Australian National Science Fiction Convention

"Natcon" redirects here. For other uses, see NatCon.

The Australian National Science Fiction Convention or Natcon is an annual science fiction convention. Each convention is run by a different committee unaffiliated with any national fannish body. Bids for running the Natcon are voted on by attendees at the Natcon two years in advance. These votes are held at a Business Meeting organised by the convention committee, and held at the convention, in practice much of the organisation of the meeting is done by a standing committee selected by the prior meeting.[1]

Ditmar Award

Main article: Ditmar Award

The Ditmar Award has been awarded at the convention since 1969 to recognise achievement in Australian science fiction (including fantasy and horror) and science fiction fandom. The award is similar to the Hugo Award but on a national rather than international scale. At various times in its history the award has included international categories, but this is the exception. Categories include both professional and fan categories, focusing on fiction but also including some artistic and general achievement (as well as, since the demise of the ASFMAs, several "production" awards).

List of Australian National Science Fiction Conventions

Num Date Name Location Guests of Honour References
1 22 March 1952 First Australian Science Fiction Convention Sydney (none) [2][3][4][5]
2 1–3 May 1953 Second Australian Science Fiction Convention Sydney (none) [2][3][4][6]
3 17–18 April 1954 Third Australian Science Fiction Convention Sydney (none) [2][3][4][7]
4 18–20 March 1955 Fourth Australian Science Fiction Convention Sydney Arthur C. Clarke [2][3][4][8][9]
5 8–9 December 1956 Olympicon Melbourne Frank Bryning [2][3][4]
6 5–6 April 1958 Sixth Australian Science Fiction Convention Melbourne (none) [2][3]
7 Easter 1966 Seventh Australian Science Fiction Convention Melbourne (none) [2][3]
8 4–6 April 1969 Eighth Australian Science Fiction Convention Melbourne Lee Harding, John Foyster [2][3]
9 Easter 1970 Ninth Australian Science Fiction Convention Melbourne (none) [2][3][10][11]
10 1–2 January 1971 Tenth Australian Science Fiction Convention Melbourne Robin Johnson [2][3]
11 11–13 August 1972 Syncon '72 Sydney Lesleigh Luttrell [2][3]
12 17–19 August 1973 Advention 2 Adelaide John Foyster [2][3]
13 16–18 August 1974 Ozcon Melbourne Merv Binns and (fan) John Bangsund [2][3]
14 24–27 January 1975 Syncon '75 Sydney (none) [2][3]
15 13–15 August 1976 Bofcon Melbourne (none) [2][3]
16 29–31 July 1977 A-Con 7 Adelaide Bill Rotsler [2][3]
17 24–27 March 1978 Unicon IV Melbourne Brian Aldiss, Roger Zelazny [2][3]
18 10–13 August 1979 Syncon '79 Sydney Gordon R. Dickson, Ken Fletcher, Linda Lounsbury, Kouichi Yamamoto [2][3]
19 15–18 August 1980 Swancon 5 Perth Anne McCaffrey, Shayne McCormack, Grant Stone [2][3]
20 6–8 June 1981 Advention '81 Adelaide Frank Herbert, John Ossian (John Foyster), K. U. F. Widdershins (John Foyster) [2][3]
21 9–12 April 1982 Tschaicon Melbourne Jack Vance, Leanne Frahm, Eric Lindsay [2][3]
22 10–13 June 1983 Syncon '83 Sydney Harlan Ellison, Van Ikin [2][3]
23 20–23 April 1984 Eurekacon Melbourne George Turner [2][3]
24 5–8 April 1985 Advention '85 Adelaide Lee Harding [2][3]
25 28–31 March 1986 Swancon XI Perth C. J. Cherryh, Jack Herman [2][3]
26 24–27 April 1987 Capcon Canberra Robert Asprin, Lynn Abbey, John Newman [2][3]
27 10–13 June 1988 Conviction Sydney Spider Robinson, Jeanne Robinson, Carey Handfield [2][3]
28 23–27 March 1989 Swancon 14 Perth John Varley, Bob Shaw, Paul J. Stevens [2][3]
29 13–16 April 1990 Danse Macabre Melbourne George R. R. Martin, Eric Lindsay [2][3]
30 29 March – 1 April 1991 Suncon Brisbane Patrick Tilley, Harlan Ellison, Leigh Edmonds [2][3]
31 17–20 April 1992 Syncon '92 Sydney Michael Whelan, Nick Stathopoulos, Sean McMullen [2][3]
32 8–12 April 1993 Swancon 18 Perth Terry Pratchett, Robert Jordan and Craig Hilton [2][3]
33 1–4 April 1994 Constantinople Melbourne William Gibson, Bruce Gillespie, Bean & Medge. [2][3][12][13]
34 9–12 June 1995 Thylacon Hobart Kim Stanley Robinson, Peter Nicholls, Grant Stone [2][3]
35 4–8 April 1996 Festival of the Imagination Perth Storm Constantine, Neil Gaiman [2][3]
36 27–28 September 1997 Basicon 2 Melbourne (none) [2][3]
37 5–8 June 1998 Thylacon 2 Hobart George R. R. Martin, Leanne Frahm [2][3][14]
38 2–6 September 1999 SpawnCon Two (part of Aussiecon Three, the 57th Worldcon) Melbourne (none) [3][15]
39 20–24 April 2000 Swancon 2000 Perth Connie Willis, Robin Hobb, Garth Nix, Ian Nichols, Mitch [3][16][17]
40 13–15 April 2001 Swancon 2001: Masquerade Perth Robert Silverberg, Karen Haber, Rosaleen Love, Marilyn Pride, Lewis Morley, Kate Orman, and Sue Ackermann [3][18]
41 7–10 June 2002 Convergence 2002 Melbourne Joe & Gay Haldeman, Lucy Sussex, Sean Williams, and (fan) Race Mathews [3][19]
42 17–21 April 2003 Swancon 2003 Perth Lynn Flewelling, Tony Shillitoe, Fiona McIntosh, and (fan) Justin Ackroyd [3][20]
43 23–26 April 2004 Conflux Canberra Greg Benford, Sean McMullen, and (fan) Karen Herkes [3][21]
44 10–13 June 2005 Thylacon 2005 Hobart Anne Bishop, Marianne de Pierres, and (fan) Merv Binns [3][22]
45 14–17 April 2006 Conjure Brisbane Cory Doctorow, Bruce Sterling, Sean Williams, Jonathan Strahan, and (fan) Erika Maria Lacey [23]
46 8–11 June 2007 Convergence 2 Melbourne Isobelle Carmody, Fred Gallagher, Dave Freer, and (fan) Cath Ortlieb [24]
47 20–24 March 2008 State of the Art: Swancon 2008 Perth Ken Macleod, Rob Shearman, Glenda Larke, and (fan) Zara Baxter [25]
48 5–8 June 2009 Conjecture Adelaide Julie E. Czerneda, and (fans) Steve & Catherine Scholz [26]
49 2–6 September 2010 Dudcon III (held in conjunction with Aussiecon IV, the 68th Worldcon) Melbourne Peter Watts, Helen Merrick, and (fan) Jacob Blake [27]
50 21–25 April 2011 Swancon Thirty Six | Natcon Fifty Perth Ellen Datlow, Justina Robson, Sean Williams, and (fan) Sarah Xu [28]
51 8–11 June 2012 Continuum 8: Craftonomicon Melbourne Kelly Link, Alison Goodman, and (fan) Sue Ann Barber [29]
52 25–28 April 2013 Conflux 9 Canberra Nalo Hopkinson, Marc Gascoigne, Karen Miller, and (fan) Rose Mitchell [30]
53 6–9 June 2014 Continuum X: Carnival of Lost Souls Melbourne Jim C. Hines, Ambelin Kwaymullina, and (fans) Danny Oz & Sharon Moseley [31]
54 2–6 April 2015 Swancon 40 Perth John Scalzi, Kylie Chan, and (fan) Anthony Peacey [32]
55 25–28 March 2016 Contact2016 Brisbane Ben Aaronovitch, Jill Pantozzi, Keri Arthur, and (fan) Kirilee Barker [33]
56 9–12 June 2017 Continuum 13: Triskaidekaphilia Melbourne Seanan McGuire/Mira Grant, Likhain aka M. Sereno [34]
57 29 March – 2 April 2018 Swancon 2018: Transmogrification Perth Ryan Griffen, Foz Meadows, Emily Smith, Wolfgang Bylsma, and (fan) Barb de la Hunty [35]
58 7-10 June 2019 Continuum 15: Other Worlds Melbourne Kate Elliott, Ken Liu [36]
59 7-10 June 2020 Swancon 2020 Perth Nalini Singh, John Robertson [37]
60 7-10 June 2021
30 September - 3 October 2022
(postponed due to COVID-19 lockdowns) 		Conflux 16: Visions of Time Canberra John Birmingham, Amie Kaufman, Daniel O'Malley, Lisa Fuller, Tom Buckland [38]
61 29 September - 2 October 2023 Conflux 17: Passages and Portals Canberra Amie Kaufman, Grace Chan, Lisa Fuller, Ellen Datlow, Helen Marshall, Perry Middlemiss (fan guest)
62 17-19 May 2024 Continuum 16: Reboot Melbourne Shannon Chakraborty, Vanessa Len, Cienan Muir [39]
63 16-18 May 2025 Continuum 17: Horizons Melbourne Maria Lewis, Amie Kaufman, others to be announced [40]

References

  1. ^ "Natcon Constitution", The Australian SF Information site. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak Ortlieb, Marc (1999). "What is SpawnCon Two?". In Ortlieb, Marc (ed.). Aussiecon Three: 57th World Science Fiction Convention 2nd – 6th September 1999. pp. 70–71. ISBN 0-646-37949-6.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar "Australian National Science Fiction Conventions". Convergence 2. Victorian Science Fiction Conventions. Archived from the original on 1 October 2009.
  4. ^ a b c d e Molesorth, Vol. A History of Australian Fandom, 1935–1963.
  5. ^ Molesworth, Vol (1952). "1st Aussie Con". Mumblings From Munchkinland. 20 (published 2003): 13.
  6. ^ Meyer, Rex (c. 2003). "Sydcon II Report". Mumblings From Munchkinland. 22: 14.
  7. ^ Stone, G.B. (1954). "135 Plus at 3rd Aust. Convention". Mumblings From Munchkinland. 23 (published 2006): 11.
  8. ^ Dard, Roger (1955). "The Fourth Australian Science Fiction Convention". Mumblings From Munchkinland. 23 (published 2006): 14.
  9. ^ Nelson, Chris (2012). "Arthur Frederick William Haddon, 1927–2011". Mumblings From Munchkinland. 31: 7.
  10. ^ Gillespie, Bruce (1995). "The 1970 Ditmar Awards" (PDF). Scratch Pad (10): 10.
  11. ^ Nomad (1970). "Eastercon Report". Terran Times (2): 17–19.
  12. ^ Stewart, Alan (1993). "Social Calendar". Thyme. 93: 16.
  13. ^ Ortlieb, Marc (1994). "The Australian Science Fiction Bullsheet No. 4 – 4th March 1994". Retrieved 11 December 2012.
  14. ^ Ortlieb, Marc (1998). "The Australian Science Fiction Bullsheet No. 97 – May 1, 1998". Retrieved 11 December 2012.
  15. ^ "SpawnCon Two: The 1999 Australian National Science Fiction Convention". Archived from the original on 22 April 1999.
  16. ^ "Swancon 2000". Archived from the original on 16 April 2000.
  17. ^ "Conventions". Locus Online. Locus Publications Inc.
  18. ^ "Masquerade: Things Are Not Always What They Seem". Archived from the original on 15 May 2001.
  19. ^ "Convergence 2002". Archived from the original on 3 July 2002.
  20. ^ "Swancon 2003". Archived from the original on 25 March 2003.
  21. ^ "Conflux: 43rd Australian National SF Convention". Archived from the original on 23 May 2004.
  22. ^ "Thylacon IV". Archived from the original on 15 June 2005.
  23. ^ "Conjure". Fantastic Queensland Inc. Archived from the original on 18 April 2006.
  24. ^ "Convergence 2". Victorian Science Fiction Conventions. Archived from the original on 17 June 2007.
  25. ^ "State of the Art: Swancon 2008".
  26. ^ "Conjecture". Conjecture. Archived from the original on 11 June 2009.
  27. ^ "Dudcon III".
  28. ^ "Swancon Thirty Six | Natcon Fifty".
  29. ^ "Continuum 8: Craftonomicon".
  30. ^ "Conflux 9". Archived from the original on 20 April 2013.
  31. ^ "Continuum X: Carnival of Lost Souls".
  32. ^ "Swancon 40".
  33. ^ "Contact2016". Archived from the original on 30 April 2016.
  34. ^ "Continuum 13 - Melbourne Speculative Fiction Convention".
  35. ^ "Swancon 2018".
  36. ^ "Continuum 15: Other Worlds". Archived from the original on 6 May 2012. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
  37. ^ "Swancon45 Canceled". Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  38. ^ "Event Program: Conflux 16: Visions of Time" (PDF). Retrieved 25 August 2024.
  39. ^ "Continuum 16: Reboot – returns to Melbourne 17-19 May, 2024". Archived from the original on 25 August 2024. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
  40. ^ "Continuum 17: Horizons". www.facebook.com.