Dame Annabelle Rankin Award for Distinguished Services for Children's Literature in Queensland

The Award

The Dame Annabelle Rankin Award for Distinguished Services to Children's Literature is a biennial award of the Queensland Branch of the Children's Book Council of Australia.

The recipient will have made a contribution primarily in Queensland, but services nationally and internationally will be regarded as pluses.

The Award is to take the form of a suitable certificate and a citation.

The citation is to be read at the Award presentation, printed in the newsletter, included on the web site and sent to Reading Time and the CBCA archives.

Only one Award will be presented every two years. The Award will normally be made to an individual; however in special circumstances the judges may make a joint or group award where a joint or group nomination has been deemed more appropriate than an individual one.

The Award is to be administered by a convenor appointed by the Queensland Executive.

Dame Annabelle Rankin

Dame Annabelle Rankin was an Australian stateswoman, born in Brisbane. She became the first Queensland woman to enter federal politics, as a senator for the state in 1946, and the first woman whip in the British Commonwealth, serving as Opposition whip (1947-9) and government whip (1951-66), She was also the first Australian woman of ministerial rank, holding the housing portfolio (1966-71), and Australia's first woman head of a diplomatic mission, as high commissioner to New Zealand (1971-4). She was created a dame in 1957.

Dame Annabelle Rankin was one of the first to be given Life Member status of the Queensland Branch of Children’s Book Council of Australia in 1977 following her service to the branch as a President for 10 years from 1961-1971 and as a Patron. She became known throughout Queensland from her association with church activities, girl guides, the YWCA and the Red Cross. She was also a member of the CWA, the Victoria League and the Royal Empire Society.

Image sourced from the House of Parliament website: www.aph.gov.au/Senate/pubs/briefs/brief03.htm

Previous Recipients

Eligibility

The recipient shall be a person who has made a significant contribution to children's literature in Queensland.

Where a joint or group nomination is more appropriate, a joint or group nomination may be made.

Whilst there is no restriction on the types of contribution made, recipients' contributions must encompass more than their profession or occupation.

No person may receive the Award more than once.

Candidates need not be members of the CBCA.

The recipient shall be a person who has made a significant contribution to children's literature in Queensland.

Where a joint or group nomination is more appropriate, a joint or group nomination may be made.

Whilst there is no restriction on the types of contribution made, recipients' contributions must encompass more than their profession or occupation.

No person may receive the Award more than once.

Candidates need not be members of the CBCA.

Selection and Judging

Copies of nominations should be sent to the judges for perusal and research three weeks prior to judging.

The Selection and Judging Committee

There shall be three judges: The Award convenor, the Queensland Branch president, and a member of the Queensland Management Committee to be chosen annually by the branch.

In the event that one of the judges is nominated for the Award, or is otherwise unable to participate in the judging process, the Queensland executive shall appoint a replacement.

A plethora of DARs. On August 19th at the 2022 Book Week Event, we were fortunate to have many previous Dame Annabelle Rankin Award winners there, including (from left to right) Judith Russell (2013), Lyn Lynning (2004), Fiona Stager (2020), Michael Gerard Bauer (2022), Jenny Stubbs (2009) and James Moloney (2018).