Recognising the best of Australasian zoological literature

Skinks and dingoes, carp and carpet pythons, native bees and moths, the birds of New Guinea, a mighty kiwi mama, a very secretive platypus, and the marine wonders of Magnetic Island and Ningaloo have been placed in the spotlight as the Royal Zoological Society of NSW announces their prestigious Whitley Awards for zoological literature.

This year the Whitley Medal goes to Biology of Skinks of the Genus Lampropholis by Shelley Burgin and Harold Heatwole (CSIRO Publishing), the first comprehensive account of the small skinks found in backyards across Australia.

We have also awarded 13 Certificates of Commendation across a range of categories, including children’s books, zoological reference books, field guides, and invasive species and invertebrate zoology. Six of these awards are for children’s books, representing different age groups. The Society encourages publishers to submit such books, as these readers are our next generation of zoologists.

Congratulations to all of this year’s awardees.

Awarded annually, the Whitley Awards recognise the best publications that profile the unique wildlife of the Australasian region. These awards are named after Gilbert Whitley, the fish Curator at the Australian Museum for many years (1926-1964). He was very active on the Council of the Royal Zoological Society of NSW as President and was editor of the Society’s journal, Australian Zoologist, from 1947-1971. He published many scientific papers and these prestigious awards which recognise the best of Australasian zoological literature are fittingly named after him.

Download the 2026 Whitley Awards Media Release here.