Whitley Awards (Australia)


The Whitley Awards have been awarded annually since 1979 by the Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales. They commemorate Gilbert Whitley, an eminent Australian ichthyologist, and are presented for outstanding publications, either printed or electronic, that contain new information about the fauna of the Australasian region.
For a publication to receive a Whitley Award it must either make a significant contribution of new information, present a new synthesis of existing information, or present existing information in a more acceptable form. All texts must contain a significant proportion of information that relates directly to Australasian zoology. Moreover, all submissions must have been published within 18 months of the awards entry date.
A presentation ceremony is held each year in September at the Australian Museum in Sydney when the authors and publishers of the winning titles receive their awards.

Awards

Certificates of Commendation may be awarded to publications judged as the best in various categories including, but not limited to, illustrated publications, textbooks, field guides, reference works, historical zoology, periodicals, handbooks, children’s publications, CD-ROMs, limited editions and videos.

Whitley Medal

The Whitley Medal may be awarded to a publication deemed to be of superior quality that makes a landmark contribution to the understanding, content or dissemination of zoological knowledge. The Whitley Medal is the top award in zoological publishing in Australia and is not necessarily awarded every year, though sometimes more than one medal may be awarded.
YearTitleAuthorPublisher
2019Zobi and the Zoox: A Story of Coral BleachingAilsa Wild, Aviva Reed, Briony Barr & Gregory CrocettiCSIRO Publishing
2018Australian Echinoderms: Biology, Ecology and EvolutionMaria Byrne & Timothy O’HaraCSIRO Publishing
2017The Australian Bird GuidePeter Menkhorst, Danny Rogers, Rohan Clarke, Jeff Davies, Peter Marsack & Kim FranklinCSIRO Publishing
2016Handbook of the Mammals of the World - Volume 5 Monotremes and Marsupials
The Fishes of New Zealand Volumes 1-4		Don E. Wilson and Russell Mittermeier
Clive Roberts, Andrew Stewart and Carl Struthers 		Lynx Edicions
Te Papa Press
2015Biology and Evolution of CrocodyliansGordon Grigg, David KirshnerCSIRO Publishing
2014Tadpoles and Frogs of AustraliaMarion AnstisNew Holland Publishers
2013Field Guide to the Dragonflies of New Guinea / Buku Panduan
Lapangan Capung Jarum untuk Wilayah New Guinea
Vincent Kalkman, Albert OrrNederlandse Vereniging voor
Libellenstudie
2013Ecology of Australian Freshwater FishesPaul Humphries, Keith Walker CSIRO Publishing
2012No medal awarded
2011Australian Land Snails Volume 1: A Field Guide to Eastern Australian SpeciesJohn Stanisic, Michael Shea, Darryl Potter,
Owen Giffiths		Bioculture Press
2010A Guide to the Beetles of AustraliaGeorge Hangay, Paul ZborowskiCSIRO Publishing
2009Boom & Bust: Bird Stories for a Dry CountryLibby Robin, Robert Heinsohn, Leo Joseph CSIRO Publishing
2008A Fragile Balance: The Extraordinary Story of Australian MarsupialsChristopher Dickman, Rosemary Woodford
Ganf 		Craftsman House
2007Australia’s Mammal Extinctions: A 50,000 Year HistoryChris JohnsonCambridge University Press
2006Adelaide: Nature of a City - The Ecology of a Dynamic City
From 1836 to 2036		Christopher Daniels, Catherine Tait Biocity
2005Life of MarsupialsHugh Tyndale-BiscoeCSIRO Publishing
2005Freshwater Fishes of North-Eastern AustraliaBrad Pusey, Mark Kennard, Angela ArthingtonCSIRO Publishing
2004Australian Mammals: Biology and Captive ManagementStephen JacksonCSIRO Publishing
2004Magnificent Mihirungs: The Colossal Flightless Birds of
the Australian Dreamtime		Peter Murray, Patricia Vickers-RichIndiana University Press
2004Beneath Southern Seas: Sharks, Rays, Seahorses & Other
Fishes of Australia's Unique Coast 		George Evatt Coral Sea Television
2003The Waterbug Book: A Guide to the Freshwater Macroinvertebrates of Temperate AustraliaJohn Gooderham, Edward TsyrlinCSIRO Publishing
2002Tadpoles of South-Eastern Australia: A Guide With KeyMarion AnstisNew Holland Publishers
2001The Last Tasmanian Tiger: The History and Extinction of the ThylacineRobert PaddleCambridge University Press
2001Butterflies of Australia: Their Identification, Biology and DistributionMichael F. BrabyCSIRO Publishing
2000Marsupial NutritionIan HumeCambridge University Press