Helen Mary Tolcher (nee Forbes) was born in northern Victoria but lived in South Australia. She went to school at Gawler High School and St Peter's Collegiate Girls' School. She was Honorary Assistant in the Archaeology department of the South Australian Museum in the 1970s and later in the Museum Library for over 40 years.

Helen married Vernon Arthur Tolcher at St Pauls Pulteney Street, Adelaide on 1 December 1948.

Helen published more than 50 short stories in Australia and the United Kingdom and five books since 1986. She won numerous awards and prizes since receiving her first, a Tennyson Medal for English Literature in 1943 aged 14 years old. Helen, Vern and their children became involved in Roonka from its beginning in 1968 after Helen expressed an interest in archaeology.

Series 1-34 have been kept in their original folders. The series title is the original folder title.