The Ditmars are the Australian Science Fiction Achievement Awards.

History

The name arose via a joke. At a committee meeting to decide the name of the proposed award, lengthy discussions had gotten around to considering people the award might be named after. Someone suggested that a person thus honoured might be persuaded to fund the awards.

Dick (Martin James Ditmar) Jenssen seized an opportunity to relieve tedium by hazarding that he would be willing to pay for the awards if they were named "Ditmar" awards. What, he was asked, is a Ditmar? "Digital Integrating and Tabulating Mechanism for the Advancement of Research", he told them.

His offer was accepted, and he subsequently found himself paying for the awards for some years longer than he'd anticipated.

Nowadays, the awards process for the Ditmar Awards involves separate rounds for nominations and votes, but back in 1970 there was just a single round of voting. Also, a points system was used to determine winners that year.

In 1982, the Australian Natcon, Tschaicon, was billed as "the First Australasian SF Convention", and the Ditmar Awards presented that year were, at least in theory, Australasian awards.

In 2002, and again in 2010, Ditmar received a Ditmar. (Other instances of fans receiving awards named after themselves were when Forrest J Ackerman received a Forry Award in 2002 and K. Martin Carlson a Kaymar Award in 1984.)

In 2012, Robin Pen received a Ditmar Award for his "The Ballad of the Unrequited Ditmar", the Ditmar of that title being a Ditmar Award from the previous year.

Ditmar Rules (archived).

William Atheling, Jr. Award

The William Atheling, Jr. Award for Criticism or Review is a Special Category under the Ditmar Awards. "The Athelings", as they are known for short, are awarded for excellence in SF and speculative criticism.

They are named for the pseudonym used by SF author James Blish for his critical writing.

The award was first presented as part of the Ditmar Award ceremony, at Bofcon, the 15th Australian National Science Fiction Convention in Melbourne in August 1976.

Nowadays, the William Atheling, Jr. Award for Criticism or Review is considered a Ditmar Award. However, there was a time when the constitution governing the Australian Natcons referred to it as a separate award. It is still classified as a "special award."

The history of nominations for the award indicates that it has not always been restricted to Australians. In 1989, the last year in which there was a Ditmar Award for International Fiction, there were published eligibility criteria for the William Atheling, Jr. Award that required the work to have been published in Australia, but did not require the author to be Australian.

Ditmar Award for Best Fannish Cat

In 1991, a Ditmar Award for Best Fannish Cat was presented at SunCon (in Brisbane, Australia). The Business Meeting at that convention voted to demote the award from a Ditmar Award to a Special Award of the Convention. However, that decision was reversed at the Business Meeting of the following Australian Natcon.

According to Bruce Gillespie, “The person who was Chair of the convention in Brisbane stuffed up many aspects of the convention. She was also part of a non-Melbourne group who believed that every aspect of the Ditmars was a cruel plot by Melbourne fans to keep all the Ditmars for themselves. So she allowed members of the convention to vote for the categories as well as the items in the categories. Irresistible bait to Melbourne fans in general — who ganged up to include Best Fannish Cat in the categories.”

This still rankled as late as 2005, when a Swancon XXX progress report calling for nominations for the Tin Duck Award exhorted, “Please do not invent new categories. (e.g. No Best Fannish Cat. We’ve heard it before, and it wasn’t funny the first time).”

But Dudcon III, in 2010, revived Best Fannish Cat as a non-Ditmar Special Award of the Convention. Rules required nominees to be “natural members of the species Felis Catus” alive and resident in Australia at the time of the nomination.

In both cases, noted Gillespie, “the winners were very popular cats who had been met by many Melbourne fans. The general effect was to confirm the suspicion of Perth fans that Melbourne fans ‘did not take the Ditmars seriously.’”

1991 Nominees for Best Fannish Cat

Apple Blossom, humans: Elaine Cochrane & Bruce Gillespie
Constantinople, human: Phil Wlodarczyk
Emma Peel, human: Terry Frost
Godzilla, humans: Ian Gunn & Karen Pender-Gunn
Honey, humans: Gerald Smith & Womble
Satan, human: Phil Wlodarczyk
Truffle, humans: Mark Loney & Michelle Muijsert
Typo (winner), human: Roger Weddall

2010 Nominees for Best Fannish Cat

Tabby Allen, human: James Allen
Felix Blackford, human: Jenny Blackford
Peri Peri Canavan (winner), human: Trudi Canavan
Flicker Gillespie, humans: Elaine Cochrane & Bruce Gillespie
Pazuzu Sparks, humans: Cat Sparks & Robert Hood

Stuffed Cane Toads

Another 1991 scandal that pitted insurgents from Melbourne against sercon fen elsewhere in the country was the SunCon Ditmar trophies. Melburnian Mark Loney made awards of mounted taxidermied cane toads (a poisonous introduced pest endemic to Queensland, where the con was held). He intended them as a joke, to be presented at the ceremony, with the real Ditmars to be given at the closing ceremony.

The cane toads were presented, but the actual Ditmars trophies weren’t ready by the end of con. The real ones would be distributed later at a Nova Mob club meeting, but this did not placate the outraged.

Special Awards

Convention reports from 1971 indicate that the two Special Awards presented that year were considered to be Ditmar Awards.

Some Other Awards

The Ditmar Awards should not be confused with the Melbourne Science Fiction Club Achievement Award nor the Peter McNamara Achievement Award nor the Pat Terry Award for Humour in SF.

Award Winners

Complete Ditmar Award Results

1969

Eighth Australian Science Fiction Convention, Melbourne

1969 Best Australian Science Fiction of any length, or collection

Pacific Book Of Australian SF, John Baxter
False Fatherland, A. Bertram Chandler (winner)
"Final Flower," Stephen Cook

1969 Best International Science Fiction of any length, or collection

An Age, Brian Aldiss
Camp Concentration, Thomas M. Disch (winner)
The Ring of Ritornel, Charles Harness

1969 Best Contemporary Writer of Science Fiction

1969 Best Australian Amateur Science Fiction Publication or Fanzine

Australian Science Fiction Review, John Bangsund (winner)
The Mentor, Ronald L. Clarke
Rataplan, Leigh Edmonds

1970

Ninth Australian Science Fiction Convention, Melbourne

1970 Best Australian Science Fiction

"Dancing Gerontius", Lee Harding (winner)
"Anchor Man", Jack Wodhams
"Split Personality," Jack Wodhams
"The Kinsolving's Planet Irregulars", A. Bertram Chandler

1970 Best International Publication

Amazing Stories
Vision of Tomorrow (winner)

1970 Best International Fiction

The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula K. Le Guin
Cosmicomics, Italo Calvino (winner)

1970 Best Australian Fanzine

SF Commentary, Bruce Gillespie
The Journal of Omphalistic Epistemology, John Foyster (winner)

1971

Tenth Australian Science Fiction Convention, Melbourne

1971 Best Australian SF

After Ragnarok, Robert Bowden
"The Bitter Pill," A. Bertram Chandler (winner)
Squat, David Rome

1971 Best International Fiction

Time and the Hunter, Italo Calvino
"The Region Between," Harlan Ellison
Tower Of Glass, Robert Silverberg
No Award (winner)

1971 Best Australian Fanzine

SF Commentary, Bruce Gillespie
The Somerset Gazette, Noel Kerr (winner)
The New Forerunner, Gary Mason

1971 Special Awards

SF in the Cinema, John Baxter
Vision of Tomorrow, Ron Graham

1972

Syncon 2, Sydney

1972 Best Australian Fiction

"What You Know", A. Bertram Chandler
"Fallen Spaceman", Lee Harding (winner)
"The Immortal", Olaf Ruhen
"The Man Of Slow Feeling", Michael Wilding
The Authentic Touch, Jack Wodhams

1972 Best International Fiction

To Your Scattered Bodies Go, Philip José Farmer
"Continued On Next Rock", R. A. Lafferty
The Lathe Of Heaven, Ursula K. Le Guin
Ringworld, Larry Niven (winner)
A Time Of Changes, Robert Silverberg

1972 Best Australian Fanzine

Scythrop, John Bangsund
The Mentor, Ron L. Clarke
The Fanarchist, David Grigg
Chao, John Alderson
SF Commentary, Bruce Gillespie (winner)

1973

Advention 2, Adelaide

1973 Best Australian Fiction

The Hard Way Up, A. Bertram Chandler
"Let it Ring", John Ossian (John Foyster – winner)
"Gone Fishing", David Rome
"Budnip", Jack Wodhams

1973 Best International Fiction

The Gods Themselves, Isaac Asimov (winner)
The Gorgon Festival, John Boyd
The IQ Merchant, John Boyd
Dying Inside, Robert Silverberg

1973 Best Dramatic Presentation

Aussiefan (winner)
A Clockwork Orange
Slaughterhouse Five
Tales From The Crypt

1973 Best Australian Fanzine

Chao, John Alderson
Gegenschein, Eric Lindsay
Rataplan, Leigh Edmonds
SF Commentary, Bruce Gillespie (winner)

1974

Ozcon, Melbourne (The programme book for the 1990 Natcon, Danse Macabre, records that no Ditmar Awards were presented in 1974.)

1975

Syncon '75, Sydney

1975 Best Australian SF

The Bitter Pill, A. Bertram Chandler (winner)
The Soft Kill, Colin Free
"The Ark of James Carlyle", Cherry Wilder

1975 Best International Fiction

Protector, Larry Niven
The Dispossessed, Ursula K. Le Guin
Frankenstein Unbound, Brian Aldiss

1975 Best Australian Fanzine

1976

Bofcon, Melbourne

1976 Best Australian Fiction

The Big Black Mark, A. Bertram Chandler (winner)
"Way Out West", Cherry Wilder
The Frozen Sky, Lee Harding (Ruled as ineligible, published in 1976)

1976 Best International Fiction

The Indian Giver, Alfred Bester
The Shockwave Rider, John Brunner
The Forever War, Joe Haldeman (winner)
Inferno, Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
"Down to a Sunless Sea", Cordwainer Smith

1976 Best Australian Fanzine

Chao, John Alderson
Fanew Sletter, Leigh Edmonds (winner)
Mad Dan's Review, Marc Ortlieb
Osiris, Del & Dennis Stocks
Interstellar Ramjet Scoop, Bill Wright

William Atheling, Jr. Award

Algis Budrys, Foundation & Asimov
James Gunn, Alternative Worlds
David Ketterer, New Worlds For Old
George Turner, Paradigm and Pattern; Form and Meaning in “The Dispossessed” (winner)
George Turner, Philip Dick by 1975

1977

A-Con 7, Adelaide

1977 Best Australian Science Fiction

"The Ins and Outs of the Hadhya City State", Phillipa Maddern
Kelly Country, A. Bertram Chandler
Future Sanctuary, Lee Harding
Walkers on the Sky, David Lake (winner)

1977 Best International Fiction

A World Out of Time, Larry Niven
The Space Machine, Chris Priest (winner)
The Hand of Oberon, Roger Zelazny
"Piper at the Gates of Dawn", Richard Cowper

1977 Best Australian Fanzine

SF Commentary, Bruce Gillespie (winner)
Mad Dan's Review, Marc Ortlieb
Enigma, Van Ikin
South of Harad, East of Rhun, Jon Noble

1977 William Atheling, Jr . Award

George Turner, "Theme as an Element of Fiction"
George Turner, "The Jonah Kit" (winner)
George Turner & Peter Nicholls, "Plumbers of the Cosmos"

1977 Special Committee Award

"The Ins and Outs of the Hadhya City State", Phillipa Maddern

1978

Unicon IV, Melbourne

1978 Australian Science Fiction, Best Novel

The Right Hand of Dextra, David Lake
The Wildings of Westron, David Lake
The Weeping Sky, Lee Harding
The Luck of Brins Five, Cherry Wilder (winner)

1978 Australian Science Fiction, Best Short Fiction

"Albert's Bellyful", Francis Payne (Yggdrasil, Feb. 1977) (winner)
"Ignorant of Magic", Phillipa C. Maddern (View From The Edge)
"The Two Body Problem", Bruce Barnes (View From The Edge)
"The Long Fall", A. Bertram Chandler (Amazing, July 1977)

1978 Best International Fiction

In the Hall Of the Martian Kings, John Varley, F&SF, Feb. 1977
The Silmarillion, J. R. R. Tolkien (Allen & Unwin) (winner)
Our Lady Of Darkness, (aka The Pale Brown Thing) Fritz Leiber, (Berkeley Putnam/F&SF, January–February 1977)
A Dream of Wessex, Chris Priest (Faber)
"The House of Compassionate Sharers", Michael Bishop (Cosmos Science Fiction and Fantasy Magazine No 1)
The Silver in the Tree, Susan Cooper (Chatto & Windus)
Gateway, Frederik Pohl (Gollancz or Ballantine)

1978 Best Amateur Australian Publication (Fanzine)

Yggdrasil, Dennis Callegari & Alan Wilson
Enigma, Van Ikin (winner)
Minardor, Marc Ortlieb
Fanew Sletter, Leigh Edmonds
Epsilon Eridani Express, Neville J. Angove

1978 William Atheling, Jr. Award

George Turner, "The Martial Art of SF Criticism", Yggdrasil, Feb, May & August 1977
Andrew Whitmore, "The Novels of D.G. Compton", SF Commentary, No 52 (winner)
Robert Scholes & Eric S. Rabkin, Science Fiction: History Science Vision, O.U.P
George Turner, "The Silverberg Phenomenon", SF Commentary, No 51
Van Ikin, "Review of 'Going'"

1979

Syncon '79, Sydney

1979 Best Australian Fiction

To Keep The Ship, A. Bertram Chandler (DAW)
Beloved Son, George Turner (Faber) (winner)
Play Little Victims, Kenneth Cook (Pergamon Press)
"Pie Row Joe", Kevin McKay, Rooms of Paradise (Quartet)

1979 Best International Fiction

The Far Call, Gordon R. Dickson (Quantum)
Dreamsnake, Vonda McIntyre (Houghton & Mifflin)
Stardance II, Spider and Jeanne Robinson, Analog, September–November 1978
"The Persistence of Vision", John Varley, F&SF, March 1978
The White Dragon, Anne McCaffrey (winner)

1979 Best Australian Fanzine

Forerunner, Jack R. Herman
Yggdrasil, Dennis Callegari & Alan Wilson
Scytale, Peter Toluzzi
The Epsilon Eridani Express, Neville J. Angove
Chunder!, John Foyster (winner)

1979 Best Australian Fanwriter

1979 William Atheling, Jr. Award

Susan Wood, "Women and Science Fiction" (Algol 33, 1978) (winner)
John Bangsund, Parergon Papers 10 (ANZAPA, October 1978)
John McPharlin, “On The Ebb Tide of the New Wave” (Auto Delerium, March 1978)
Lloyd Biggle Jr, "The Morasses of Academe Revisited" (Analog, September 1978)

1980

Swancon 5, Perth

1980 Australian Fiction

Moon in the Ground, Keith Antill
Displaced Person, Lee Harding
Australian Gnomes, Robert Ingpen (winner)
"One Clay Foot", Jack Wodhams

1980 Best International Fiction

The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams (winner)
Castle Roogna, Piers Anthony
The Flight of Dragons, Peter Dickinson
Dragondrums, Anne McCaffrey
Titan, John Varley

1980 Best Australian Fanzine

Bionic Rabbit, Damian Brennan
The Wasffan, Roy Ferguson
Chunder, John Foyster
S.F. Commentary, Bruce Gillespie (winner)
Forerunner, Jack Herman

1980 Best Australian Fanwriter

1980 Australian Fantasy/SF Artist

1980 William Atheling, Jr. Award

Terry Dowling, "The Art of Xenography", Science Fiction 3
Bruce Gillespie, "The Man Who Filled the Void" & "By Our Fruits", S.F. Commentary 55/56
Jack R. Herman, "Paradox as Paradigm: A Review of The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever", Forerunner, May 1979 (winner)
George Turner, "Delany: A Victim of the Great Applause," Yggdrasil March 1979

1981

Advention '81, Adelaide

1981 Best Australian Novel

The Dreaming Dragons, Damien Broderick (winner)
Breathing Space Only, Wynne Whiteford
Looking for Blucher, Jack Wodhams
The Fourth Hemisphere, David Lake

1981 Best Australian Short Fiction

"Deus Ex Corporus", Leanne Frahm (winner)
"The Pastseer", Phillipa Maddern
"Passage to Earth", Leanne Frahm
"Horg", Jay Hoffman

1981 Best International Fiction

Mockingbird, Walter Tevis
The Snow Queen, Joan D. Vinge
Timescape, Gregory Benford (winner)
The Wounded Land, Stephen R. Donaldson

1981 Best Australian Fanzine

Australian Science Fiction News, Mervyn R. Binns
Q36, Marc Ortlieb (winner)
Chunder!, John Foyster
S.F. Commentary, Bruce Gillespie

1981 Best Australian Fanwriter

1981 Best Australian SF or Fantasy Artist

1981 William Atheling, Jr. Award

Algis Budrys, "Charting Paradise"
Christopher Priest, "Outside the Whale"
John Sladek, "Four Reasons for Reading Thomas M. Disch"
George Turner, "Frederik Pohl as a Creator of Future Societies", and "Samuel Delany: Victim of Great Applause" (winner)

1982

Tschaicon, Melbourne

Tschaicon was the “First Australasian Science Fiction Convention,” the Australian Natcon constitution having had "Australian" replaced with "Australasian" throughout; the award categories used "Australasian" rather than "Australian." During the con, the constitution was modified again, to have "Australasian" changed back to "Australian."

1982 Best Long Australasian Science Fiction or Fantasy

The Anarch Lords, A. Bertram Chandler
Bard, Keith Taylor
Behind the Wind, Patricia Wrightson
City of Women, David Ireland
The Man Who Loved Morlocks, David Lake (winner)

1982 Best Short Australasian Science Fiction or Fantasy

Armstrong, Jack Wodhams
Tales of Mirric, Elizabeth Travers
Where Silence Rules, Keith Taylor (winner)

1982 Best International Fiction

The Affirmation, Chris Priest (winner)
The Claw of the Conciliator, Gene Wolfe
Radix, A.A. Attanasio
The Sirian Experiments, Doris Lessing

1982 Best Australasian Fanzine

1982 Best Australasian Fanwriter

1982 Best Australasian SF or Fantasy Artist

1982 William Atheling, Jr. Award

Damien Broderick, "The Lately Great Alfred Bester", S.F. Commentary 62/66
Thomas Disch, "The Labor Day Group" F&SF, February 1981
Bruce Gillespie, "Sing a Song of Daniel", S.F. Commentary 62/66 (winner)

1983

Syncon '83, Sydney

1983 Best Australian Science Fiction or Fantasy

The Ones Who Walk Away Behind the Eyes, Terry Dowling, Omega, May 1982 (winner)
The Lances of Nengesdul, Keith Taylor
Vaneglory, George Turner

1983 Best International Fiction

No Enemy But Time, Michael Bishop
The One Tree, Stephen R. Donaldson
Ridley Walker, Russell Hoban (winner)
Roderick, John Sladek

1983 Best Australian Fanzine

Ornithopter, Leigh Edmonds
Q36, Marc Ortlieb (winner)
Science Fiction, Van Ikin
Thyme, Andrew Brown, Irwin Hirsh, Roger Weddall
Weberwoman's Wrevenge, Jean Weber

1983 Best Australian Fanwriter

1983 Best Australian SF or Fantasy Artist

1983 Best Australian SF or Fantasy Cartoonist

1983 Best Australian SF or Fantasy Editor

Neville Angove
Mervyn Binns
Ron L. Clarke
Paul Collins
Van Ikin (winner)
Norstrilia Press - Rob Gerrand, Bruce Gillespie & Carey Handfield

1983 William Atheling, Jr. Award

Terry Dowling, "Kirth Gersen: The Other Demon Prince", Science Fiction 11 (winner)
Terry Dowling, "The Lever of Life: Winning and Losing in the Fiction of Cordwainer Smith", Science Fiction 10
Bruce Gillespie, S.F. Commentary, The First Year

1983 Special Award

Robin Johnson, Contribution to Fandom

1984

Eurekacon, Melbourne

There were insufficient nominations for the William Atheling, Jr Award.

1984 Best Australian Long Science Fiction or Fantasy

The Tempting of the Witch King, Russell Blackford (Cory & Collins)
The Judas Mandala, Damien Broderick (Timescape)
Valencies, Damien Broderick & Rory Barnes (University of Queensland Press)
Kelly Country, Bertram Chandler (Penguin)
Yesterday's Men, George Turner, (Faber) (winner)
Thor's Hammer, Wynne Whiteford (Cory & Collins)

1984 Best Australian Short Science Fiction or Fantasy

"Crystal Soldier", Russell Blackford (Dreamworks, ed. David King, Norstrilia Press)
"Life the Solitude", Kevin McKay (Dreamworks, ed. David King, Norstrilia Press)
"Land Deal", Gerald Murnane (Dreamworks, ed. David King, Norstrilia Press)
"Above Atlas His Shoulders", Andrew Whitmore (Dreamworks, ed. David King, Norstrilia Press) (winner)

1984 Best International Fiction

The Birth of the People's Republic of Antarctica, John Calvin Batchelor (Dial Press)
The Tempting of the Witch King, Russell Blackford (Cory and Collins)
Dr. Who (BBC)
Pilgerman, Russell Hoban (Jonathan Cape)
Yesterday's Men, George Turner (Faber)
Thor's Hammer, Wynne Whiteford (Cory & Collins)
No Award (winner)

1984 Best Australian Fanzine

Australian Science Fiction News, Merv Binns
Rataplan/Ornithopter, Leigh Edmonds (winner)
Science Fiction, Van Ikin
Thyme, Roger Weddall
Wahf-full, Jack Herman

1984 Best Australian Fanwriter

1984 Best Australian SF or Fantasy Artist

1984 Best Australian SF or Fantasy Cartoonist

1984 Best Australian SF or Fantasy Editor

Paul Collins
Van Ikin (winner)
David King
Norstrilia Press - Rob Gerrand, Bruce Gillespie & Carey Handfield

1985

Advention '85, Adelaide

1985 Best Australian Novel

Beast of Heaven, Victor Kelleher (winner)
The Last Amazon, A. Bertram Chandler
The Wild Ones, A. Bertram Chandler
Suburbs of Hell, Randolph Stow

1985 Best Australian Short Fiction

"Terrarium", Terry Dowling, Omega, May/June 1984 (winner)
"The Maze Man", Terry Dowling, Men's Journal, Summer 1984
"Resurrection", Damien Broderick, IASFM, August 1984
"Three Star Trek", Ron Ferguson, Omega, Sept/October 1984

1985 Best International Fiction

Neuromancer, William Gibson (Ace) (winner)
The Final Encyclopedia, Gordon R. Dickson (Tor)
Native Tongues, Suzette Haden Elgin, (DAW)
Damiano's Lute, R. A. MacAvoy (Bantam)

1985 Best Australian Fanzine

Australian SF News, Merv Binns (winner)
The Mentor, Ron L. Clarke
Rataplan, Leigh Edmonds
Science Fiction, Van Ikin

1985 Best Australian Fanwriter

1985 Best Australian SF or Fantasy Artist, Cartoonist or Illustrator

1985 Best Australian SF or Fantasy Editor

1985 Best Australian SF or Fantasy Dramatic Presentation

Boiling Frog, Stage play with productions in Adelaide & Sydney
Beach Blanket Tempest, Rock Fantasy stage musical (Half Moon Production)
Iceman, Fred Schepisi, Director
Iceman, Bruce Smeaton, Musical score
Thief of Sydney, Animated feature 15 minutes
Kindred Spirits, ABC Telemovie (winner)

1985 William Atheling, Jr. Award

George Turner, In The Heart or in the Head (winner)
John Foyster, Article on George Turner, ASFN 1984
Damien Broderick, SF Reviews, "The Age", 1984
John Baxter, SF Reviews, The Australian, 1984

1986

Swancon XI, Perth

1986 Best Australian Science Fiction Novel

Landscape With Landscapes, Gerald Murnane (Norstrilia)
Illywacker, Peter Carey (UQP) (winner)
Changelings of Cha'an, David Lake (Hyland House)
The Transing Syndrome, Kurt von Trojan (Rigby)

1986 Best Australian Short Fiction

"The Twist of Fate", David Grigg, Urban Fantasies
"Glass Reptile Breakout", Russell Blackford, Strange Attractors
"Montage", Lucy Sussex, Urban Fantasies
"The Fittest", George Turner, Urban Fantasies
"Lipton Village Society", Lucy Sussex, Strange Attractors
"The Bullet That Grows in the Gun", Terry Dowling, Urban Fantasies (winner)

1986 Best International Fiction

Devil in a Forest, Gene Wolfe (Granada)
Tik-Tok, John Sladek (Corgi)
Free Live Free, Gene Wolfe (Gollancz)
Peace, Gene Wolfe (Chatto)
Compass Rose, Ursula K. Le Guin (Bantam, also Underwood & Miller, and Harper and Row) (winner)
Elleander Morning, Jerry Yulsman (Orbit/Futura)

1986 Best Australian Fanzine

The Notional, Leigh Edmonds
The Metaphysical Review, Bruce Gillespie (winner)
Thyme, Roger Weddall & Peter Burns
Tigger, Marc Ortlieb
Sikander, Irwin Hirsh

1986 Best Australian Fanwriter

1986 Best Australian SF or Fantasy Artist

1986 William Atheling, Jr. Award

Norman Talbot
Russell Blackford
George Turner, "Neuromancer et al." (winner)
Yvonne Rousseau

1987

Capcon, Canberra

1987 Best Australian Science Fiction or Fantasy Novel

Bard III: The Wild Sea, Keith Taylor (Ace) (winner)
"Oasis", Patrick Urth, Aphelion 1–4
Taronga, Victor Kelleher (Viking Kestrel)
The Black Grail, Damien Broderick (Avon)
Adventures of Christian Rosy Cross, David Foster (Penguin)

1987 Best Australian Science Fiction or Fantasy Short Fiction

"Shut the Door When You Go Out", George Turner, Aphelion 4
"The Man Who Lost Red", Terry Dowling (winner)
"Time of the Star", Terry Dowling, Aphelion 3
"A Dragon Between His Fingers", Terry Dowling, Omega, May/June
"For the Man Who Has Everything", Chris Simmons, Aphelion 1

1987 Best Australian Fanzine

The Space Wastrel, Mark Loney, Michelle Muijsert, Julian Warner
Motional, Anonymous
Larrikin, Irwin Hirsh & Perry Middlemiss
Metaphysical Review, Bruce Gillespie
Thyme, Roger Weddall and Peter Burns (winner)

1987 Best Australian SF or Fantasy Artist

1987 Outstanding Contribution to Australian Fandom

Carey Handfield, T. R. O. (The Real Official) (winner)
Jessica Aldridge
Peter McNamara
Michelle Muijsert
John Foyster

1987 William Atheling, Jr. Award

Russell Blackford, Debased and Lascivious (winner)
Dave Luckett
Margaret Winch, Frank's Tank
Michael J. Tolley

1988

Conviction, Sydney

1988 Best Australian Long Fiction

For as Long as You Burn, Terry Dowling, Aphelion 5 (winner)
The Makers, Victor Kelleher (Viking, Kestrel)
Bard IV: Raven's Gathering, Keith Taylor (Ace)
The Sea and the Summer, George Turner (Faber)
The Hyades Contact, Wynne Whiteford (Ace)

1988 Best Australian Short Fiction

The Dirty Little Unicorn, Stephen Dedman
"The Last Elephant", Terry Dowling, Australian Short Stories #20 (winner)
"Marmordesse", Terry Dowling, Omega, January 1987
"The Supramarket", Leanne Frahm, Doom City
"The Celestial Intervention Agency", Karen Herkes, Time Loop #70

1988 Best Australian Fanzine

Australian Science Fiction Review, Melbourne Collective, eds.
Larrikin, Irwin Hirsh, Perry Middlemiss
Science Fiction, Van Ikin (winner)
The Space Wastrel, Mark Loney, Michelle Muijsert, Julian Warner

1988 Best Australian Fan Writer

1988 Best Fan Artist

1988 William Atheling, Jr. Award

Russell Blackford, "Deconstructing the Demon: John Calvin Batchelor's Novels" ASFR #11
Richard Erlich & Peter Hall, "A Prefilmic, Post-Poststructurialist Prostruction of Alien/Alien3", ASFR #11
John Foyster, Review of Trillion Year Spree, ASFR #7
Van Ikin, "Mirror Reversals and the Tolkien Writing Game", Science Fiction #25 (winner)
Susan Margaret, "Structural Analysis of SF. Why?", The Space Wastrel
Janeen Webb, "I Know Who I Am, But What is my Brand Name?"

1989

Swancon 14, Perth

1989 Best Australian Long Fiction

Striped Holes, Damien Broderick (Avon) (winner)
West of the Moon, David Lake (Hyland)
Huaco of the Golden God, Carolyn Logan (A&R)
Beyond The Labyrinth, Gillian Rubinstein, (Hyland)

1989 Best Australian Short Fiction

"A Tale of Nine Cats", Katherine Cummings, Conviction Programme Book
"Scatter My Ashes", Greg Egan, Interzone #23
"Things Fall Apart", Philippa Maddern, Matilda at the Speed of Light
"The Colors of the Masters", Sean McMullen, F&SF March 1988
"My Lady Tongue", Lucy Sussex, Matilda at the Speed of Light (winner)

1989 Best International Fiction

Dawn, Octavia Butler (Gollancz)
Seventh Son, Orson Scott Card (Legend) (winner)
Aegypt, John Crowley (Gollancz)
Mona Lisa Overdrive, William Gibson (Gollancz)
On Stranger Tides, Tim Powers (Grafton)
Life During Wartime, Lucius Shepard (Grafton)
Islands in the Net, Bruce Sterling (Century)

1989 Best Australian Fanzine

ASFR, The Science Fiction Collective
Get Stuffed, Jacob Blake (winner)
Larrikin, Perry Middlemiss & Irwin Hirsh
Science Fiction, Van Ikin

1989 Best Australian Fanwriter

1989 Best Fan Artist

1989 William Atheling, Jr. Award

Russell Blackford, ASFR articles (winner)
Martin Bridgestock, "Sea & Summer", ASFR, and "Counter Earth/Counter Humanity", Metaphysical Review
Janeen Webb, ASFR articles
Arthur Webster, "Speaker for the Dead", Get Stuffed

1990

Danse Macabre, Melbourne

1990 Best Australian Long Fiction

Victor Kelleher, The Red King (Viking Kestrel)
Keith Taylor, The Sorcerer's Sacred Isle (Ace)
Wynne Whiteford, Lake of the Sun (Ace) (winner)

1990 Best Australian Short Fiction

Terry Dowling, "The Quiet Redemption of Andy the House", Australian Short Stories #26 (June 1989) (winner)
Rosaleen Love, "If You Go Down to the Park Today", Total Devotion Machine
Rosaleen Love, "Total Devotion Machine", Total Devotion Machine
Petrina Smith, "Over the Edge", Mirrors: Redress Novellas

1990 Best Australian Fanzine

ASFR, SF Collective
Ethel the Aardvark, Melbourne Science Fiction Club (winner)
Get Stuffed, Jacob Blake
Sweetness and Light, Jack Herman

1990 Best Australian Fanwriter

1990 Best Fan Artist

1990 William Atheling, Jr. Award

Withdrawn for insufficient nominations.

1991

Suncon, Brisbane

1991 Best Fannish Cat

Apple Blossom, humans: Elaine Cochrane & Bruce Gillespie
Constantinople, human: Phil Wlodarczyk
Emma Peel, human: Terry Frost
Godzilla, humans: Ian Gunn & Karen Pender-Gunn
Honey, humans: Gerald Smith & Womble
Satan, human: Phil Wlodarczyk
Truffle, humans: Mark Loney & Michelle Muijsert
Typo, human: Roger Weddall (winner)

1991 Best Australian Novel or Anthology

A Pursuit of Miracles, George Turner(Aphelion)
Fortress of Eternity, Andrew Whitmore (Avon)
My Lady Tongue and Other Tales, Lucy Sussex (William Heinemann)
Rynosseros, Terry Dowling (Aphelion) (winner)
The Specialist, Wynne Whiteford (Ace)

1991 Best Australian Short Fiction

"Generation Gap", George Turner, A Pursuit of Miracles (Aphelion)
"God and Her Black Sense of Humour", Lucy Sussex, My Lady Tongue and Other Tales (William Heinemann)
"Red Ochre", Lucy Sussex, My Lady Tongue and Other Tales (William Heinemann)
"The Caress", Greg Egan, Isaac Asimov's SF Magazine, January 1990
"Turtle Soup", Rosaleen Love, Eidolon, December 1990
"While the Gate is Open", Sean McMullen, F&SF, March 1990 (winner)

1991 Best Fanzine

Australian Science Fiction Review, (Second Series), Science Fiction Collective (winner)
Doxa!, Roman Orszanski
Doxy, John Foyster
Ethel the Aardvark, Alan Stewart
Pink, Karen Pender-Gunn
StunGunn, Ian Gunn

1991 Best Australian Fan Artist

1991 Best Australian Fan Writer

1991 William Atheling, Jr. Award

Russell Blackford, "Analogues of Anomie: Lee Harding's Novels" in Science Fiction 30 & Australian Science Fiction Review (Second Series)
Bruce Gillespie, "The Non-SF Novels of Philip K. Dick" presented at the Nova Mob and published in ANZAPA (winner)
Peter Nicholls, "Fantastic World" reviews in the Melbourne Sunday Herald
Alan Stewart, Reviews in Ethel the Aardvark and SF Commentary

1992

Syncon, Sydney

1992 Best Novel or Collection

From Sea to Shining Star, A. Bertram Chandler
Wormwood, Terry Dowling (winner)
Brother Night, Victor Kelleher
Del-Del, Victor Kelleher
Brainchild, George Turner

1992 Best Short Fiction

"Vanities", Terry Dowling
"Nobody's Fool", Terry Dowling
"A Deadly Edge Their Red Beaks Pass Along", Terry Dowling
"Olive Truffles", Leanne Frahm
"The Dominant Style", Sean McMullen
"Alone in his Chariot", Sean McMullen (winner)

1992 Best Fanzine

Eidolon, Jeremy Byrne (winner)
Ethel the Aardvark, Alan Stewart
Inconsequential Parallax, Tim Richards & Narrelle Harris
Thyme, LynC & Clive Newall
Thyme, Greg Hills & Mark Loney

1992 Best Fan Writer

1992 Best SF or Fantasy Artist

1992 William Atheling, Jr. Award

"Jonathan Carroll, Storyteller", Bruce Gillespie
"Going Commercial", Sean McMullen (winner)
Review of The Fantastic Civil War, Blair Ramage

1992 Special Award for Services to Fandom

1993

Swancon 18, Perth

1993 Best Long Fiction

Blue Tyson, Terry Dowling
Quarantine, Greg Egan (winner)
Back Door Man, Ian M. Hails
Call to the Edge, Sean McMullen
Brainchild, George Turner
And Disregards the Rest, Paul Voermans

1993 Best Short Fiction

"Privateer's Moon", Terry Dowling
"Ship's Eye", Terry Dowling
"Closer", Greg Egan (winner)
"Worthless", Greg Egan
"The Seas of Castle Hill Road", Rick Kennett
"It's All in the Way You Look at It", Michael Pryor

1993 Best Periodical

Slow Glass Books Catalog, Justin Ackroyd
Eidolon, Jeremy Byrne (winner)
Ethel the Aardvark, Alan Stewart
Thyme, Alan Stewart
Aurealis, Dirk Strasser & Stephen Higgins

1993 Best Fan Writer

1993 Best Artwork

"Fanimals", Ian Gunn
Space Time Buckaneers, Ian Gunn
1992 Ditmar Award, Lewis Morley
Cover art for Blue Tyson, Nick Stathopoulos (winner)
"Relics", Shaun Tan
"Snowman", Leisl Yvette

1993 William Atheling, Jr. Award

"Five Go Camping with 12-01 Club", Paul Ewings
"James Morrow and the Erni", Bruce Gillespie
"Australian SF Art Turns 50", Sean McMullen (winner)
"From Fantasy to Gallileo", Sean McMullen
Reviews in Ethel the Aardvark, Karen Pender-Gunn

1994

Constantinople, Melbourne

1994 Best Long Fiction or Collection

The Destiny Makers, George Turner (winner)
Graffiti, Dirk Strasser
Twilight Beach, Terry Dowling
The Weird Colonial Boy, Paul Voermans

1994 Best Short Fiction

"Catalyst", Leanne Frahm, Terror Australis (winner)
"Starbaby", Rosaleen Love, Overland, December 93
"The Lottery", Lucy Sussex, Overland, December 93
"Ghosts of the Fall", Sean Williams, Writers of the Future IX

1994 Best Professional Art Work

Galaxy Bookshop Dragon, Lewis Morley
Twilight Beach Cover, Nick Stathopoulos (winner)

1994 Best Fan Writer

1994 Best Fan Artist

1994 Best Fanzine

1994 William Atheling, Jr. Award

"Five Bikers of the Apocalypse", Leigh Edmonds, Eidolon #12
"SF Sucks", James Allen, Get Stuffed #6 (winner)
"Silverberg Not Moving", Damien Broderick, SF Commentary 73/74/75

1995

Thylacon, Hobart

1995 Best Australian Long Fiction

Deersnake, Lucy Sussex (Hodder)
Genetic Soldier, George Turner (William Morrow)
Permutation City, Greg Egan (Millennium) (winner)
Voices in the Light, Sean McMullen (Aphelion)

1995 Best Australian Short Fiction

"Cocoon", Greg Egan, Asimov's, May 1994 (winner)
"Jinx Ship", Leanne Frahm, The Patternmaker
"Land's End", Leanne Frahm, Alien Shores
"Our Lady of Chernobyl", Greg Egan, Interzone 83, May 1994
"The Patternmaker", Dave Luckett, The Patternmaker

1995 Best Professional Artwork

Shaun Tan, for artwork in Aurealis and Eidolon (winner)

1995 Best Fanzine

1995 Best Fan Writer

1996 Best Long Fiction

An Intimate Knowledge of the Night, Terry Dowling (Aphelion)
Mirrorsun Rising, Sean McMullen (Aphelion) (winner)
Sabriel, Garth Nix (Moonstone/Harper Collins)
She's Fantastical, Lucy Sussex & Judith Buckrich (Sybylla)
The Unknown Soldier, Sean Williams & Shane Dix (Aphelion)

1996 Best Short Fiction

"Entropy", Leanne Frahm, She's Fantastical (Sybylla)
"Schrödinger's Fridge", Ian Gunn, Aurealis #15 (winner)
"A Sky Full of Ravens", Sue Isle, She's Fantastical (Sybylla)
"Angel Thing", Petrina Smith, She's Fantastical (Sybylla)
"A Map of the Mines of Barnath", Sean Williams, Eidolon #16
"The Perfect Gun", Sean Williams, Eidolon #17/18

1996 Best Publication/Fanzine/Periodical

Eidolon, J. Byrne, R. Scriven & J. Strahan (winner)
Ethel the Aardvark, []Paul Ewins]]
The Metaphysical Review, Bruce Gillespie
Pinkette, Karen Pender-Gunn
Thyme, Alan Stewart

1996 Best Artwork

Thyme 106 (Cover), Ian Gunn
An Intimate Knowledge of the Night (Cover), Nick Stathopoulos
Eidolon 19 (Cover), Shaun Tan (winner)

1996 Best Non-Professional/Fan Writer

1996 Best Non-Professional/Fan Artist

1996 William Atheling, Jr. Award

Reading by Starlight, Damien Broderick (Routledge)
"The Hunt for Australian Horror Fiction", Bill Congreve, Sean McMullen & Steven Paulsen, The Scream Factory #16 (winner)

1997

Basicon 2, Melbourne

1997 Best Australian Long Fiction

Dreamweavers, Paul Collins (ed.) (Penguin Books)
The Memory Cathedral, Jack Dann (Bantam)
Scarlet Rider, Lucy Sussex (Tor/Forge) (winner)
Metal Fatigue, Sean Williams (Harper Collins)

1997 Best Australian Short Fiction

"The Sword of God", Russell Blackford (winner)
Dreamweavers, Paul Collins (ed.) (Penguin Books)
"The Ichneumon and the Dormeuse", Terry Dowling, Interzone #106
"Borderline", Leanne Frahm, Borderline (Mirrordanse Books)
The Stray Cat, Steven Paulsen (Lothian)

1997 Best Fanzine

The Communicator, Derek Screen
Emerald City, Cheryl Morgan
Oscillation Overthruster, Sue Ann Barber
Pinkette, Karen Pender-Gunn
Science Fiction, Van Ikin
Thyme, Alan Stewart (winner)

1997 Best Fan Writer

1997 Best Fan Artist

1997 Best Professional Artwork

Trudi Canavan for art in Aurealis #17, and Eidolon #22/23
Norm Hetherington & Margaret Hetherington for Mr Squiggle, ABC TV
Elizabeth Kyle, Cover of Dreamweavers (winner)
Shaun Tan for artwork in Eidolon and the cover of The Stray Cat
Jason Towers for "Valdo Over Evora" cover, Australian Realms #28

1997 William Atheling, Jr. Award

Russell Blackford, for "The Tiger in the Prison House", Science Fiction #37, Reviews of Distress in Science Fiction and NYRSF, and "Jewels in Junk City" in Review of Contemporary Fiction
Alan Stewart, for reviews in Thyme (winner)
Janeen Webb, for "Post human SF: Lost in Cyberspace", The Festival of the Imagination 1996 Programme Book

2020

Swancon 2020, Perth

The convention was cancelled due to Covid-19. There were insufficient nominations for the Best Artwork and Best Fan Artist categories. The awards ceremony was held online with short notice on 19 September 2020. The date conflicted with Rosh Hashana, which meant that neither the Best Novel nor the Best Short Fiction winners could participate.

2020 Best Novel

Claiming T-Mo, Eugen Bacon, Meerkat Press.
The Year of the Fruit Cake, Gillian Polack, IFWG Publishing Australia (winner).

2020 Best Short Fiction

"into bones like oil", Kaaron Warren, Meerkat Press.
"Whom My Soul Loves", Rivqa Rafael, in Strange Horizons, 11 November 2019 (winner).

2020 Best Collected Work

Collision, J. S. Breukelaar, Meerkat Press.

2020 Best Fan Publication in Any Medium

Be The Serpent podcast, Alexandra Rowland, Jennifer Mace and Freya Marske (winner-tie)
SF Commentary, Bruce Gillespie (winner-tie).

2020 Best Fan Writer

Bruce Gillespie, for writing in SF Commentary.
Elizabeth Fitzgerald, for reviews in Skiffy and Fanty (winner).

2020 Best New Talent

Freya Marske (winner).

2020 William Atheling, Jr. Award for Criticism or Review

Eugen Bacon, for Writing Speculative Fiction, Red Globe Press.
Grant Watson, for reviews on FictionMachine (winner).

2021

Was to have been awarded at Conflux 16, Canberra, but the convention was postponed due to Covid-19 and the awards were presented virtually on November 20, 2021.

2021 Best Novel

The Left-Handed Booksellers of London, Garth Nix, Allen & Unwin

2021 Best Novella or Novelette

‘Flyaway’, Kathleen Jennings, Pan Macmillan Australia

2021 Best Short Story

‘The Calenture’, Kaaron Warren, in Of Gods and Globes 2

2021 Best Collected Work

Dark Harvest, Cat Sparks, NewCon Press

2021 Best Artwork

Illustrations, Kathleen Jennings, for Mother Thorn and other tales of courage and kindness, Serenity Press

2021 Best Fan Writer

Bruce Gillespie, for writing in SF Commentary

2021 Best Fan Artist

Lyss Wickramasinghe, for fanart on Tumblr including Elsie, Hold On, The Gem and the Other and Vesuvia Pride

2021 Best Fan Publication in Any Medium

The Coode Street Podcast, Jonathan Strahan and Gary K. Wolfe

2021 Best New Talent

Nikky Lee

2021 William Atheling Jr Award for Criticism or Review

Terry Frost, for reviews in Terry Talks Movies, YouTube.

Award		1969—

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