# Hector Medal

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Annual New Zealand science award

The **Hector Medal**, formerly known as the **Hector Memorial Medal**,[1] is a science award given by the [Royal Society Te Apārangi](/source/Royal_Society_Te_Ap%C4%81rangi) in memory of Sir [James Hector](/source/James_Hector) to researchers working in New Zealand. It is awarded annually in rotation for different sciences – currently there are three: chemical sciences; physical sciences; mathematical and information sciences. It is given to a researcher who "has undertaken work of great scientific or technological merit and has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of the particular branch of science."[2] It was previously rotated through more fields of science – in 1918 they were: botany, chemistry, ethnology, geology, physics (including mathematics and astronomy), zoology (including animal physiology).[1] For a few years it was awarded biennially – it was not awarded in 2000, 2002 or 2004.[3]

In 1991 it was overtaken by the [Rutherford Medal](/source/Rutherford_Medal_(Royal_Society_of_New_Zealand)) as the highest award given by the Royal Society of New Zealand.[4]

The obverse of the medal bears the head of James Hector and the reverse a [Māori](/source/M%C4%81ori_people) snaring a [huia](/source/Huia).[5][6] The last confirmed sighting of a living huia predates the award of the medal by three years.[7]

## Recipients

Year Recipient[8] Field 1912 Leonard Cockayne Botany 1913 Thomas Easterfield Chemistry 1914 Elsdon Best Ethnology 1915 Patrick Marshall Geology 1916 Ernest Rutherford Physics 1917 Charles Chilton Zoology 1918 Thomas Cheeseman Botany 1919 Philip Robertson Chemistry 1920 Percy Smith Ethnology 1921 Robert Speight Geology 1922 Coleridge Farr Physics 1923 George Hudson Zoology 1924 Donald Petrie Botany 1925 Bernard Aston Chemistry 1926 Harry Skinner Ethnology 1927 Charles Cotton Geology 1928 Duncan Sommerville Mathematics 1929 George Thomson Zoology 1930 John Holloway Botany 1931 William Percival Evans Chemistry 1932 Peter Buck (Te Rangi Hīroa) Ethnology 1933 John Marwick, Noel Benson Geology 1934 Charles Ernest Weatherburn Mathematics 1935 William Benham Zoology 1936 Walter Oliver Botany 1937 John Reader Hosking Chemistry 1938 Herbert Williams Ethnology 1939 Arthur Bartrum Geology 1940 Donald Macleod Physics 1941 Harold Finlay Zoology 1942 Harry Allan Botany 1943 Bob Briggs Chemistry 1944 Johannes Carl Andersen Ethnology 1945 John Henderson Geology 1946 Henry Forder Mathematics 1947 Baden Powell Zoology 1948 G. H. Cunningham Botany 1949 Robert Anthony Robinson Chemistry 1950 Ernest Beaglehole Ethnology 1951 Francis John Turner Geology 1952 Keith Bullen Geophysics 1953 Lance Richdale Zoology 1954 Lucy Cranwell Botany 1955 Brian Shorland Chemistry 1956 Roger Duff Ethnology 1957 Harold Wellman Geology 1958 Alister McLellan Mathematics 1959 Barry Fell Zoology 1960 Ted Chamberlain Botany 1961 Harry Bloom Chemistry 1962 Ralph Piddington Ethnology 1963 Charles Fleming Geology 1964 Derek Lawden Mathematics 1965 Richard Dell Zoology 1966 Jack Holloway Botany 1967 Con Cambie Chemistry 1968 Gilbert Archey Ethnology 1969 Doug Coombs Geology 1970 Brian Wybourne Physics 1971 Ira Cunningham Zoology 1972 Ted Bollard Botany 1973 Michael Hartshorn Chemistry 1974 Herbert Purves Medicine 1975 Robert Hayes Geology 1976 Jack Dodd Physics 1977 Cam Reid Zoology 1978 Richard Matthews Botany 1979 Leon Phillips Chemistry 1980 Graham Liggins Medicine 1981 Trevor Hatherton Geology 1982 Roy Kerr Mathematics 1983 Ray Forster Zoology 1984 Rod Bieleski Botany 1985 Peter de la Mare Chemistry 1986 Robin Carrell Medicine 1987 Jim Ellis Chemistry 1988 Dan Walls Physics 1989 Patricia Bergquist Zoology 1990 Peter Wardle Botany 1991 Warren Roper Chemistry 1992 Roger Green Ethnology 1993 Dick Walcott Geology 1994 Geoff Stedman Physics 1995 Bob Jolly Zoology 1996 John C. Butcher Mathematics 1997 Ted Baker Chemistry 1998 Paul Callaghan, Jeff Tallon Physics 1999 George Seber Statistics 2000 No award 2001 Peter Schwerdtfeger Chemistry 2002 No award 2003 Ken MacKenzie Materials science 2004 No award 2005 Ian Witten Computer science 2006 Richard Furneaux Chemistry 2007 Timothy Haskell Physics 2008 Gaven Martin Mathematics 2009 Peter Steel Chemistry 2010 Grant Williams Physics 2011 Rod Downey Mathematics 2012 Margaret Brimble Chemistry 2013 Richard Blaikie Physics 2014 Marston Conder[9] Mathematics 2015 Ian Brown[10] Chemistry 2016 Stéphane Coen Physics 2017 Sally Brooker[11] Chemistry 2018 Matt Visser[12] Mathematical physics 2019 Jadranka Travaš-Sejdić[13] Polymers and nanomaterials 2020 Eamonn O’Brien[14] Mathematical theory of groups 2021 Eric Le Ru[15] Chemical physics 2022 Murray Cox[16] Population genetic theory 2023 Niels Kjærgaard[17] Physics 2024 Charles Semple[18] Mathematics 2025 Christian Hartinger[19] Biological chemistry

## See also

- [Category:New Zealand scientists](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:New_Zealand_scientists)

- The [Shorland Medal](/source/Shorland_Medal) given by the [New Zealand Association of Scientists](/source/New_Zealand_Association_of_Scientists)

- [List of chemistry awards](/source/List_of_chemistry_awards)

- [List of mathematics awards](/source/List_of_mathematics_awards)

- [List of physics awards](/source/List_of_physics_awards)

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Transactions1918_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Transactions1918_1-1) ["Hector Memorial Research Fund"](http://rsnz.natlib.govt.nz/volume/rsnz_50/rsnz_50_00_004140.html). *Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute*. **50**. 1918. Retrieved 9 March 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Hector Medal"](http://www.royalsociety.org.nz/programmes/awards/hector-medal/). Royal Society Te Apārangi. Retrieved 9 March 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Background of the Medal"](http://www.royalsociety.org.nz/programmes/awards/hector-medal/background/). Royal Society Te Apārangi. Retrieved 9 March 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Rutherford Medal « Medals & Awards « Funds, Medals & Competitions « Royal Society of New Zealand"](http://www.royalsociety.org.nz/programmes/awards/rutherford-medal/). Royalsociety.org.nz. 20 June 2014. Retrieved 11 August 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Papers Past — Press — 20 December 1912 — NEWS OF THE DAY"](https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=CHP19121220.2.26). Paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 20 December 1912. Retrieved 11 August 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Design « Hector Medal « Medals & Awards « Funds, Medals & Competitions « Royal Society of New Zealand"](http://www.royalsociety.org.nz/programmes/awards/hector-medal/design/). Royalsociety.org.nz. 20 June 2014. Retrieved 11 August 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Barrie, Heather; Robertson, Hugh (2005). *The Field Guide to the Birds of New Zealand* (Revised ed.). Viking. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-14-302040-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-14-302040-0).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-HectorMedalRecipients_8-0)** ["Recipients"](https://www.royalsociety.org.nz/what-we-do/medals-and-awards/hector-medal/recipients-3/). [Royal Society Te Apārangi](/source/Royal_Society_Te_Ap%C4%81rangi). Retrieved 16 February 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Royal Society of New Zealand recognises achievements of researchers"](https://web.archive.org/web/20141220080825/http://www.royalsociety.org.nz/2014/11/26/royal-society-of-new-zealand-recognises-achievements-of-researchers/). Royal Society of New Zealand. 26 November 2014. Archived from [the original](http://www.royalsociety.org.nz/2014/11/26/royal-society-of-new-zealand-recognises-achievements-of-researchers/) on 20 December 2014. Retrieved 27 November 2014.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["Spotlight on top New Zealand researchers"](https://web.archive.org/web/20151124014100/http://www.royalsociety.org.nz/2015/11/10/spotlight-on-top-new-zealand-researchers/) (Press release). [Royal Society of New Zealand](/source/Royal_Society_of_New_Zealand). 10 November 2015. Archived from [the original](http://www.royalsociety.org.nz/2015/11/10/spotlight-on-top-new-zealand-researchers/) on 24 November 2015. Retrieved 11 November 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["2017 Hector Medal: Designing chemical computers and molecular magnets"](https://royalsociety.org.nz/what-we-do/medals-and-awards/medals-and-awards-news/2017-hector-medal-designing-chemical-computers-and-molecular-magnets/). Royal Society of New Zealand. 10 October 2017. Retrieved 17 November 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** ["2018 Hector Medal: wormholes, black holes and other subjects of gravity"](https://royalsociety.org.nz/what-we-do/medals-and-awards/medals-and-awards-news/2018-hector-medal-wormholes-black-holes-and-other-subjects-of-gravity/). Royal Society of New Zealand. 17 October 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** ["2019 Hector Medal: Building bionic – biosensing, biomedicine, bioelectronics"](https://www.royalsociety.org.nz/what-we-do/medals-and-awards/research-honours/2019-research-honours/2019-hector-medal-building-bionic-biosensing-biomedicine-bioelectronics/). Royal Society Te Apārangi. 17 October 2019. Retrieved 18 October 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** ["2020 Hector Medal: the algebra of algorithms"](https://www.royalsociety.org.nz/what-we-do/medals-and-awards/research-honours/2020-research-honours-aotearoa/2020-hector-medal/). Royal Society Te Apārangi. Retrieved 21 January 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** ["2021 Hector Medal: Revolutionising chemical analysis at the nanoscale"](https://www.royalsociety.org.nz/what-we-do/medals-and-awards/research-honours/2021-research-honours-aotearoa/2021-hector-medal-revolutionising-chemical-analysis-at-the-nanoscale/). Royal Society Te Apārangi. Retrieved 23 June 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** ["First event to celebrate 2022 Research Honours Aotearoa winners"](https://www.royalsociety.org.nz/news/first-event-to-celebrate-2022-research-honours-aotearoa-winners/). *Royal Society Te Apārangi*. Retrieved 10 November 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** ["2023 Hector Medal: Distinguished contributions to understanding of 'indistinguishable' particles"](https://www.royalsociety.org.nz/what-we-do/medals-and-awards/research-honours/2023-rha/2023-hector-medal/). *Royal Society Te Apārangi*. Retrieved 15 November 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-18)** ["2024 Hector Medal: The mathematics behind reconstructing and analysing evolutionary trees and networks"](https://www.royalsociety.org.nz/what-we-do/medals-and-awards/research-honours/2024-rha/2024-hector-medal/). *Royal Society Te Apārangi*. Retrieved 10 May 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-19)** ["Five stars: leading scientists win Royal Society medals"](https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2025/11/05/five-stars--leading-scientists-win-royal-society-medals.html). *[University of Auckland](/source/University_of_Auckland)*. 5 November 2025. Retrieved 7 November 2025.

## External links

- [Hector Medal](https://www.royalsociety.org.nz/what-we-do/medals-and-awards/hector-medal/), Royal Society of New Zealand Te Apārangi

v t e Recipients of the Hector Medal of the Royal Society of New Zealand Leonard Cockayne (1912) Thomas Easterfield (1913) Elsdon Best (1914) Patrick Marshall (1915) Ernest Rutherford (1916) Charles Chilton (1917) Thomas Cheeseman (1918) Philip Robertson (1919) Percy Smith (1920) Robert Speight (1921) Coleridge Farr (1922) George Hudson (1923) Donald Petrie (1924) Bernard Aston (1925) Harry Skinner (1926) Charles Cotton (1927) Duncan Sommerville (1928) George Thomson (1929) John Holloway (1930) William Percival Evans (1931) Te Rangi Hiroa (Peter H. Buck) (1932) John Marwick, Noel Benson (1933) Charles Ernest Weatherburn (1934) William Benham (1935) Walter Oliver (1936) John Reader Hosking (1937) Herbert Williams (1938) Arthur Bartrum (1939) Donald Macleod (1940) Harold Finlay (1941) Harry Allan (1942) Bob Briggs (1943) Johannes C. Andersen (1944) John Henderson (1945) Henry Forder (1946) Baden Powell (1947) G. H. Cunningham (1948) Robert Anthony Robinson (1949) Ernest Beaglehole (1950) Frank Turner (1951) Keith Bullen (1952) Lance Richdale (1953) Lucy Cranwell (1954) Brian Shorland (1955) Roger Duff (1956) Harold Wellman (1957) Alister McLellan (1958) Barry Fell (1959) Ted Chamberlain (1960) Harry Bloom (1961) Ralph Piddington (1962) Charles Fleming (1963) Derek Lawden (1964) Richard Dell (1965) Jack Holloway (1966) Con Cambie (1967) Gilbert Archey (1968) Doug Coombs (1969) Brian Wybourne (1970) Ira Cunningham (1971) Ted Bollard (1972) Michael Hartshorn (1973) Herbert Purves (1974) Robert Hayes (1975) Jack Dodd (1976) Cam Reid (1977) Richard Matthews (1978) Leon Phillips (1979) Graham Liggins (1980) Trevor Hatherton (1981) Roy Kerr (1982) Ray Forster (1983) Rod Bieleski (1984) Peter de la Mare (1985) Robin Carrell (1986) Jim Ellis (1987) Dan Walls (1988) Patricia Bergquist (1989) Peter Wardle (1990) Warren Roper (1991) Roger Green (1992) Dick Walcott (1993) Geoff Stedman (1994) Bob Jolly (1995) John C. Butcher (1996) Ted Baker (1997) Paul Callaghan, Jeff Tallon (1998) George Seber (1999) Peter Schwerdtfeger (2001) Ken MacKenzie (2003) Ian Witten (2005) Richard Furneaux (2006) Timothy Haskell (2007) Gaven Martin (2008) Peter Steel (2009) Grant Williams (2010) Rod Downey (2011) Margaret Brimble (2012) Richard Blaikie (2013) Marston Conder (2014) Ian Brown (2015) Stéphane Coen (2016) Sally Brooker (2017) Matt Visser (2018) Jadranka Travaš-Sejdić (2019) Eamonn O'Brien (2020) Eric Le Ru (2021) Murray Cox (2022) Niels Kjærgaard (2023) Charles Semple (2024) Christian Hartinger (2025)

v t e People from New Zealand Political and Military figures Governors-general Prime ministers World War I/World War II aces Artists and writers Actors Architects Composers Film directors/film makers Musicians Poets Radio/television personalities Scientists, explorers, and inventors Hector Medal Rutherford Medal Sportspeople Māori sportspeople Olympic medallists Olympic rowers Others Business people Religious leaders Catholic bishops

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Hector Medal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hector_Medal) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hector_Medal?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.