Awards

GSNZ Awards

The Awards Subcommittee of the Geological Society chaired by the Vice-President makes a number of annual and other awards. These are usually announced and presented at the Annual Conference in November or December. The following are links to the Rules & Bylaws page that describe the Terms and Conditions of each Award.

2003 Kingma Award

General Awards

McKay Hammer

Hochstetter Lecturer

Kingma Award

Wellman Research Award

Harold Wellman Prize

Pullar-Vucetich Prize

Alan Mason Historical Studies Fund

Young Researcher Travel Grant

Awards exclusively for Students

S.J. Hastie Scholarship Fund

Hornibrook Award

GSNZ Conference Student Paper Award

GSNZ Conference Student Poster Award

Note that students may be nominated for General Awards. In particular, the Wellman Research Award (above) is given preferentially to younger scientists

Awards of a geological nature by other organisations

Sarah Beanland Memorial Scholarship Fund

Other
The Geological Society can and does nominate members for other awards such as those made by the Royal Society of NZ. Contact any committee member if you would like GSNZ to support a nomination. Some GSNZ branches also have their own student talk awards.

Nominations for GSNZ Awards (general information)
In July of each year, the Awards Subcommittee calls for nominations for various awards which can be emailed to vp_at_gsnz.org.nz. The closing date for nominations is generally mid September. Awards are presented at the GSNZ Annual Conference. For a summary of the awards click here. Nomination forms for each award are downloadable below.

McKay Hammer Award
The McKay Hammer is awarded to the author or authors of the most meritorious contribution to geology published in the previous 3 calendar years. For the purposes of the award, a New Zealand contribution is any contribution by a New Zealand-based author. The award shall be for one or more publications that have not already formed the basis of the award. Nomination template here .

Hochstetter Lecturer
The Hochstetter Lecture shall be delivered to each branch by a New Zealand earth scientist who is undertaking or who has recently completed a major and as yet unpublished study, and who has a reputation as a good, informative speaker. Emphasis shall be on the dissemination of new concepts or techniques, and/or of important information which modifies existing interpretations. The topic should be of interest to both professional and amateur audiences. The lecturer shall be encouraged to present one or more support lectures at each centre with a university earth science department plus any other activity which he or she considers appropriate. Nomination template here.

Pullar-Vucetich Prize
The prize shall be awarded to the author or co-authors of the most meritorious contribution to tephrochronological research in the New Zealand region published in the previous 3 years. Tephrochronological research shall be deemed to include its applications in any field of science, such as archaeology, geomorphology, oceanography, paleobotany, petrology, soil science, stratigraphy, neotectonics, wherein tephra studies are used to elucidate past events. Nomination template here.

Wellman Research Award
This award commemorates the huge contribution to New Zealand geology made by the late Harold Wellman. A sum of $4,000 is available for a geological or geophysical research project. The award will be based on a research proposal, with preference being given to a younger scientist. There is no application form. The application shall be no more than three A4 pages (typed at 12 pt size), which should include the name and contact details (including email) of the applicant, a brief (<100 words) summary, the proposal itself (including a budget), and the names and contact details of at least two referees. A 1-page CV for the applicant should be attached. If requested, applicants should be prepared to be interviewed. In considering applications, preference may be given to the sort of imaginative and innovative proposal that would have appealed to Harold Wellman. Nomination template here.

The Hornibrook Award
This commemorates the micropaleontological and stratigraphic research of Dr N. de B. Hornibrook (1921-1994). The award shall be made to a student enrolled for postgraduate research at a tertiary institution in New Zealand. To be eligible for the award, a student shall demonstrate a high standard of competence and ability to carry out research, with a focus on methods of stratigraphic correlation judged to be relevant to New Zealand and the south-west Pacific. Nomination template here.

Harold Wellman Prize
is awarded at the discretion of the President.

Kingma Award
The award shall be made to the outstanding New Zealand earth science technician of that year, with the qualification that no person shall be eligible to receive the award more than once. Eligibility shall be restricted to technicians employed in New Zealand in the field of earth sciences who have been employed in that field for at least 2 years, who have shown marked ability in their field of employment and who have made a notable contribution to the work of their institution, field team, etc. For this award, the rules require both a nominator and a seconder and supportive references, or an application by a candidate supported by detailed curriculum vitae and 2 referees' reports. Nomination template here.

Young Researcher Travel Award
The purpose of this award is to fund (fully or in part) New Zealand early career earth science researchers and PhD students to attend and present a talk or poster at their first international conference. The award will fund (or contribute to funding of) registration, travel and accommodation costs. A maximum of $5000 will be granted to any one applicant. The grant will be awarded at the discretion of the GSNZ National Committee. Applications will be accepted and considered all year round. This is to allow for the fact that conferences occur all year round, and that considerable planning far ahead of time is involved with attending overseas conferences. Application details and template here .

When making nominations, please refer to the full by-laws covering these awards, including eligibility and nomination requirements (see links above).

Previous Award Winners

We are pleased to record below the winners of the McKay Hammer, Hochstetter Lecture, Kingma, S.J. Hastie Scholarships (formerly Student Research Awards), Pullar-Vucetich Prize, Harold Wellman Prize, Wellman Research Award, Hornibrook Award and GSNZ Conference Student Awards. If anyone has any corrections, please contact the committee member responsible for the website. Except for the Hochstetter Lecture, the year given is the year of the Annual Conference at which the awards were announced.

McKay Hammer Award

Year	Person	From	For publication(s) on
2009	Brent Alloway		Tephrochronology and its application to palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic reconstructions.
2008	Andy Nicol	GNS	Research on faults spanning the divide between seismology and structural geology.
2007	Alan Beu	GNS	Marine Mollusca of oxygen isotope stages of the last 2 million years in New Zealand
2006	Tim Naish	GNS	Plio-Pleistocene marine record of Wanganui Basin
2005	Chris Hollis	GNS	KT boundary environmental changes
2004	Phil Shane	Auckland	Tephrostratigraphy & paleoenvironments
2003	Tim Little	Victoria	Southern Alps & Neotectonics
2002	Peter Kamp	Waikato	Fission track thermochronology
2001	Pat Suggate	GNS	Quaternary stratigraphy & coal rank
2000	Chris Adams	GNS	Provenance of NZ terranes
1999	Phil Barnes	NIWA	Southern Hikurangi margin
1998	Lionel Carter	NIWA	Shelf to deep ocean processes
1997	James Crampton	GNS	Inoceramid taxonomy
1996	Peter Koons	Otago	Collision zones and processes
1995	Ian Wright	NIWA	Offshore TVZ volcanism
1994	Nick Mortimer	GNS	Otago Schist
1993	Brad Pillans	Victoria	NZ Quaternary geology
1992	Phil Maxwell	Waimate	Eocene macropaleontology
1991	Werner Giggenbach; Jack Bradshaw	DSIR; Otago	Hydrothermal work; Fiordland petrology
1990	Cam Nelson	Waikato	Carbonate deposits
1989	Chuck Landis & Clark Blake	Otago & USGS	Tectonostratigraphic terranes
1988	Ian Turnbull	NZGS	Southland geology
1987	No award made	-	-
1986	Colin Wilson	Auckland	Taupo eruption
1985	Matt McGlone	DSIR Botany	Quaternary flora, climate
1984	Jarg Pettinga	Canterbury	Southern Hawkes Bay geology
1983	Mike Johnston	NZGS	East Nelson geology
1982	George Walker	Hawaii	Taupo ignimbrites
1981	Vince Neall	Massey	Taranaki volcanicity
1980	Roger Cooper	NZGS	Paleozoic geology and fauna
1979	Simon Nathan	NZGS	West Coast geology
1978	Bruce Hayward	NZGS	Lower Miocene, Northland
1977	Ian Speden	NZGS	Cretaceous geology
1976	Gordon Williams	Otago	Economic geology of N.Z.
1975	Peter Andrews	NZGS	Sedimentology, Torlesse and Otago shelf
1974	No award made	-	-
1973	Graham Bishop	NZGS	Petrology and structural geology
1972	Graham Jenkins	UK	Planktonic Foraminifera
1971	Trevor Hatherton	DSIR Geophysics	Geophysical anomalies and seismicity
1970	George Scott	NZGS	Biometry in micropaleontology
1969	Robert Stoneley	-	East coast decollement
1968	Jim Kennett	-	Kapitean micropal and stratigraphy
1967	No Award made	-	-
1966	Tony Ewart	-	Whakamaru Ignimbrite
1965	Bruce Waterhouse	NZGS	Permian brachiopoda
1964	Bryce Wood	NZGS	Structure of Otago schists
1963	Bernie Gunn & Guyon Warren	NZGS	Geology, Antarctica
1962	Norcott Hornibrook	NZGS	Oamaru foraminifera
1961	Doug Coombs	Otago	Low grade mineral facies
1960	Harold Wellman	Victoria	N.Z. Cretaceous divisions
1959	Max Gage	-	Glaciations, Waimakariri
1958	Charles Fleming	NZGS	Pecten
1957	Graeme Stevens	NZGS	Geology of the Hutt Valley

Hochstetter Lecturer

Year	Person	From	Lecture topic
2010	Joel Baker	Victoria	A Geochemist's Window into Earth's Origins, History and Future
2009	Kathy Campbell	Auckland	Extreme Life: Terrestrial hot-springs and the search for early life on Earth (and Mars?)
2008	Vern Manville	GNS, Wairakei	The March 2007 Ruapehu Crater Lake breakout lahar
2007	Paul Williams	Auckland	Environmental change: a view from down under
2006	Bruce Hayward	Geomarine Research	Quaternary environmental change
2005	Jamie Shulmeister	Canterbury	Late Neogene paleoclimate
2004	Andy Tulloch	GNS	The geology of Rakiura (Stewart Island) - magmatic arcs, sedimentary basins and Traps for the unwary
2003	Ian Wright	NIWA	Discovering and understanding submarine volcanoes: the Kermadec Arc sector of the Pacific Ring of Fire
2002	Rupert Sutherland	GNS	Cretaceous-Cenozoic evolution of NZ and Antarctica, and its significance for understanding global plate tectonics
2001	Simon Cox	GNS	Mapping the Southern Alps: an attempt to make sense of the Torlesse
2000	Peter Ballance	Auckland	Cenozoic development of the southwest Pacific - the evolution of a plate boundary
1999	Steve Weaver	Canterbury	Growth and development of mainland continental crust
1998	Shane Cronin	Massey	Volcanic eruption and lahar mechanisms
1997	Tim Stern	Victoria	Crustal structure and the tectonics of a transform plate boundary, from deep crustal seismic studies of southern New Zealand
1996	John Gamble	Victoria	Magma mixing and unmixing in the Earth
1995	Kelvin Berryman	GNS	Deciphering earthquakes from the geologic record &endash; progress in paleoseismology studies in New Zealand
1994	Rick Allis	GNS	Thermal Evolution of Sedimentary Basins
1993	Stuart Simmons	Auckland	Recent work in the Waimangu Geothermal Field
1992	Bruce Houghton	GNS	Fire and water: products and processes of basaltic explosive volcanism
1991	Richard Norris	Otago	When plates collide, recent work on the Alpine Fault in Westland
1990	Brad Pillans	Victoria	Quaternary sea level and climate change: new tests for old theories
1989	Jane Newman	Canterbury	West coast paleo-swamp models
1988	Ewan Fordyce	Otago	The history of whales, oceans and continents: patterns and processes in the southern hemisphere
1987	Martin Reyners	DSIR Geophysics	Big faults and little earthquakes - what do microearthquakes tell us about earth deformation and crustal structure?
1986	Terry Seward	DSIR Chemistry	Metal transport and deposition in active ore-forming hydrothermal systems
1985	Lionel Carter	NZOI	Passage to Hikurangi - the movement of debris from the Southern Alps to the deep Pacific Ocean
1984	Cam Nelson	Waikato	Some preliminary studies of mid-late Cenozoic deep-sea cores from the New Zealand sector of the Southwest Pacific: DSDP Leg 90
1983	Peter Barrett	Victoria	The History of the Antarctic Ice Sheet (?Eocene to Recent)
1982	Bernhard Spörli	Auckland	Trouble in the North - tectonics of Northland and its relation to the rest of New Zealand
1981	Vince Neall	Massey	Collapsing cones and vanishing volcanoes - the instability of a stratovolcano such as Egmont and its hazards to humanity
1980	John Bradshaw	Canterbury	Over the edge: Permian to Cretaceous on the margin of Gondwana
1979	Chris Adams	DSIR INS	New ways with old ages
1978	Dick Walcott	Victoria	Structure and tectonics of the present plate boundary zone in NZ
1977	Roger Cooper	NZGS	NZ in the early Paleozoic
1976	Trevor Hatherton	DSIR Geophysics	Geophysicists, in short, and the sleeping monster
1975	Bob Carter	Otago	The Kaikoura sequence in Fiordland and western Southland- an Oligocene continental margin and its relation to a Miocene-Recent plate boundary
1974	Harold Wellman	Victoria	Plate tectonics and NZ during the last 80 m.y.

Kingma Award

Year	Person	From
2009	David Feek	Massey University
2008	Iain Matcham	formerly GNS, Lower Hutt
2007	Roger Tremain	GNS, Lower Hutt
2006	Ritchie Sims	Geol. Dept., University of Auckland
2005	Steve Wilcox	NIWA, Wellington
2004	Rob Spiers	Geol. Dept., University of Canterbury
2003	Ben Morrison	GNS, Dunedin
2002	Lisa Northcote	NIWA, Wellington
2001	Dirk Immenga	Dept. Earth Sciences, University of Waikato
2000	John Patterson	School of Earth Sciences, Victoria University
1999	Louise Cotterall; Damian Walls	Auckland University; Otago University
1998	Roger Williams	GNS, Wellington
1997	Richard Garlick	NIWA, Wellington
1996	Greg Foster	NIWA, Wellington
1995	Mike Trinder	Geol. Dept. University of Otago
1994	Andrew Sutton	Geol. Dept., Victoria University
1993	No award made	-
1992	Andrew Grebneff	Geol. Dept., University of Otago
1991	Stephen Brown	Geol. Dept., University of Canterbury
1990	Vic O'Connor	Tonkin & Taylor Ltd., Auckland
1989	Stephen Bergin	Rock and Soil Mechanics Lab., University of Waikato
1988	Jane Forsyth	NZGS, Dunedin
1987	Vaughan Stagpoole	Geophysics Division, Wairakei
1986	Arthur Alloway	Geol. Dept., University of Canterbury
1985	Martin Little	Geol. Dept., University of Auckland
1984	June Cahill	NZGS, Lower Hutt
1983	Edward Pak	Geothermal Institute, University of Auckland
1982	John Mitchell	NZ Oceanographic Institute, Wellington
1981	Brad Scott; Glen Coates	NZGS, Rotorua; NZGS Christchurch
1980	Keith Calder	Geol. Dept., Victoria University of Wellington
1979	Barry Burt	NZGS, Lower Hutt
1978	John Simes	NZGS, Lower Hutt
1977	Neville Orr	NZGS, Lower Hutt
1976	Christine Whiteford	Geophysics Division, Wellington
1975	D.R. Petty	NZGS, Otara

S.J. Hastie Scholarships (since 2001) and Student Research Awards (1983-2000)

Year	People and universities (on rotation prior to 1995)
2009	Scott Carruthers (Auckland), April Christina Gibson (Waikato), Andrea Logan (Canterbury), Emma Phillips (Massey), Zara Rawlinson (Victoria), Tim Elliot (Otago).
2008	Catherine Frericks (Auckland), Larissa Claire Macmillan (Waikato), Mathew Clark (Canterbury), Ruth Hinz (Massey), John Creech (Victoria), Luke Hayhoe Easterbrook-Clarke (Otago).
2007	Helen Cocker (Auckland), Bradley Hopcroft (Waikato), Clare Robertson (Massey), Daniel Bassett (VUW), Marian Islay Laird (Canterbury), Campbell Ryland (Otago)
2006	Alison Kirkby (Auckland), Alison Graettinger (Waikato), Anja Moebis (Massey), Aidan Allan (VUW), Brendan Duffy (Canterbury), Bridgette Lewis (Otago)
2005	Katy Ward (Auckland), Jeremy Titjen (Waikato), Leila Chrysall (Massey), Hannu Seebeck (VUW), Rose Turnbull (Canterbury), Emilie Guegan (Otago)
2004	Joanna Graaf (Auckland), Rodney Milner (Waikato), Kim Martelli (Massey), Andrew McCarthy (Victoria), Joanna Lea (Canterbury), Matthew Hughes (Lincoln), James Scott (Otago)
2003	Christopher Hughes (Auckland), Ruth Basher (Waikato), Katherine Holt (Manawatu), Glenn Hughes (Wellington), Joshua Mountjoy (Canterbury), Jamie Ward (Otago)
2002	Anne Morrell (Auckland), Michael Fitzgerald (Waikato), Michael Turner (Massey), Matt Hill (Victoria), Andrew Burgess (Canterbury), Ray Marx (Otago)
2001	Craig Noble (Auckland), Austin Hendy (Waikato), Kathryn Wilson (Massey), Bridget Ayling (Victoria), Tanya Ewing (Canterbury), Carolyn Phillips (Otago)
2000	Erin Hollinger (Auckland), Geoff Kilgour (Waikato), Jonathan Proctor (Massey), Rith Wightman (Victoria), Tom Lucas (Canterbury), Eric Osterberger (Otago)
1999	Virginia Toy (Auckland), Graham Leonard (Canterbury), Michele D'Ath (Massey), Matthew Grant (Victoria), Wayne Gunn (Waikato), Brendan Norrie (Otago)
1998	David Tillick (Auckland), Heidi Wehrmann (Waikato), Lynda McGrory (Massey), Emily Chetwin (Victoria), Karl Spinks (Canterbury), John Becker (Otago)
1997	Justin Franklin (Auckland), Philippa Earl (Canterbury), Hannah Brackley (Massey), Craig Wright (Otago), Dene Carroll (Victoria), Caroline Guay (Waikato)
1996	Alison Sprott (Auckland), Anekant Wandres (Canterbury), Josh Adams (Massey), Sarah Jones (Otago), John Rampton (Victoria), Glen Murrell (Waikato)
1995	Catherine Reid (Auckland), Nicola Litchfield (Canterbury), Brenda Rosser (Massey), Mark Henderson (Otago), Julie Lee (Victoria), Deborah Bowyer (Waikato)
1994	Kay Cooper (Canterbury), Eric Wilson (Victoria), Rochelle Hanson (Waikato)
1993	Guy Simpson (Otago), Scott Keeling (Massey), Jan Lindsay (Auckland)
1992	Richard Justice (Canterbury), Stuart Gerritson (Waikato), unknown (Victoria)
1991	Barry O'Connor (Auckland), Andrew Wards (Massey), John Youngson (Otago)
1990	Michael Rosenberg (Waikato), Tod Waight (Canterbury)
1989	Joel Baker (Victoria), Keenan Jennings (Auckland)
1988	Andrew Constantine (Otago), Robert Lieffering (Massey)
1987	P.R. Cochrane (Waikato), M. Stewart (Canterbury)
1986	Jonathan Keall (Victoria), Richard Ruddock (Auckland)
1985	Joanna Tompkins (Massey), James Crampton & Scott Nicol (Otago)
1984	John Utley (Waikato), Michael Johnston (Canterbury)
1983	Cornel de Ronde (Auckland), Lisa Foley (Victoria)

Pullar-Vucetich Award

Year	Person	From	For work on
2008	Maria Gehrels	Plymouth University	Cryptotephras in northern New Zealand.
2006	Brad Pillans	ANU	Pleistocene silicic tephras of Wanganui Basin
2004	Alan Palmer	Massey	Onland and offshore tephra studies
2002	Vicki Smith	Auckland	Okataina Volcanic Centre
2000	Dennis Eden	Palmerston North	Multi-sourced distal tephras and landscape evolution, eastern North Island
1998	Shane Cronin	Massey	Tephra identification and Ruapehu and Tongariro ring plains
1996	Susan Donoghue	Massey/HKU	Tephrostratigraphic work on style of prehistoric eruptions, Mt Ruapehu
1994	Brent Alloway	Auckland	Tephrostratigraphy and chronology of the Taranaki and Wanganui regions
1992	Phil Shane	Victoria	Plio-Pleistocene tephrostratigraphic correlations in southern North Island
1988	No award made	-	-
1986	David Lowe	Waikato	Quaternary tephrostratigraphy of the Waikato Basin

Harold Wellman Prize

Year	Person	From	Fossil find
2009	Uwe Kaulfus	Otago University	New fossil insects in New Zealand.
2008	Dave Allen	New Plymouth	Marine bird skulls in Pliocene sediments near Hawera.
2007	Robert Holmes	Chatham Island	A Mid Pleistocene marine fauna raised 200m above sea level on the Chatham Is
2006	Hamilton Junior Naturalist Club	Hamilton	Paleogene fossil penguin, Kawhia Harbour
2005	Jane Hill	Whangarei	Fossil marine turtle
2004	Richard Kohler	Otago	Late Cretaceous fossil fish, Pitt Island
2003	Jennifer Bannister	Otago	Tertiary fungi and flowers
2002	Bill Lee	Oamaru	North Otago Miocene mollusca, dolphin, whale locality
2001	Don Haw	-	Initial discovery of reptile bones in Mangahouanga Stream
2000	Liz Kennedy	Wellington	Oldest NZ fossil flowers (Late Cretaceous)
1999	Brendan Hayes	Auckland	First Jurassic dinosaur bone in NZ
1998	Malcolm Simpson	Auckland	First Cambrian fossils in New Zealand
1997	Al Mannering	Canterbury Museum	Paleocene penguin fossils from Waipara area
1996	Bruce Dix	Wellington	Fossil intertidal invertebrates, Cape Turakirae
1995	Phil Ford	Otago	First NZ Permian conodonts
1994	Rodney Grapes	Wellington	Late Triassic radiolaria in Torlesse rocks, Orongorongo River
1993	Graeme Dodd	Southland	Dactylioceras cf anquinum, first Ururoan indicator in South Island
1992	Chris Carey	Nelson	First fossil sulphur-reducing black smoker-type fauna in NZ waters
1991	Stuart Owen	Otago	Amrnonoids in the top of the Maitai Group
1990	Phil Moore	Wellington	Fossil discoveries on offshore islands and in eastern North Island
1989	Richard Cotton	Otago	Mid Permian fusulinid foraminifera, Canterbury

Wellman Research Award

Year	Person	From	For
2009	William Ries	Victoria	Locating active faults in eroded landscapes (Sth Taranaki) by developing a GIS extension to digitally analyse various geomorphic features.
2008	Alastair Clement	Massey	The geomorphic evolution of the lower Manawatu Valley, North Island.
2007	Deborah Crowley	Massey	Late Miocene-Pliocene Rangiauria Breccia of Pitt and Mangere Islands, Chathams Island
2006	no award made	-	-
2005	Katherine Holt	Massey	Quaternary soils, Chatham Islands
2004	Alex Winter-Billington	Victoria	Hydrology and motion of Brewster Glacier
2003	Philip Burge	Canterbury	Fossil beetles and timing of glaciation in New Zealand
2002	Derek Birks	Massey	Volcanic events on SW flanks of Mount Taranaki
2001	Richard Smith	Waikato	Magma residence times by ion microprobe analyses of zircon

Hornibrook Award

Year	Person	From	For
2009	Rosemary Cody Joshu Mountjoy	Victoria Canterbury	Paleoenvironmental evolution of major ocean/climate systems in the southwestern Pacific. High resolution seismic data and seismic stratigraphy methods to characterise complex and poorly understood submarine canyon processes.
2002	Dan Hikuroa	Auckland	Jurassic Latady Formation, Antarctica
2001	Kate Wilson	Massey	Quaternary paleoceanography, ODP 1119
2000	Avon McIntyre	Waikato	Wanganui Basin stratigraphy
1998	Andrei van Dusschoten	Otago	Stratigraphy and paleontology of Torlesse rocks, Balmacaan Stream
1996	Shaun Hayton	Waikato	Miocene-Pliocene sequence stratigraphy, Wanganui basin

Student Conference Awards

Year	Conference	Awardees
2009	Oamaru	Best papers - Winner: Felix Marx, Otago; Runner-up: Christian Ohneiser, Otago and Ian Schipper, Otago. Best posters - First equal: Yannik Behr, Victoria and Faye Nelson, Otago; Third: Kirsty Tinto / Bob Dagg, Otago.
2008	Wellington	Best papers - Winner: Rachael Rhodes, University of Victoria, Runner-up: Kimberly Andrews Univeristy of Victoria. Best posters - Winner: Charlotte King, University of Otago, Runner-up: Sam Hampton, University of Canterbury.
2007	Tauranga	Best Papers - Winner: Thomas Whittaker, University of Waikato "Speleothems and the climate record". Merit: Aidan Allan, VUW "Silicic tephras from ODP 1123" and Anya Mueller, U Canterbury "Round Top rock avalanche". Best Posters - Winner: Lisa Pearson, University of Waikato "Sediments of Lake Rotorua". Merit: Jesse Robertson, U Otago "Alpine Fault mylonites" and Martin Schiller, VUW "26Al-26Mg isotopic dating".
2006	Palmerston N	Best Talk: Verne Pere (Canterbury). Merit Talks: Vasso Mouslopoulou (VUW) and Kate Wilson (VUW) Best Poster: Anke Zernack (Massey). Merit Posters: Naomi Matthews (Canterbury) and Rose Turnbull (Canterbury)
2005	Kaikoura	Best Oral: Ruth Wightman (Victoria). Merit Oral: Rachel Crimp (Massey), Samuel Marx (U Queensland), Cathy Joanne (U Nice, France) Best Poster: Jeremy Cole-Baker (Waikato). Merit Poster: Tariq Rahiman (Canterbury), Tracey Bear (Waikato)
2004	Taupo	Best Oral: Vicky Smith (Auckland). Merit Oral: Bridget Lynne (Auckland), James Scott (Otago) Best Poster: Karl Spinks (Canterbury). Merit poster: Kate Bodger, Jeff Fraser (Canterbury)
2003	Dunedin	Best Oral: Shaun Barker (Otago). Merit Oral: Dougal Mason (Victoria), Karl Spinks (Canterbury) Best Poster: Marion Walls (Victoria). Merit Poster: Kyle Bland (Waikato), Darren Gravley (Canterbury)
2002	Whangarei	Best Oral: Matt Boyd (Auckland). Merit Oral: Erin Newton (Otago), Jennifer Eccles (Auckland) Best Poster: Austin Hendy & Adam Vonk (Waikato). Merit Poster: Cara Lauder (Waikato), Linda Congdon (Canterbury)
2001	Hamilton	Best Oral: Kyle Bland (Waikato). Merit Oral: Maureen Marra (Victoria), Heather Cempbell (Otago) Best Poster: Stephen Read (Otago). Merit Poster: Geoff Kilgour (Waikato), Darran Gravley (Canterbury) Solid Energy North Award (Best Applied Earth Science paper): Marion Irwin (Auckland)
2000	Wellington	Best Oral: Ursula Cochran (Victoria). Merit Oral: Cliff Atkins (Victoria), Gren Timbrell (Auckland) Best Poster: Eric Osterberger (Otago). Merit Poster: Matt Howard
1999	Palmerston N	Best Oral: Jeanette Gillespie (Waikato). Merit Oral: Marty Young (Victoria), Anekant Wandres (Canterbury) Best poster: Jo Horrocks (Waikato). Merit posters: Chris Anderson (Massey), Avon McIntyre (Waikato)
1998	Christchurch	Best Oral: Christine Simpson (Waikato). Merit Oral: Nicola Litchfield (Otago), Richard Jongens (Canterbury) Best Poster: David Thomas (Otago). Merit Poster: Annemarie Christopherson (Victoria), Adam Vonk (Waikato)
1997	Wellington	Best Oral: Chris Anderson, Brett Robinson (Massey). Merit Oral: Peter Webb (Victoria), Mark Armstrong (Canterbury), Kate McHaffie (Victoria) Best Poster: Marian Hanson (Otago). Merit Poster: Doris Maicher (Otago), Ulrike Martin (Otago), Ed Ladley (Otago), Jon Lindqvist (Otago)
1996	Dunedin	Best Oral: Michelle Markley (Otago). Merit Oral: Rina Herdianta (Auckland) Best Poster: Dougal Townsend (Victoria). Merit Oral: Jens Richnow (Canterbury)
1995	Auckland	Best oral: C. Miller (Auckland)
1994	New Plymouth	?
1993	Wellington	?
1992	Christchurch	Best Oral: Simon Cox (Otago). Merit Oral: Jeanette Gillespie (Waikato), Phil Shane (Victoria) Best Poster: K.A. Hodgson (Massey)
1991	Palmerston N	Oral: Stuart Owen (Otago); S.L. Donoghue (Massey) Poster: Phil Shane (Victoria)
1990	Napier	Best Oral: Joann Lihou (Victoria). Merit Oral: Hugh Cowan (Canterbury) Best Poster: Ann Melhuish (Victoria). Merit Poster: K.A. Hodgson (Massey)
1989	Auckland	Best Oral: Andrew Allibone (Otago), Dan Bishop (Victoria)
1988	Hamilton	Best Oral: S. Soengkono (Auckland), R.M. Newnham (Auckland)
1987	Dunedin	Best Oral: Stephen Stokes (Waikato)
1986	Palmerston N	Best Oral: Mike Johnston (Canterbury)
1985	Christchurch	Best Oral: Mark Rattenbury (Otago)
1984	Wellington	Best Oral: Sally Davenport (Victoria), Duane Gibson (Auckland)
1983	Auckland	Best Oral: Linda Fergusson (Canterbury)
1982	Dunedin	Best Oral: Ian Paintin (Victoria), Kate Pound (Otago)
1981	Hamilton	Best Oral: Bill Hackett (Victoria)
1980	Christchurch	Best Oral: Jane Newman (Canterbury), Chris Ward (Otago)
1979	Nelson	Best Oral: Ian Pringle (Otago)
1978*	Auckland	Best Oral: Brad Pillans (James Cook University, Queensland), Peter Kamp (Waikato)
1977	Queenstown	Best Oral: Ewan Fordyce (Canterbury). Merit Oral: George Gibson (Otago), D. McConchie (Canterbury), Andy Tulloch (Otago)
1976	Hamilton	Best Oral: Jarg Pettinga (Auckland). Merit Oral: Bruce Houghton (Otago), D.C. Lawton (Auckland)
1975	Kaikoura	Best Oral: Fiona Hyden (Otago). Merit Oral: Huntly Cutten (Canterbury), Jeff Bryant (Canterbury)
1974	Wellington	Best Oral: R. Howorth (Victoria). Merit Oral: Bruce Hayward (Auckland), John Sinton (Otago)

* meeting actually held in Jan 1979