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The Children's Book Council of Australia (WA Branch) is a volunteer-run organisation that seeks to engage the community with literature for young Australians and to support and promote local authors. As 2025 marks the 80th birthday of CBCA we are delighted to offer two pieces of original art from winning books in the 2024 CBCA BOTY awards. We are so proud of Briony Stewart and Kelly Canby and very grateful to these two WA creators for their generosity in donating original art pieces from their CBCA BOTY winning books to the WA Branch. Both pieces have been professionally framed and look exquisite. The photos are for illustration purposes only and do not do full justice to the work. The pieces will be offered for Silent Auction with the winning bidders announced at A Night with Our Stars (ANWOS) on Friday 14 March 2025. Bids start at $150 and will increase in $10 increments. Last bids must be placed by 7.00pm on Friday 14 March. Successful bidders do not need to be present at the event but will be responsible for all subsequent costs related to freight or delivery.
Sally Murphy is the 2024 Muriel Barwell Award recipient for her distinguished service to children’s literature. Zephyr Education is the recipient of the 2023 CBCA WA Penny Hutchens Memorial Fund. This organisation, which is 100% run by volunteers, was founded in 2013 to assist children living at domestic violence shelters. Its aim is to minimize any disruption to the children’s education by providing the resources and materials needed to continue their learning journey at a new school. In May, committee members Jenny Botje, Julie Muir and Denise Robins spent an enjoyable morning choosing books to the value of $1000 to be given to Zephyr Education. We were ably assisted by Margaret Walton from Child Education Services. In July, Jenny and Denise presented these to WA Coordinator of Zephyr Education, Nicola Henderson. Added to the collection were books donated by committee members. These books were distributed between two domestic violence refuges, one of these having four separate sites. These will be used in a variety of ways, including: - Use as 'buddy bags' for children when they first arrive at the refuge in a time of crisis with very few personal possessions. They may be the first new items the children own after arriving in the refuge. - Book packs to be kept in the accommodation units to encourage the clients to bond with their young children through reading. - Addition of the books to an onsite library which children can use.  WA Branch committee member Jenny Botje presenting the books to Nicola Henderson, WA Coordinator of Zephyr Education In her letter of thanks, Nicola said, “On behalf of Zephyr Education, I would like to sincerely thank you for your donation of the wonderful books that we received recently. At Zephyr Education we strive to ensure that disadvantaged and vulnerable children affected by domestic violence have every opportunity to continue their education with minimal disruption. We believe that books are at the heart of education and learning, so it was an honour to be gifted these beautiful books and in turn, to be able to pass them on to some of the domestic violence refuges supported by Zephyr Education. These families have been through so much before they finally arrive at a refuge so you can be assured that your kindness in supplying these books will be very much appreciated by the families involved. We appreciate the care and time taken to select books that are appropriate for these children.” We were delighted that Nicola was able to join us at the annual Book Week Dinner this year. In the talk she gave, she provided an insight into the work that Zephyr Education is involved in. A number of attendees interested in the organisation spoke to Nicola after her speech.  From left, Julie Muir, Nicola Henderson, Jenny Botje and Denise Robins at the Children's Book Week® Dinner
After studying librarianship, Nola worked with the Education Department and in public libraries. At this time, she first joined the Children’s Book Council of Australia WA Branch, climbing the stairs to Haddon’s Bookshop, and meeting similar minded colleagues who have become lifelong friends. Throughout her 39 years’ distinguished service, Nola was Branch Secretary for ten years, and National Secretary for two; she worked on the Programme Committee for the CBCA National Conference held in Perth in 2002 and she judged the Eve Pownall Award for non-fiction books. Nola moved to the State Library of Western Australia (SLWA) as a Children’s Services Librarian, joining a team which curated a list of newly published books enabling public libraries to regularly select books for children from birth to 18 years with confidence. Nola’s knowledge of the best of children’s literature was shared generously with local government staff state-wide. An informal partnership between CBCA WA and State Library enabled the Bookworms Club for 6-10, year-olds to flourish. The highlight was an annual lunch where one hundred members could meet WA and interstate authors and illustrators. Nola edited the Club’s newsletter and accompanied visiting book creators on regional tours. Nola’s passion for ensuring that all children in this vast state have access to programs promoting the best in children’s literature has seen her voluntarily assist in writing successful grant applications totalling close to $900,000 over the past 15 years. Around 2003 at the State Library, Sue North and Nola worked together to scope and devise a program that would ensure that every baby born in Western Australia would receive the gift of a book and an invitation to join their local library. The multi-award-winning Better Beginnings Family Literacy Program began. Over one million families have since received a yellow bag with a booklist and other supporting resources from their community child health nurse. It’s impossible to imagine Better Beginnings without Baby Ways. At the time when Nola led its development, writing and publication, there were a mere handful of photographic books showing the diversity of Australian babies. Baby Ways continues to be a hit with families from Karratha to Kojonup, and was recently translated into Noongar for a bilingual edition. Nola’s extraordinary contributions at State Library saw her receive the James Hammond Award, and being made a Fellow of the Library Board of Western Australia in 2017. Since leaving SLWA, Nola’s skills have been in demand as a consultant leading community publishing projects in local governments throughout Perth. Booksellers, reviewers, parents and librarians continue to seek her views about Australian children’s literature through her regular contributions to the iconic Magpies magazine. Nola has also contributed to databases developed by the National Centre for Australian Children’s Literature (NCACL). Her distinguished work – paid and unpaid - bringing children and books together over many decades makes Nola Allen a worthy recipient of the Muriel Barwell Award. Gail Spiers Convenor Muriel Barwell Award for Distinguished Service to Children’s Literature  Muriel Barwell OAM and Nola Allen taken in 2022 shortly after Nola received her award.
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AWARDS FOUNDATION
We dreamt of funding prizes for Winning and Honour Books in the Children’s Book of the Year Awards to reward their creators. Your generous donation was part of that dream. You can make our dream a reality. GIFT FUND Your donation to the CBCA Gift Fund will help fund programs that enrich young lives through Australian stories and create a thriving creative world. Support our mission to connect, communicate, celebrate and advocate stories across Australia. |
AWARDS FOUNDATION BENEFACTORS
Allen & Unwin • CBCA NSW Branch Inc • Eddie and Dina Coffey • Laurie Copping OAM • Margaret Hamilton AM • Maurice Saxby AM Scholastic Australia • Thyne Reid Trust No. 1
Major Donors
Australia Post • Jill B Bruce • Sandy Campbell • CBCA ACT Branch • CBCA SA Branch • CBCA VIC Branch • CBCA WA Branch • Era Publications • Five Mile Press • Libby Gleeson AM • Bob Graham • Hachette Children’s Books • Hardie Grant Egmont • HarperCollins Publishers • Ipswich District Teacher-Librarians’ Network • The James N Kirby Foundation • Kinross-Wolaroi School • Koala Books • Library Board of Queensland • Dr Robin Moncrieff Morrow AM• Angela Namoi • Northern Territory Government • Parents & Boys of Sydney Grammar Edgecliff Prep School • Penguin Books • Random House • Emily Rodda (Jennifer Rowe) • Gillian Rubinstein • SA Dept of the Arts & Cultural Development • Gail Spiers • Myrtle Spiers • Cathie Tasker • University of Queensland Press • Julie Vivas • Walker Books • Margaret Wild • Sue Williams
Major Donors in Memoriam
Jean Chapman • Max Fatchen • Beryl Moncrieff Matthews • Christobel Mattingley • Jill Midolo • Narelle Oliver • Jan Ormerod • Eve Pownall • Marion E Robertson • Gregory Rogers • Sebastian Walker • Cassandra Weddell • Maisie Williams, Garah, NSW
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