. Pupils record their work in learning journals, conduct practical activities related to farm science and nutrition, and create artwork on full-sized fibreglass cows.
The 2026 opening round included 51 primary schools from rural and metropolitan areas in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia. Ajuga School in Glenfield, New South Wales, received A$1,000 for “Best Cow Design” with a milk-tanker-themed sculpture named “Ajugie”. St Patrick’s Primary School in Kilmore, Victoria, received A$1,000 for “Best Learning Journal” for its multimedia submission, “Mrs Milkcowke”.
The projects covered several stages of dairy production. Hahndorf pupils made butter as part of a food-science activity. Students at Ajuga examined digital processing systems connecting dairy farms with bottling plants. St Patrick’s pupils joined online sessions with commercial dairy farmers, focusing on herd management and animal care.
Entries were assessed by educators, Gardiner Foundation industry partners and Dairy Australia farmer ambassadors Rachel Nicholson and Narelle Zanker. The judging panel noted students’ work on farm sustainability, biological processes and the nutritional contribution of milk fats and proteins. The assessment also highlighted the programme’s role in teaching agricultural topics to schoolchildren and connecting them with primary producers.
Picasso Cows was established in 2007. Dairy Australia says the initiative has since involved more than 150,000 Australian students in learning about the national dairy industry, environmental responsibility and dairy nutrition. The programme’s organisers also identify food provenance, agricultural education and possible future careers in farming as subjects addressed through the initiative.
