ESA Gold Medal Past Winners

2025 – Dr Suzanne Prober

2024 – Professor Alan Andersen

2023 – Professor Dieter Hochuli

2022 – Professor David Keith

2021 –

Professor Richard Kingsford (University of NSW)

Professor Kristine French (University of Wollongong)

2020 – Not awarded

2019 – Jann Williams, The University of Western Australia (adjunct)
Significant contributions to environmental management & sustainability, plus over 20 years service to ESA including founding the Environmental Management & Restoration journal in 2000.

2018  – Chris Dickman, The University of Sydney

2017 – Steve Morton,  CSIRO

2016 – Bill Holsworth, Retired

2013-2015 Not awarded

2012 – Dr Michael Keough, University of Melbourne

2011 – Dr Malcolm Gill, Australian National University
Significant contribution to ecology in Australia through his pivotal role in developing the field of contemporary fire ecology.

2010 – Prof Richard Hobbs, University of Western Australia
Significant contribution to ecology in Australia, through his research in both theoretical and applied aspects of restoration ecology, and his role in improving communications amongst scientists and with practitioners in ecosystem management.

2009 – Prof Jamie Kirkpatrick, University of Tasmania
Significant contribution to ecology and conservation, through his research into vegetation and the application of ecological principles to its conservation, and his contribution as an educator, advocate and promoter of ecological science in Australia.

2008 – Prof David Goodall, Edith Cowan University
Plant and vegetation Ecology; seminal work in the development of techniques for multivariate of ecological communities.

2007 – Prof Tony Underwood, University of Sydney and Cirector, Centre for Research on Ecological Impact of Coastal Cities.
Marine ecology; pioneering work in field-based ecological experiments and data analyses

2006 – Prof Sam Lake, Monash University.
Stream ecology; conservation and management of water bodies; environmental education & research training

2005 – A/Prof Jill Landsberg, James Cook University
Conservation of biodiversity in primary production landscapes; conservation of threatened species

2004 – A/Prof Paul Adam, University of New South Wales
Ecology of coastal plant communities – particularly saltmarshes. Ecology and biogeography of Australian rainforests with a special interest in pollination ecology. Ecology and biogeography of Australian rainforests with a special interest in pollination ecology.

2003 – Prof Mark Westoby, Macquarie University
Plant ecological strategies, vegetation dynamics and community organization. These three fields are complementary and lie at the heart of ecology and evolution.

2001 – Prof. Mike Bull, Flinders University
Behavioural ecology of lizards, ecological interactions of parasites and hosts, parapatric distributions.

1999 – Dr Brian Walker, Chief, Division of Wildlife & Ecology
Ecology of tropical savannahs and rangelands

1997 – Prof. Marilyn Fox, University of New South Wales
Plant biogeography

1995 – Dr Mike Austin, CSIRO Division of Wildlife and Ecology
Theory, analysis and survey of vegetation patterns

1994 – Prof. Henry Nix,  Australian National University
BIOCLIM, eco-physiological modelling

1993 – Prof. Ralph Slatyer, Australian National University
Australia’s first Chief Scientist, eco-physiology

1990 – Dr David Ashton, Melbourne University
Mountain ash ecology

1988 – Prof. Charles Birch, University of Sydney
Distribution and abundance of insect- populations

1988 – Prof. Bert Main, University of Western Australia
Marsupial eco-physiology

1987 – Prof. HG Andrewartha, University of Adelaide
Distribution and abundance of animals

1986 – Prof. Jiro Kikawa, University of Queensland
Tropical bird ecology, population dynamics

1985 – Prof. Noel Beadle, University of New England
Vegetation pattern, Australian vegetation

1985 – Prof. Derek Anderson, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, University of Sydney Foundation
Saltbush ecology

1983 – Dr Len Webb, Formerly CSIRO; Department of Environmental Sciences, Griffith University
Australian rainforest, phytogeography