Citation by President Joe Johnson

It is with pleasure that I announce that the 2018 Philip Law Medalist is Dr Patricia Selkirk AC AAM.

Dr Selkirk has spent considerable time in Antarctica and the subantarctic since 1978, when she was one of the first women scientists to work on Australian Antarctic bases. She has spent 5 periods on mainland Antarctica and 14 expeditions to Macquarie Island and 1 to Heard Island as a member of Australian, New Zealand and American Antarctic expeditions. Dr Selkirk was awarded the Australian Antarctic Medal in 2004.

Dr Selkirk has made significant contributions to Antarctic science in several capacities:

as a member of national scientific committees;
as an academic at Macquarie University (through student research supervision and the development of an Antarctic studies unit); and
through her scientific research (both on the Antarctic continent and Subantarctic islands).

Dr Selkirk has been involved in major innovative research projects ranging from taxonomy, landscape ecology, plant adaptations to Antarctic and Subantarctic environments, vegetation mapping and plant genetics. Throughout her substantial Antarctic career, she has both led and participated in many multi-disciplinary research projects.

Her publications include the major reference work ‘Subantarctic Macquarie Island: Environment and Biology’ (Cambridge University Press 1990). This is the definitive reference book on the physical and biological features of Macquarie Island and includes a comprehensive annotated bibliography.

Earlier this year Dr Selkirk was presented with the University of Sydney’s 2017 Alumni Award for Professional Achievement.

The award will be presented at the Macquarie Island 70th Anniversary Dinner in Hobart on Monday 6th August.

Joe Johnson
President