IN 1982, Leah Purcell was first published in the South Burnett Times for a story she wrote for a Murgon Lions competition in school.

Fast forward 35 years and Ms Purcell has won several major awards for her re-imagining of Henry Lawson's The Drover's Wife, adding to a string of accolades.

Most recently she won a Helpmann Award for Best New Australian Work.

Ms Purcell picked up a Helpmann award on Monday night for her play The Drover's Wife.

She said she first heard Mr Lawson's story when her mother read it to her as a child growing up in Murgon.

"I was about five and in my Year 1 at school, writing in the margins,” Ms Purcell said.

"It's an honour to take something she instilled in me, it's been with me for a very long time.

"It's a calling and it's a gift from my mum.”

Ms Purcell said she re-imagined Lawson's text as the story of a frontiers woman who must fend for her four children while her husband is away droving.

As well as writing the play, she also stars as the title character.

The idea of re-imaging the piece came to Ms Purcell while she was shooting the film Jindabyne.

"We had a couple of days off and it's just beautiful and I thought we've got to do something, we don't see this landscape a lot in our TV and films,” she said.

Ms Purcell said she didn't get the best grades in school but that had not stopped her achieving in the industry.

"I was a bit of a C-average student at Murgon State School but I always had a great imagination,” she said.

"Don't let a grade define you.”

The play also won awards for Best Direction by Leticia Caceres and Mark Coles Smith took out Best Male Actor in a Play.

The Drover's Wife also won Best Play.

Earlier this year the play took out Book of the Year at the NSW Premier's Literary Awards and the Nick Enright prize for playwriting in May.

She said she has one more award ceremony to attend at the Australian Writers' Guild awards in August.

"I've got one more frock to put on and that might be the clean sweep,” she said.

Ms Purcell's advice to students in the South Burnett was to have a dream.

"It doesn't matter if you want to be a mother or a garbage collector, a scientist or an astronaut, have a dream and if you ever have the chance to have a go, do it,” she said.

"Don't be afraid to dream big.”