Allan Mere Award

About the award

The Allan Mere is awarded by the New Zealand Botanical Society to outstanding botanists to acknowledge their contribution and work.

The mere is a traditional Māori hand club made from greenstone / pounamu / nephrite and carved at Westland Greenstone Ltd in Hokitika.

It was originally presented to the former DSIR Botany Division by the late Dr Lucy Moore in 1982 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birthday of Harry Howard Allan – the first Director of the former DSIR Botany Division, and author of the first volume of the DSIR New Zealand Flora series. It was Lucy’s intention that the award be presented – not necessarily annually – to those staff members who had made the most significant contribution to New Zealand Botany. Several of those presentations were made to mark retirements.

With the demise of the DSIR Botany Division in 1992 the Allan Mere was passed over to the New Zealand Botanical Society in 1999 who now award, on much the same basis as Lucy Moore had intended, to those candidates nominated by regional botanical societies.

The Allan Mere is displayed in the entrance to the Allan Herbarium at Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research in Lincoln.

Conditions of the Allan Mere Award

  1. The Award shall be made annually to a person or persons who have made outstanding contributions to botany in New Zealand, either in a professional or amateur capacity.
  2. The Award shall be administered by the New Zealand Botanical Society.
  3. Nominations for the Award may be made by regional Botanical Societies, or by individuals, to the Secretary of the New Zealand Botanical Society. Nominations shall close on 30th June each year. Nominations shall be signed by a nominator and seconder, and accompanied by two copies of supporting information that must not exceed one A4 page.
  4. Selection of the successful nominee/nominees shall be made by the Committee of the New Zealand Botanical Society, normally within three months of the closing date for nominations.
  5. If, in the opinion of the Committee, no suitable nomination is received in any particular year, the Committee may refrain from making an award.
  6. The Mere shall be formally presented to the recipient on an appropriate occasion by the President of the New Zealand Botanical Society or his/her nominee, but otherwise shall remain in the custody of, and be displayed by, the Herbarium Keeper of the Allan Herbarium (CHR) at Landcare Research, Lincoln, together with the book recording awards.
  7. The recipient shall receive an appropriately inscribed certificate.

Nominations should be forwarded by 30 June each year to:

Ewen Cameron
Secretary
New Zealand Botanical Society
c/- Canterbury Museum
Rolleston Avenue
CHRISTCHURCH 8013