Presented by Cawthron Institute to the people of Nelson, these thought-provoking and challenging lectures are delivered by scientists who are leaders in their field. Invariably delivered to a full house and always combining science with music, the Thomas Cawthron Memorial Lecture is an established Nelson cultural event.
The combination of science and music is a tradition resulting from Thomas Cawthron’s donations to both disciplines. Not only did he found Cawthron Institute but Nelson School of Music, the traditional venue for this event, also benefited from Cawthron’s generosity. Thomas Cawthron contributed significantly to the construction of Nelson School of Music, and in 1913 provided funds for a pipe organ. Music played on this instrument still contributes to some lecture performances.
| Year |
Lecture Number |
Lecturer |
Lecture Title |
| 2010 |
67 |
Professor David Hamilton |
|
| 2009 |
66 |
Dr David Wratt |
Climate Change: Choices & Consequences |
| 2008 |
65 |
Professor John Campbell |
The Rutherford Documentary: A First Preview (unpublished)
Accompanying DVD is available: Rutherford: Part One: The Apprentice
Accompanying Reprint of Rutherford's 1925 Cawthron Lecture No. 7 is available |
| 2007 |
64 |
Right Honourable Simon Upton |
Why is responding to the risk of human-induced climate change proving to be so difficult? |
| 2006 |
63 |
Don Merton |
Highlights from 49 years of endangered species rescue and recovery (unpublished) |
| 2005 |
62 |
Professor Peter Gluckman |
A healthy start to life (unpublished) |
| 2004 |
61 |
Dr Margaret Lawton |
From grey to green: putting soul back into our cities |
| 2003 |
60 |
Professor David Lambert |
Ancient DNA studies from the "southern end of the world" |
| 2002 |
59 |
Professor Steve Wratten |
Enhancing biodiversity on private land - worth the bother? |
| 2000 |
58 |
Dr Robert McDowall |
Hidden treasures exposed: discovering our freshwater fish fauna |
| 1999 |
57 |
Sir Tipene O'Regan |
Treaty settlements, fisheries and the restoration of rights (unpublished) |
| 1998 |
56 |
Professor Peter Jackson |
Technology and the America's Cup; an engineer goes sailing |
| 1997 |
55 |
Associate Professor Philippa H Gander |
Sleep, health and safety: challenges in a 24-hour society |
| 1996 |
54 |
Professor Sir Ian Axford |
Our understanding of the solar system (unpublished) |
| 1994 |
53 |
Professor Dame Patricia Bergquist |
Biodiversity: a perspective from the depths of the animal kingdom (unpublished) |
| 1993 |
52 |
Dr Helen Hughes |
New Zealand's clean green image - fact or fiction? |
| 1992 |
51 |
Sir Mark Oliphant |
The world in which we live |
| 1991 |
50 |
Dame Catherine Tizard |
From Captain Cook and back again |
| 1990 |
49 |
Bruce Shepherd |
Experience of recent international earthquakes (unpublished) |
| 1980 |
48 |
G R Stevens |
Our wandering islands: a New Zealand view of the theory of continental drift |
| 1979 |
47 |
Professor E H S Burhop |
Perspectives of science and technology in a social context |
| 1978 |
46 |
B Warner |
High speed photometry |
| 1974 |
45 |
Ian L Baumgart |
To meet the challenge of the environment |
| 1972 |
44 |
E I Robertson |
National science policy |
| 1970 |
43 |
J Melville |
The second fifty years |
| 1967 |
42 |
A L Poole |
The use of vegetation |
| 1966 |
41 |
J A R Miles |
Landscape, climate and epidemics |
| 1965 |
40 |
E A Rudd |
Finding mineral wealth |
| 1964 |
39 |
I L Thomsen |
The exploration of the moon |
| 1963 |
38 |
R Duff |
The problem of moa extinction |
| 1962 |
37 |
G Blake-Palmer |
Honest prejudices and unnecessary deviations; their influence on the form of mental health programmes |
| 1961 |
36 |
N H Taylor |
Soils and mankind - the problem of the food-hungry world |
| 1960 |
35 |
His Excellency, Viscount Cobham |
Science as an aid to understanding |
| 1959 |
34 |
J F Duncan |
Radioactivity in the service of man |
| 1958 |
33 |
Sir Edmund Hillary |
The New Zealand Antarctic expedition |
| 1957 |
32 |
G J Williams |
New mineral discoveries in the Nelson province |
| 1956 |
31 |
Professor H N Parton |
Science is human |
| 1955 |
30 |
Dr E W Russell |
The production and maintenance of soil tilth |
| 1955 |
29 |
R A Falla |
New Zealand bird life past and present |
| 1955 |
28 |
Gilbert Archey |
Sculpture and design; an outline of Maori art |
| 1954 |
27 |
W M Hamilton |
Geothermal energy |
| 195* |
|
Dr R E Grim |
The composition and industrial uses of clays and soils (unpublished) |
| 1951 |
26 |
R Hurst |
Chemical aspects of atomic energy |
| 1950 |
25 |
Sir Henry Dale |
Some personal memories of Lord Rutherford |
| 1949 |
24 |
Professor T C Wallace |
The mineral nutrition of crops, with special reference to fruit crops |
| 1948 |
|
Dr Peter Buck |
A Polynesian atoll in Micronesia (unpublished) |
| 1947 |
23 |
F G Gibbs |
Problems in astronomy solved and unsolved |
| 1947 |
22 |
Professor P W Burbidge |
Atomic energy |
| 1945 |
21 |
Sir Theodore Rigg |
The contributions of the Cawthron Institute to science and New Zealand agriculture |
| 1944 |
20 |
Sir Howard Florey |
Penicillin |
| 1939 |
19 |
G H Scholefield |
Some problems of the new world order |
| 1938 |
18 |
D W Carmalt Jones |
Modern advances in medicine |
| 1937 |
17 |
H G Denham |
Science as an aid to world culture and civilization |
| 1936 |
16 |
Reverend J E Holloway |
Links in the New Zealand flora with the remote past |
| 1935 |
15 |
Dr R J Tillyard |
Tracing the dawn of life further backwards |
| 1934 |
14 |
F Milner |
Conflict and co-operation - economic and political - in the Pacific |
| 1933 |
13 |
Professor Thomas H Easterfield |
The achievements of the Cawthron Institute |
| 1932 |
12 |
His Excellency, Lord Bledisloe |
A conspectus of recent agricultural research with some reflections thereon |
| 1930 |
|
Professor W P Evans |
How coal reveals its past (unpublished) |
| 1929 |
11 |
Dr C E Hercus |
Goitre in the light of recent research |
| 1928 |
10 |
Sir John Russell |
The work for agriculture of two great Englishmen |
| 1927 |
9 |
A J Grant |
Athens, Florence and the modern state |
| 1926 |
8 |
J T Ward |
Recent advances in astronomy |
| 1925 |
7 |
Sir Ernest Rutherford |
Electricity and matter |
| 1925 |
6 |
Dr J P Lotsy |
A popular account of evolution |
| 1924 |
|
Professor E P Worley |
Flame and its mystery (unpublished) |
| 1923 |
|
Dr C Chilton |
The crustacea of the Pacific (unpublished) |
| 1922 |
5 |
Te Rangi Hiroa |
The coming of the Māori |
| 1921 |
|
Dr E Marsden |
Radium and its teaching (unpublished) |
| 1920 |
4 |
Dr P Marshall |
The geology of Nelson |
| 1919 |
3 |
Dr L Cockayne |
The distribution of the vegetation and flora of New Zealand |
| 1918 |
2 |
Professor W B Benham |
Biology in its relation to agriculture |
| 1917 |
1 |
Professor Thomas H Easterfield |
The aims and ideals of the Cawthron Institute |
