The Award was announced in the Australia Day honours list and is part of the Australian honours system.

The Award, which was introduced in 1989, has the sole criteria of outstanding public service.

Mrs Darlington is employed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

Her Award citation states:

“For outstanding public service to the enhancement of public awareness of the environment.

“Mrs Darlington has provided exceptional service to the people of New South Wales by educating them about the environment.

“In 1989, she began the development of the Kosciuszko Education Program which aimed to meet the needs of local schools and communities by enabling them to understand the philosophy of the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

“Through her passion for educating people about the environment, the Kosciuszko Education Centre now works with more than 10,000 people each year to maintain this region as a fragile alpine ecosystem. Through her innovation and leadership, the Kosciuszko National Park now provides one of the largest curriculum-based programs called ‘Discovery for Schools’ that is offered by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. Mrs Darlington has brought an Indigenous focus to education in the region by building strong relationships with traditional Aboriginal custodians and has been influential in ensuring staff have understood Indigenous cultural values.

“She has created positions to employ Aboriginal staff and has encouraged and mentored these staff, thereby ensuring that the culture and stories of the Aboriginal people can be shared among visitors to the park and the wider community.”

“Her ongoing interest in the Aboriginal culture has been exemplified through her work with the Aboriginal Working Group to find appropriate ways to use local knowledge, awareness of spirituality and family significance in education programs.

“Mrs Darlington was invited by the Bhutan Government to develop an interpretative plan for a visitor information centre for Bhutan’s first Royal Botanical Park. She is also involved with the Australian Bhutan Friendship Association and the Australian Bhutan Association of Canberra, and was instrumental in the development of the Bhutan Room at the Kosciuszko Education Centre where students can compare the management and conservation of two different mountain environments and highlight the impact of climate change on landscapes outside of Australia.”