History

The New Zealand Society for Parasitology (Inc.) [NZSP] was formed on 21 August 1972 with the inaugural meeting held at Victoria University in Wellington. The meeting was attended by 26 people with four (4) papers presented by Mrs F.R. Allison, Dr G.C. Hewitt, Dr P.M. Hine and DR R.V. Brunsdon. DR Brunsdon went on to become the first President of the Society and held this office until 1976. Prior to the meeting 44 people had been circulated and these people were known as the Foundation Members (see list below). The membership fee in that first year was set at $2.00 and $1.00 for full-time students. The Society continued to grow holding an annual meeting each year. The Society became an affiliated member of the Royal Society of New Zealand in December 1973 and a member of the World Federation of Parasitologists in 1974. On 24 October 1975 the NZSP became an incorporated society.

The Society Seal consists of a triquetra, representing the three points of parasitism (the host, the parasite, the environment) and the Southern Cross. The seal was the original idea of DR Wally Clark and was designed by xxxx? with a shield being carved in Kauri by John Trimmer of Coromandel.

Annual general meetings and conferences are generally held in the August to October period, the abstracts from the latter usually being published in the New Zealand Journal of Zoology. Every four years or so the NZSP combines with its Australian counterpart for a joint conference. The first joint meeting with The Australian Society for Parasitology was held in February 1974 on “Arahura”, the research farm for Merck Sharp & Dohme (New Zealand Ltd). This attracted participants from South Africa, the USA, Switzerland as well as Australia and New Zealand. Since then a further five (5) joint meetings have been held alternating the venues between New Zealand and Australia (see NZSP Conference Venues, Proceedings and Publication of Abstracts).

Members are kept informed of Society activities by newsletters which are prepared every 3-4 months.

Foundation Members

Honorary Members

Office Holders

* Joint conferences were held in these years with the Australian Society for Parasitology.
In 1989, the conference was in Townsville, Australia; 1995 Adelaide Australia

# 25th Jubilee Conference

** in 2005 the Annual General Meeting was held during the 20th International Conference of the World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology, Christchurch