New Zealand National Science Fiction Convention


The New Zealand National Science Fiction Convention is a volunteer-run science fiction convention that is scheduled annually, and usually takes place either at Easter or at Queen's Birthday weekend. It is usually abbreviated as NatCon.
New Zealand's premier science fiction award, the Sir Julius Vogel Award, is presented each year at the national convention.
Unlike the case with many other countries' national conventions, each convention is run by a different committee, unaffiliated with any national fannish body. Bids for running the NatCons are voted on by attendees at the NatCon two years ahead. These votes are organised by the current NatCon committee in liaison with the Science Fiction and Fantasy Association of New Zealand.
In the early years of the national convention, the four main cities all held the NatCon, but in recent years, the conventions have mostly been held in one of the two largest cities, Wellington and Auckland, both in the North Island.

List of New Zealand National Science Fiction Conventions

Note: in this list, websites whose addresses end in sf.org.nz are, in most cases, mirrors of the original websites, some of which have been removed.
NatCon no.yearnamelocationguests of honour fan guests of honour
11979WellconWellington
21980Wellcon BWellingtonMerv Binns
31981NorconAucklandA. Bertram Chandler
41982OctaconDunedinDavid HarveyFrank Macskasy
51983WindyconWellingtonHarlan Ellison
61984Norcon IIAucklandSandi Hall, David Harvey
71986HalleyconDunedinCraig HarrisonFrank Macskasy
81987Windycon II '87WellingtonJoe HaldemanAlan Robson
91988ConfusionChristchurchBjo Trimble, Margaret MahyLana Brown
101989SatyriconDunedinDavid BrinAlex Heatley
111990ConVerge 2WellingtonTracy Tormé, Richard ArnoldJames Benson
121991ForryConWellingtonForrest AckermanTim Jones
131992ShakyConWellingtonJoe HaldemanRex Thompson
141993DefConWellingtonD. C. Fontana, Julian May, Larry Niven, Dennis Skotak, Gail AdamsMark Harris
151994SiliConDunedinBarbara HamblyTom Cardy
161995ConquestAucklandRoger Zelazny, Vonda McIntyre, Richard Taylor, Jane LindskoldKeith Smith
171996ConstellationChristchurchRobert Sheckley, Wes Takahashi, Wayne Stables, Margaret Mahy, Ged MayburyJames Dignan
181997ConspiracyWellingtonDanny John-Jules, Pat Cadigan, Chris ChittyDan McCarthy
191998ConstructionWellingtonNeil Gaiman, Michael HurstNorman Cates
201999AucklandRichard Hatch, Alan Dean Foster, John HoweMike Hansen
212000WellingtonTad Williams, Sean McMullenMaree Sole
222001AucklandMercedes Lackey, Larry Dixon, Lyn McConchie, Sean McMullenBrian Howell
232002WellingtonJoe and Gay Haldeman, Dan Hennah, Lucy Sussex, Dale Elvy, Charles N. Brown, Stephen DedmanYvonne Harrison, Alan Robson, Renaldo
242003EmotiConAucklandLois McMaster Bujold, J. G. HertzlerMary Maclachlan
252004RotoruaGregory BenfordRoss Temple
262005WellingtonOrson Scott CardBill Geradts
272006AucklandSteve Jackson, Joan Vinge, Jim FrenkelKevin Maclean
282007WellingtonEric Flint, Dylan Horrocks, Marianne de Pierres, Isobelle Carmody, Fred Gallagher,Barbara Clendon
292008WellingtonElizabeth Moon, Kate Orman, Jon Blum, Philippa Ballantine,Andrew Ivamy
302009AucklandJulie E. Czerneda, Nalini Singh, Russell KirkpatrickRobbie Matthews
312010WellingtonSean Williams, Elizabeth KnoxPaul Mannering
322011AucklandCatherine AsaroLynelle Howell
332012AucklandTrudi CanavanLorain Clark
342013WellingtonJennifer FallonAnna Klein
352014AucklandDave Freer, Lyn McConchie, Paul ScoonesPaul Scoones was upgraded from Fan GoH to full GoH and was not replaced.
362015RotoruaGail Carriger, Philippa Ballantine, Tee MorrisAlan Parker & Norman Cates
372016WellingtonMartin Wallace, Stephanie Paul, AJ Fitzwater
382017TaupoSeanan McGuireJohn Toon, Orville
392018AucklandKaren Miller, Steve WheelerDaphne Lawless
402019RotoruaJonathan Maberry, Kaaron Warren

The issue of 1985

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, some convention bids were made only a year in advance. At Norcon II in 1984 there was no bid by any group to hold a national convention in 1985. One reason for this was an assumption that many New Zealanders would instead attend Aussiecon II, the 1985 Worldcon, in Melbourne, Australia. However, a group from Dunedin at Norcon II announced that it was willing to stage a national convention in 1986, and won the bid for that year's convention. It was then taken for granted that Halleycon in 1986 would be the next national convention - New Zealand's seventh.
A few months after Norcon II, a group of Auckland fans decided to stage Orcon at Easter in 1985 and in their publicity called it the seventh national convention. A few weeks prior to Easter 1985 the Halleycon committee contacted the Orcon committee and made it clear to them that they had no right to call it a national convention. The Orcon committee accepted this - however by that point the convention programme booklet had already been printed which stated it was the seventh national convention. All of Halleycon's progress reports and publicity stated that it was the seventh national convention, and numbering of national conventions has continued from this, with the 1987 convention being officially the eighth New Zealand national convention.

Other New Zealand science fiction conventions

There are occasionally other science fiction conventions held in New Zealand between national conventions. They were particularly common during the 1980s, when they were used by national convention organising committees for fundraising and as a means for testing their convention organisation. As such, they often took place in the same centres as the following year's national convention.
yearnamelocationguests of honour fan guests of honour
1985DunnyconDunedin
1985OrconAuckland
1985Windycon IWellington
1985MicroconDunedin
1985Unicon Dunedin
1986ConcertoWellington?
1986Norcon IIIAuckland
1987ContikiChristchurchMichael BillingtonJohn Knight
1987DecepticonDunedinTom Cardy
1987ConcordanceChristchurchBjo TrimbleEvan McCarthy
1988ConfederationChristchurchPaul Darrow, Michael Keating, Janet Lees-Price
1988ConvergeWanganuiDavid Gerrold, Brent Spiner - last minute cancellation
1989InverconInvercargill
1989ConscienceAucklandPhillip Mann
1989TrakonChristchurchJon Preddle, Paul Scoones
1990ConterburyChristchurchRichard Scheib
1990WhoConChristchurchJon Pertwee, Mark StricksonDallas Jones, Paul Scoones
1990Confederation IIChristchurchJacqueline PearceSheila Willis
1990KiwiConAucklandHarry Harrison
1990ConflagrationAucklandMark Strickson, Phillip Mann, The Wizard of Christchurch
1991AbbyConAucklandPhillip Mann
1991Relax-a-conWaitakere
1991Fantasy VChristchurch
1992DiscontinuityAucklandTerry PratchettNicholas Smeaton, Maureen Thomas
1992ConjectureChristchurch
1992DayConWellington
1992Doctorcon 1992Wellington
1993Cybercon 1993Christchurch
1994IkonChristchurchTerry Pratchett
1994ContinuumWellingtonGary Russell
1995Fantasy 5Christchurch
2012Octacon 30th anniversary reunionDunedinFrank Macskasy

Other New Zealand events related to science fiction

The Armageddon Expo, an event held annually in several New Zealand cities, is a more commercially orientated event. It is mostly made up of Comic,Toy,Video game and DVD stalls, run by local businesses.