Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science

The Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science (ANZAAS) is an organisation that was founded in 1888 as the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science to promote science.

It was modelled on the British Association for the Advancement of Science. For many years, its annual meetings were a popular and influential way of promoting science in Australia and New Zealand.

The current name has been used since 1930.

History

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Two of its founders include Archibald Liversidge[1] and Horatio George Anthony Wright.[2]

In the 1990s, membership and attendance at the annual meetings decreased as specialised scientific societies increased in popularity. Proposals to close the Association were discussed, but it continued after closing its office in Adelaide. It now operates on a smaller scale but is beginning to grow.[citation needed] The Annual Meetings are no longer held.

It holds lectures, for the medals and for other named lectures, both nationally and at state level.

Each year it organises Youth ANZAAS, an annual residential scientific forum attended by senior secondary students from Australian schools and High schools.

Awards

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The Association awards two important medals; the Mueller medal, named in honour of Ferdinand von Mueller, botanist and pioneer environmentalist, and the ANZAAS medal.

ANZAAS Medal

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The ANZAAS medal is awarded annually for services in the advancement of science or administration and organisation of scientific activities, or the teaching of science throughout Australia and New Zealand and in contributions to science which lie beyond normal professional activities.

Sculptor Andor Meszaros designed the Medal, which was first awarded in 1965.

Recipients

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ANZAAS medal (obverse)
ANZAAS medal (reverse)

Mueller Medal

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The Medal is awarded annually to a scientist who is the author of important contributions to anthropological, botanical, geological or zoological science, preferably with special reference to Australia.[7] It is named after Ferdinand von Mueller, the German/Australian botanist who was Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne. Initiated in 1902, it was designed by Walter Baldwin Spencer.

Recipients

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ANZAAS Mueller Medal (obverse)
ANZAAS Mueller Medal (reverse)

Youth ANZAAS

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Youth ANZAAS is an annual residential scientific forum for senior Australasian secondary school students from Years 9, 10, 11 and 12. This event is designed to provide students with a broad perspective on the aims and practice of scientific endeavour, ranging from satisfying curiosity and the drive to discover, to the application of science in the real world. It gives students the opportunity to visit world-class facilities where cutting edge research is undertaken and meet leading scientists.

Recent forums have been:

  • Youth ANZAAS 2023 – Melbourne, Victoria.
  • Youth ANZAAS 2022 – Not held due to pandemic
  • Youth ANZAAS 2021 – Not held due to pandemic
  • Youth ANZAAS 2020 – Not held due to pandemic
  • Youth ANZAAS 2019 – Adelaide, South Australia.
  • Youth ANZAAS 2018 – Melbourne, Victoria.
  • Youth ANZAAS 2017 – Melbourne, Victoria.
  • Youth ANZAAS 2016 – Brisbane, Queensland.
  • Youth ANZAAS 2015 – Adelaide, South Australia.
  • Youth ANZAAS 2014 – Melbourne, Victoria.
  • Youth ANZAAS 2013 – Hobart, Tasmania.
  • Youth ANZAAS 2012 – Dunedin, New Zealand.
  • Youth ANZAAS 2011 – Brisbane, Queensland.
  • Youth ANZAAS 2010 – Sydney, New South Wales.
  • Youth ANZAAS 2009 – Melbourne, Victoria.
  • Youth ANZAAS 2008 – Dunedin, New Zealand.
  • Youth ANZAAS 2007 – Perth, Western Australia.
  • Youth ANZAAS 2006 – Adelaide, South Australia.
  • Youth ANZAAS 2005 – Sydney, New South Wales.
  • Youth ANZAAS 2004 – Sydney, New South Wales.
  • Youth ANZAAS 2003 – Melbourne, Victoria.
  • Youth ANZAAS 2002 – Adelaide, South Australia.
  • Youth ANZAAS 2001 – Adelaide, South Australia.
Youth ANZAAS 2014 Melbourne Itinerary

Programs

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ANZAAS – Australian Synchrotron Inaugural Winter School

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The ANZAAS – Australian Synchrotron Inaugural Winter School was launched in July 2009. The four-day program aims to give young researchers – Honours, Masters and early PhD students – an understanding of synchrotron techniques and operation for research purposes. Participants attend lectures, tour the facility and perform beamline experiments that complement their lectures.

Publications

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Report of the ... meeting of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, Australia and New Zealand. 1888–1930

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1923 ANZAAS Congress in Wellington (NZ).

Report of the ... meeting of the Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science. 1930–1997

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Frontispiece from the report of the association's second meeting, held in Melbourne in January 1890
Estimate of ANZAAS congress attendees. Red points denote congresses held in New Zealand.

A 67th Meeting was scheduled for Hobart in 1998 but did not proceed.

References

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  1. ^ D. P. Mellor (1988). "Liversidge, Archibald (1846–1927)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. MUP. pp. 93–94. Retrieved 14 September 2009.
  2. ^ Hoare, Michael. "Wright, Horatio George Anthony (from 1827–1901)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 18 February 2012.
  3. ^ "Associate Professor awarded ANZAAS Medal for services to science". Monash University. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  4. ^ Professor Tom Spurling awarded ANZAAS Medal for scientific achievement Swinburne University of Technology, 15 August 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  5. ^ "Academy Fellow wins ANZAAS Medal for her scientific achievements". Australian Academy of Science. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  6. ^ "The man who linked kuru to cannibalism". COSMOS. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  7. ^ ANZAAS > Mueller Medal Recipients (1904-2005) archive.is Retrieved 9 July 2017,
  8. ^ Breukner, Martin. Resource Curse or Cure. p. 24.
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