The Society’s annual John Lewis Awards ceremony, recognising scholarly achievement in Geography in 2021, was held on the evening of 26 May 2022 at the Mortlock Library.
Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson AC, Governor of South
Australia, who with Mr Rod Bunten is joint patron of our Society, was on hand
to present the awards. In her address Her Excellency confided that she was not
a formal student of Geography but joined the Royal Geographical Society whilst
in Hong Kong in the 1980s and paid tribute to the value of our Society’s
contribution since its inception in 1885. In particular Her Excellency noted the
Society’s collections contained some 1200 items pertaining to indigenous
peoples and culture; items associated with first European contact including
photographs and sound recordings. Her Excellency congratulated all award
winners on their achievement and acknowledged the contribution the Lewis
family had made via the John Lewis bequest, which funded the awards.
The 2021 event also included the inaugural presentation the Alaric Maude Medal for Excellence in Secondary School Geography for the South Australian student obtaining the highest mark in the International Baccalaureate Program, Geography (Higher Level). Associate Prof Alaric Maude AM was on hand to witness the award presentation.
© The Royal Geographical Society of South Australia