When it comes to telling a story, how we tell the story can be just as impactful as the facts we are trying to present.
In a world where misinformation is rife, knowing how to present data in a way that communicates clearly and tells a story with accuracy and impact is an essential skill. These skills help bridge gaps between research findings, public understanding, and policy. This supports the public to make sense of complex information and helps ensure that accurate evidence guides important policy decisions.
At the Matilda Centre, our Matilda Viz data visualisation competition challenges young Australians to delve into data related to mental health and substance use and use it to communicate important insights. By challenging young people to share stories with and through data, we hope to encourage them to build important skills in analytical thinking, visual communication, and data science.
This year, we received numerous outstanding entries from young people from tertiary institutions across Australia who used data to share important insights related to mental health and substance use, including using search engines for help seeking behaviour, alcohol use, and housing.
After receiving so many excellent entries this year, we’re thrilled to announce our three winners for the 2025 competition across three categories: Best Overall, People’s Choice, and Best Newcomer.
Meet the winners and their submissions below.
Best Overall - When Do Australians Seek Help the Most?
Name: Wei Lerr Wong
Institution: Australian National University
About the piece: Wei Lerr Wong’s piece 'When Do Australians Seek Help the Most?' utilises Google Trends data leading up to World Mental Health Day to draw out patterns in help-seeking. The goal for the data is to give insight to services responding in real time to the changing needs of their audience throughout the day.
Wei Lerr Wong's submission 'When do Australians Seek Help the Most?' uses Google Trends data to explore how Australians sought help online in the lead up to World Mental Health Day.
50
automatic
LinkPeople’s Choice - Combined Problematic Alcohol Use and Psychological Distress Density, Adjusted for Population
Name: Clare O’Toole
Institution: University of Wollongong
About the piece: Clare O’Toole’s piece ‘Combined Problematic Alcohol Use and Psychological Distress Density, Adjusted for Population’ combined local government area boundaries with density of alcohol use and psychological distress to compare links between location, alcohol use and mental health.
Clare O'Toole's submission examines the links between population density, alcohol use and psychological distress in Australia.
50
automatic
LinkBest Newcomer - Housing and Mental Health
Name: Kriti Sharma
Institution: University of Melbourne
About the piece: Titled ‘Housing and Mental Health’, Kriti Sharma’s piece tells the story of Australia’s housing crisis since 2000 and its links to Australia’s increasing mental health crisis. Utilising different sources, Kriti’s piece provides a combined, fuller picture story at beliefs, housing and Australia’s perceptions of their own mental health.
Kriti Sharma's submission examines the links between Australia's housing crisis and mental health across various different sources.
50
automatic
LinkInterested in learning more about the Matilda Centre’s work on epidemiology and biostatistics? Check out our current projects and express your interest for the 2026 Matilda Viz competition!