New Zealand Antarctic Medal
Award
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The New Zealand Antarctic Medal was created 1 September 2006, as a New Zealand royal honour to replace the British Polar Medal.
| New Zealand Antarctic Medal | |
|---|---|
Obverse and reverse of the medal | |
| Type | Medal |
| Description | (Obverse) An effigy of Queen Elizabeth II designed by Ian Rank-Broadley with the inscription "Elizabeth II Queen of New Zealand"; (reverse) four emperor penguins on an Antarctic landscape with Mount Erebus in the background.[1] |
| Presented by | New Zealand |
| Eligibility | for outstanding contribution to exploration, scientific research, conservation, environmental protection, or knowledge of the Antarctic region; or in support of New Zealand’s objectives or operations, or both, in the Antarctic region. |
| Post-nominals | NZAM |
| Status | Currently awarded |
| Established | 1 September 2006 |
| First award | 30 December 2006 |
| Latest award | 1 June 2026 |
| Total | 22 as of 1 June 2026 |
Total awarded posthumously | 1 |
_ribbon.png){kind=small} Ribbon bar of the medal | |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | King's Service Medal (KSM) |
| Next (lower) | New Zealand Distinguished Service Decoration (DSD) |
| Related | Polar Medal |
History
The Polar Medal was instituted in 1904 and awarded to those who had made notable contributions to the exploration and knowledge of polar regions and who, in doing so, had undergone the hazards and rigors imposed by the polar environment to life and movement, whether by land, sea or air.
In 1995, the Prime Minister's Honours Advisory Committee recommended that the Polar Medal should be created under a New Zealand royal warrant. It also recommended that it should be renamed as "The Antarctic Medal" to reflect the fact that it is in relation to Antarctica that New Zealand's endeavors and achievements have been made. The New Zealand Antarctic Medal was formally instituted by Queen Elizabeth II on 1 September 2006.
Eligibility
The New Zealand Antarctic Medal may be awarded to those New Zealanders and other persons who either individually or as members of a New Zealand mission in the Antarctic region have made an outstanding contribution to exploration, scientific research, conservation, environmental protection, or knowledge of the Antarctic region; or in support of New Zealand’s objectives or operations, or both, in the Antarctic region. The Medal will not be awarded for acts of bravery, for short-term acts of extreme endurance, for long service or for service in Antarctica generally.[2]
Recipients
As of June 2026[update], 21 awards and one honorary award have been issued.[3] All recipients are entitled to the post-nominal letters NZAM.
| Name | Portrait | Date awarded | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Bradshaw NZAM |
 |
30 December 2006 |
| 2 | Clive Howard-Williams NZAM |
|
30 December 2006 |
| 3 | Karl Erb[A] NZAM |
|
30 December 2006 |
| 4 | Fred Davey NZAM |
|
4 June 2007 |
| 5 | Timothy Haskell NZAM |
.jpg) |
31 December 2007 |
| 6 | Peter Barrett NZAM |
.jpg) |
31 December 2009 |
| 7 | David Harrowfield NZAM |
|
31 December 2009 |
| 8 | Tim Naish NZAM |
.jpg) |
31 December 2009 |
| 9 | Alex Pyne NZAM |
.jpg) |
31 December 2009 |
| 10 | Allan Green NZAM |
|
3 June 2013 |
| 11 | Baden Norris QSO NZAM |
.jpg) |
3 June 2013 |
| 12 | Lou Sanson QSO NZAM |
.jpg) |
31 December 2014 |
| 13 | Randal Heke NZAM |
.jpg) |
5 June 2017 |
| 14 | Pat Langhorne NZAM |
.jpg) |
31 December 2018 |
| 15 | Andrew Leachman[B] NZAM |
.jpg) |
31 December 2018 |
| 16 | Brian Fitzgerald NZAM |
|
31 December 2020 |
| 17 | Ian Hawes NZAM |
.jpg) |
6 June 2022 |
| 18 | Nigel Watson NZAM |
.jpg) |
31 December 2022 |
| 19 | Megan Balks NZAM |
.jpg) |
30 December 2023 |
| 20 | Al Fastier NZAM |
.jpg) |
31 December 2024 |
| 21 | Colin Monteath QSM NZAM |
.jpg) |
31 December 2024 |
| 22 | Alan Hemmings NZAM |
.jpg) |
1 June 2026 |