The award was established in 1994 by Andy Plummer and Maureen Cahill in order to promote glass art to the public.
[1] Plummer, a mining executive, had met Cahill in the early 1990s, when undertaking a glass-making short course at the Sydney College of the Arts.
[2] By this time, Cahill was exhibiting her work regularly, and was running the Glass Artists' Gallery in Glebe, Sydney.
[4] The winning pieces, collected each year by Ranamok Glass Prize Ltd, were donated to the National Gallery of Australia.
[5] An annual showcase of finalists was held, and the winner received a cash prize and the publicity resulting from a major multi-venue exhibition.