Ness Award


The Ness Award is an annual award of the Royal Geographical Society to travellers, particularly those who have successfully popularised Geography and the wider understanding of our world and its environments. It was established in 1953 and named after Mrs Patrick Ness, an intrepid and well-to-do traveller throughout Africa and the first female Fellow of the Society.
Mrs Patrick Ness was born Elizabeth Wilhelmina Miller in Brighton in 1881 and married Patrick Powell Ness in 1903. She accompanied her husband to Kenya before the First World War and then returned alone in 1920, when she made several epic journeys across the African and Asian continents. In 1923 she crossed the Syrian Desert, in 1927 she travelled from Khartoum to Nairobi and on via the Congo to the Cape, the first European woman to travel on Lake Kivu. She later wrote a book of her adventures entitled Two Thousand Miles in Two Continents

Recipients

Source:
YearNameCitation
1954Charles W.M. Swithinbankfor research in Antarctic glaciology
1955Ernest Frederick Roots-
1956
1957
1958Anthony Gerald Bomford
1959J. Homes Miller
George W. Marsh		 Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition
1960Raymond John Adie
1961Robin Hanbury-Tenison
1962
1963John Baird Tyson
1964Dennis Alexander Ardus
1965David Stoddart
1966
1967Peter Opie-Smithfor geodetic surveys in the Solomon Islands
1968
1969
1970Dr John D Thornes
1971Lieutenant Colonel J D C Peacock
1972Major David N Hall
1973Dr D J Moffat
1974Colonel J M Adam OBE, OStJ, FRCP
Ian Douglas Hamilton
1975Adrian Thompson
1976Squadron Leader Tom Sheppard MBE
1977Lieutenant Colonel Harry R A Streather OBE
1978Miss F A Street
1979Nigel de Northop Winser
1980Richard Snailham
1981Chief Petty Officer S R Williams
1982Miss Shane Wesley-Smith
1983Roger Chapman MBE
1984Andy Eavis
1985Paul Vander-Molen
1986Dr Caroline Sargeant
1987Miss Nicola Bennett-Jones SRN-
1988Dr John Matthews
1989Steve Bowles
1990Dick Willis
1991Dr Richard Crane
1992Mandip Singh Soin
1993Michael Asher
1994Alasdair Kennedy
1995Paul Salaman
1996Major Alastair Rogers
1997John Birdsall
1998Michael Palin-
1999David Rattray
2000Nick Danziger
2001Peter Drake
2002Nick Middleton
2003Ray Mears
2004John Harefor raising public awareness and conservation of endangered wild camels in Mongolia and China
2005Neil Laughtonfor leadership of expeditions and encouraging others to recognise their potential as travellers
2006John Pilkingtonfor the popularisation of geography and the wider understanding of our world
2007Paul Rosefor supporting and promoting the popular understanding of geography
2008David Wrightfor the popularisation of geography among young people
2009Neil Oliverfor popularising and promoting understanding of the British coastal landscape
2010Professor Iain Stewartfor popularising geography and earth sciences
2011Colin Thubron CBEfor popularising geography through travel writing
2012Simon Reevefor popularising geography through television travel documentaries and writing
2013Wade Davisfor popularising geography through writing about places, cultures and history
2014Nicholas Cranefor popularising geography and the understanding of Britain
2015Robert Macfarlanein recognition of his work in communicating 'geography to a wide public by means of writing about nature, landscape and place
2016Andrea Wulffor popularising the histories of geography and of scientific botanical exploration via her book The Invention of Nature
2017Kathleen Jamiefor outstanding creative writing at the confluence of travel, nature and culture
2018Rory Stewart, MPfor the popularisation of geography through the media
2019Dervla Murphyfor the popularisation of geography through travel literature