'One of the foundation members of Noosa Arts Theatre, Val Warren, very enthusiastically suggested the inauguration of a One-Act Playwriting Competition for residents of the Sunshine Coast—the three finalist plays to be staged. The year was 1978. The winning author would receive the “Noosa Arts Trophy” awarded to the play chosen by audience vote at each performance. Nancy Cato’s Travellers Through The Night was the first winner and heads the Awards Board in the theatre foyer. In 1979 Nancy Cato donated a $50 award to be added to the Noosa Arts Trophy for the winning playwright. The other two finalists received $25 each from Noosa Arts. In 1981 the Honours Board was made for the theatre foyer and winners were now listed on this board (instead of an individual trophy) and still received the $50 from Nancy Cato.
'From 1983 the One-Act Playwriting Competition went ‘National’—one of the conditions imposed by the Literature Board of the Australia Council for the grant of $500 for the winning playwright, along with the Noosa Arts prizes of $75, $50, $25 awarded by Audience Vote over the 3 nights. From this year until the mid 1990s, an independent adjudicator judged the Best Written Play from a short-list decided by a reading panel of theatre members.
The following year the $500 prize money was donated by Noosa Arts Theatre.
From 1986 Noosa Shire Council sponsored the prize money and the Sunshine Coast Council then continued in a sponsorship role. Currently, Bendigo Bank, Tewantin is the major sponsor offering $3,000 to the author of the Best Play; the other two finalist will receive $2,000 or $1,000 sponsored by Noosa Arts Theatre.' (Source : http://www.noosaartstheatre.org.au/competitions/historywinners.aspx )
