Presented by the New South Wales branch of the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) for distinguished service to children’s literature.
The award commemorates Lady Helen Cutler's contribution to CBCA NSW. Lady Cutler was their first Patron, and remained so until her death in 1990.
The inaugural award was presented in 1981, and sponsored by Hodder & Stoughton until 2011. In 2012, the award became sponsored by publishing company Peribo.
In 2016, the annual award became biennial.
Indexed selectively: the 2022 award was won by primary-school teacher and CBCA NSW branch member Gail Erskine.
