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Whitley Awards
Each year the Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales hosts the Whitley Awards. These awards are a tribute to Gilbert Whitley, an eminent Australian ichthyologist. The awards are presented for outstanding publications (in printed or electronic form) that contain a significant amount of information relating to the fauna of the Australasian region. These publications may be highly technical works or they may be for wider and more general readership. The Whitley Awards were first presented in 1979.
Whitley Medal
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If a submission is received that is deemed of superior quality and makes a landmark contribution to the understanding, content or dissemination of zoological knowledge, this publication may be awarded the Whitley Medal. The medal has not been awarded every year and in some years there have been two medals awarded. The Whitley Medal is the most sought after prize in zoological publishing in this country. To see the list of past Whitley Medal winners, click here. |
Certificates of Commendation
On the recommendations of the Whitley Review Committee a number of publications are selected for presentation of a Certificate of Commendation at the Whitley Awards ceremony. Certificates are awarded in many categories including:
Best Illustrated Publication, Best Text Best Field Guide, Best Reference Work, Best Historical Zoology, Best Children's Publication, Best CD-ROM, Best Limited Edition, Best Textbook, Best Video and other categories as deemed appropriate.
A large list of winners of Awards and Certificates of Commendation, indexed by year of award, is available by clicking here.
Criteria for Awards
Each year a review panel comprising internal and external, academic and non-academic referees is formed. This committee reviews all submissions and recommends the assignment of awards in the various categories. For a publication to be successful in the Whitley Awards it must either:
* make a significant contribution of new information
* present a new synthesis of existing information
* present existing information in a more acceptable form
All texts must contain a significant proportion of information that relates directly to Australasian zoology. All submissions must have been published within 18 months of the awards entry date. Reprints and second editions would not normally be considered unless there has been a substantial change to the content of the publication. Evidence of excellence of a publication is sought primarily in the text but relevant illustrations are taken into consideration; a work in which illustrations predominate are not excluded from consideration if the illustrations themselves convey meaningful information or greatly improve the presentation of the spirit of the text. Other factors being equal, the referees will take into account the standard of design, presentation and production.
Entering the Awards
If a publisher wishes to submit works for consideration in the Whitley Awards, they must submit a copy of the publication with details including the ISBN, recommended retail price, date of publication, availability and the name of a contact person. Entries to the Whitley Awards close each year on the 31st of May each year for works published in the preceding 12 months. Submissions and accompanying information should be forwarded to:
The Convenor
Whitley Book Awards Committee
Royal Zoological Society of NSW
PO Box 20 Mosman, NSW, 2088
Enquires can be directed to the Society in writing or by phone to (02) 9969 7336, or email to office@rzsnsw.org.au.
Awards Presentation Ceremony
A presentation ceremony is held each year. Winners of Certificates of Commendation and the Whitley Medal receive their awards at a function held in September at the Australian Museum, 6 College Street Sydney. Awards are presented to the authors and publishers of the winning titles. Publishers may wish to consult with the Society regarding publicity arrangements for the ceremony. Winning publications are also entitled to use the Society's logo to promote the sale of the winning texts. The Society also promotes these publications internally through its own newsletter to members, and in its journal the Australian Zoologist.