About
CURRENT COMMITTEE
Society mail address:
AMSNZ Secretary
PO BOX 409123
Snells Beach
Auckland 0942
New Zealand
admin@amsnz.org.nz
| Position | Name |
| President | Dr Michael Drane |
| Secretary | Dr Tim Sprott |
| Treasurer | Dr Stuart Farmer |
| Committee | Dr Bryan Chong |
| Committee | Dr Calum Young |
| Committee | Dr Gus Cabre |
| Committee | Dr Hardeep Hundal |
| Committee | Dr Lisa Brown |
| Patterson Trust | Dr Michael Drane (trustee) |
OBJECTIVES OF THE SOCIETY
The Aviation Medical Society of New Zealand is a non-profit Society, Incorporated in New Zealand.
It exists to foster and support aviation medicine for doctors and others who are interested in the subject.
The Objects of the Society are defined in the Society Rules and include –
(i) the cultivation and promotion of aviation medicine and related sciences or disciplines,
(ii) the provision of an authoritative body of opinion in relation to aviation medicine.
(b) The above objects may be supported by various activities, including (but not limited to) the following –
(i) the holding of periodic meetings of members,
(ii) the collection and dissemination by, or among members, of scientific knowledge and the publication of articles related to aviation medicine and related sciences and of its meetings,
(iii) the conducting of essay or other appropriate competitions open to medical or science undergraduates,
(iv) the endowment and support of research and development of aviation medicine, and
(v) the co-operation, affiliation or holding of joint conferences with bodies having similar objects, within Australasia or elsewhere, most importantly with the Australasian Society of Aerospace Medicine.
PAST PRESIDENTS OF THE SOCIETY
1978 AMSANZ NZ committee with Len Thompson, John Faris & Alan Erenstrom
1980 Len Thompson Vice-President of combined Society committee
1984 Len Thompson President of combined committee
1987 Len Thompson President NZ committee
1990 Sandy Dawson
1993 Robin Griffiths
1996 Robin Griffiths
1999 Robin Griffiths
2000 Tim Sprott
2003 Bill Daniels
2006 Dave Powell
2009 Brian Spackman
2012 Ben Johnston
2015 Anton Wiles
AMSNZ HONORARY MEMBERS
| Russell Worth | New Zealand |
| Len Thompson MBE | New Zealand |
| Peter Chapman | UK |
| John Faris | Perth, Australia |
History of the Aviation Medical Society of New Zealand
A branch of the British Medical Association of Australia was formed by 15 doctors on 25th November 1949 in Melbourne as the Special Group on Aviation Medicine. In 1962 the Special Group’s name was changed to the Aviation Medical Society of Australia. By 1972 the membership was 258 and due to the large numbers joining from New Zealand the Society was renamed the Aviation Medical Society of Australia and New Zealand (AMSANZ).
In 1978 the Society was Incorporated formally in Australia but after discussion it was agreed that the two bodies should be incorporated separately in each country to become distinct legal entities. On 29th January 1997 the New Zealand branch became the Aviation Medical Society of Australia and New Zealand (NZ Inc.)
In 2003 AMSANZ-Australia changed its name to the ‘Australasian Society of Aerospace Medicine’. In 2009 AMSANZ-New Zealand changed its title to the ‘Aviation Medical Society of New Zealand (Inc.)’.
The two societies continue to share the same Objects and Rules, maintain close contact and attend each others conferences.
AMSNZ is closely associated with the Patterson Visiting Lectureship Trust. This is a charitable Trust established with the purpose of fostering aviation medicine educational activities in New Zealand. The Trust is named after Mr Douglas Patterson who was the last General Manager of National Airways Corporation (NAC) which later became the domestic division of Air New Zealand. Doug Patterson had a lifetime interest in aviation and was a staunch supporter of the Society. The Patterson Trust continues and sponsors a visiting lecturer to the annual conferences of both ASAM and AMSNZ along with other sponsorships and prizes.
ASAM has a similar John Lane Trust. Dr John Lane was a Foundation Member of the Society, an ex-RAAF medical officer and the inaugural Director of Civil Aviation Medicine (CASA) in Australia. He died in 1999 aged 81. The John Lane Trust also sponsors a keynote speaker at the Annual Scientific Meetings in both Australia and New Zealand.
The two Societies have separate Annual Scientific Conferences but usually closely timed so that the visiting lecturers can attend both events.
A more detailed history compendium of the joint Societies was compiled by Dr Peter Wilkins (Australia) and is available on ASAM’s excellent website here.