About the medal
View the design of the Rutherford Medal
Rutherford Medal (front) featuring Sir Ernest Rutherford
Rutherford Medal (back) featuring Royal Society coat of arms
New Zealand Science and Technology medals
From 1991 the Society administered three New Zealand Science and Technology medals – gold, silver, and bronze – on behalf of and at the request of government. These medals were closely associated with Ernest Rutherford, his head being depicted on them. The Gold medal was renamed the Rutherford Medal in 2000, with previous medals awarded also referred to from that time as Rutherford Medals. In 2009, with the Government’s establishment of the Prime Minister’s Science Prize, the New Zealand Science and Technology Medals were discontinued and the Rutherford Medal became a Society Medal.
The medals were to honour those who have made exceptional contributions to New Zealand society and culture through activities in the broad fields of science and technology. There were three different medals to recognise three different kinds of achievement. All were New Zealand Science & Technology medals, with a head of Lord Rutherford of Nelson on the obverse and the emblem of the Royal Society of New Zealand on the reverse:
- Gold – the research would be expected to be recognised internationally as significantly advancing understanding of the field
- Silver – for conspicuous, continuing contributions to science and technology by persons or groups over an extended period
- Bronze – for outstanding contributions to the advancement of science and technology by persons or groups, as role models and who demonstrate the importance of science and technology to the community.
Recipients:
| 2008 | Parry, David (Rutherford) Massey University |
| 2007 |
Faull, Richard (Rutherford) University of Auckland Brodie, Andrew – Institute of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University Smith, John – AgResearch Ruakura, Hamilton |
| 2006 |
Baker, Ted (Rutherford) University of Auckland Morris, Chis (Silver) AgResearch Ruakura, Hamilton Hipkins, Rosemary (Bronze) New Zealand Council for Educational Research, Wellington |
| 2005 |
Callaghan, Paul (Rutherford) School of Chemical & Physical Science, Victoria University of Wellington Smith, Sandy (Silver) University of Otago Signal, Tony (Bronze) Massey University |
| 2004 |
Penny, Edward David (Rutherford) Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Massey University Barker, Miles (Bronze) University of Waikato Giffney, Jan (Bronze) HoD Science, St Cuthbert’s College, Auckland Pound, Carol (Bronze) Consultant, Pahiatua Ross, Glenys (Bronze) Kerikeri High School Warburton, Bruce (Bronze) Landcare Research, Lincoln |
| 2003 |
Petersen, George (Rutherford) Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago Cooper, Roger (Silver) GNS, Lower Hutt Duffy, Geoffrey (Silver) Department of Chemicals & Materials Engineering, The University of Auckland Ayers, John (Bronze) Institute of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University Hunter, Jeffrey (Bronze) Institute of Information and Mathematical Sciences, Massey University Nathan, Simon (Bronze) Geological Society of New Zealand Parkes, John (Bronze) Landcare Research Quinn, John (Bronze) NIWA |
| 2002 |
Tallon, Jeffery (Rutherford), Industrial Research Limited, Lower Hutt, and Victoria University of Wellington Baker, Robyn (Silver) New Zealand Council for Educational Research, Wellington Catchpole, Owen (Silver) Industrial Research Limited, Lower Hutt Keam, Ron & Lloyd, Ted (Silver) Department of Physics, University of Auckland, and Rotorua respectively McKenzie, Richard (Silver) NIWA, Omakau Sims, Ralph (Silver) Institute of Technology & Engineering, Massey University Clayton, John (Bronze) NIWA, Hamilton Matthews, Lindsay (Bronze) AgResearch, Animal Behaviour and Welfare Resaerch Centre, Ruakura Stark, John (Bronze) Cawthron Institute, Nelson Stewart, Michael (Bronze) GNS, Lower Hutt Thomson, Christine (Bronze) Department of Human Nutrition, University of Otago Williams, Warren (Bronze) AgResearch, Grasslands Research Centre, Palmerston North |
| 2001 |
Gluckman, Peter (Rutherford) University of Auckland Barnett, Cliff (Silver) MacDonald Barnett Partners Ltd, Auckland Davison, Michael (Silver) Department of Psychology, University of Auckland Kasabov, Nikola (Silver) Department of Information Science, University of Otago Kaspar, Henry (Silver) Cawthron Institute, Nelson Molan, Peter (Silver) Biological Sciences, University of Waikato, Hamilton Mosley, Paul (Silver) NIWA, Christchurch Andrews, Frank (Bronze) Carter Observatory, Wellington Baker, Scott (Bronze) School of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland Beach, David (Bronze) Industrial Research Ltd, Lower Hutt Beever, Ross (Bronze) Landcare Research Ltd, Auckland Bedford, Keith (Bronze) ESR, Auckland Challinor, Brian (Bronze) Hamilton Daly, Brian (Bronze) Landcare Research Ltd, Palmerston North Downes, Gaye (Bronze) GNS, Lower Hutt Grapes, Rodney (Bronze) School of Earth Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington Hunt, Graham (Bronze) School of Aviation, Massey University Johnson, Peter (Bronze) Department of Physics, Victoria University of Wellington Khawaja, Mansoor (Bronze) Statistics New Zealand, Christchurch Le Bas, Les (Bronze) HoD Science, Nayland College, Nelson Le-Ngoc, Lan & King, Marcus (Bronze) Industrial Research Ltd, Lower Hutt Marlow, Barry (Bronze) Industrial Research Ltd, Lower Hutt Mills, Margaret (Bronze) HoD Science, Queens High School, Dunedin Nuthall, Graham (Bronze) Department of Education, University of Canterbury Rae, Allan (Bronze) Palmerston North Sheath, Gavin (Bronze) AgResearch, Hamilton Smith, Gerald (Bronze) Industrial Research Ltd, Lower Hutt |
| 2000 |
MacDiarmid, Alan (Rutherford) University of Pennsylvania, USA Cowan, Phil (Silver) Landcare Research, Palmerston North Eason, Charles (Silver) Landcare Research, Christchurch Goulding, Ailsa (Silver) Department of Medicine, University of Otago Tannock, Gerald (Silver) Department of Microbiology, University of Otago Walker, Michael (Silver) School of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland Burchill, Denis (Bronze) Auckland College of Education Gainsford, Graeme (Bronze) Industrial Research Limited, Lower Hutt Hall, Ian (Bronze) Crop & Food Research, Invermay Agricultural Centre, Mosgiel Hope-Cross, David (Bronze) ex Bayer New Zealand Ltd, Auckland Howard, Christine (Bronze) The Manurewa High School, Auckland Jones, Alister (Bronze) Centre for Science & Technology Education Research, University of Waikato Keyes, Ian (Bronze) GNS, Lower Hutt New Zealand South Pacific District of Kiwanis (Bronze) Landis, Charles (Bronze) Department of Geology, University of Otago Poletti, Mark (Bronze) Industrial Research Limited, Lower Hutt Reyners, Martin (Bronze) GNS, Lower Hutt Smith, Catherine (Bronze) Veterinarian, Hamilton Torrie, Ian (Bronze) St. Cuthbert’s College, Auckland Walsby, Judy (Bronze) Avondale College, Auckland |
| 1999* |
Vere-Jones, David (Gold) Victoria University of Wellington Arrillaga, Josu (Silver) University of Canterbury |
| 1998* |
Robinson W H (Gold) Robinson Seismic Limited, Lower Hutt Davey, F J and Stern, Tim (Silver), GNS & Victoria University of Wellington |
| 1997* |
Philips, Peter C B, Yale University, USA |
| 1996* | |
| 1995 |
Denny, William A & the Auckland Cancer Research Laboratory (Gold) Adams, J. Nancy. M Baker, Christopher John Bowman, Christopher Charles Brown, Ian W M Davies, Clive Eric De Pont, John James Ferguson, Allan Ross Hale, Christopher N. Harris, Anthony Clifford IRL Superconductivity Team Jarvis, Audrey W. Jones, William Thomas Millward, Peter Hugh Stanley, Catherine Jill Timmerman-Vaughan, Gail Weir, Graham John Wilson, Theresa Wright, Donald S C |
| 1994 |
Axford, Ian W (Gold) Alve, Philip Bradshaw, Margaret Campbell, John Clark, Megan Furneaux, Richard Gibbs, George Parton, Albert Perry, Nigel Rumball, Sylvia Salinger, Jim Snowball, Angela Taylor, Brian Wiffen, Joan |
| 1993 |
Kerr, Roy P (Gold) Austin, Margaret Bailey, John Conner, Anthony John Farr, Bruce Hyde, Vicki Keys, John Gordon Percy, Colin Learning in Science Project Team Otago University Computing Department Soons, Jane Swindale, Leslie Denis Watson, John Wilson, Arran John |
| 1992 |
Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) (Gold) |
| 1991 |
Jones, Vaughan F R (Gold) |
* Information missing