News
Marking 50 years of NZILA
Posted 28 03 2022
in News
![Members of the first NZILA Executive at the inaugural NZILA conference, Lincoln College, 1974 (L to R: Robin Gay; Frank Boffa; Charlie Challenger; Tony Jackman; George Malcolm; Neil Aitken. Earl Bennett is absent from this picture.)
All figures courtesy of Lincoln University Living Heritage Tikaka Tuku Iho.](/media/cache/9e/b7/9eb7f19577c4291c50809c0cf6692a2d.png)
This year Tuia Pito Ora New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects is celebrating 50 years since its inception and today beginning its countdown to the commemorations.
The Institute is building up to the anniversary with its covid delayed 2022 NZILA Firth Conference in Auckland in October which will culminate in the Resene New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architecture Awards gala dinner on the 13th of October at the Cordis Hotel.
The Landscape was NZILA’s magazine launched by the legendary Charlie Challenger, who established the first ever landscape architecture qualification in New Zealand at what was then Lincoln College in that late 1960s.
Writing in “The Landscape” in 1982, the then NZILA president Neil Aitken wrote about the start of the Institute.
“A group of us based in Christchurch who had been refining first thoughts and ideas, writing aims, objectives and a draft constitution considered, with legal advice, that applying for registration as an incorporated society was the most direct and appropriate means of achieving professional recognition.”
The first formal step, according to Neil Aitken, was taken on the 15 November 1972 when 15 signatories applied for registration under the Incorporated Societies Act 1908.
The signatories were Tony Jackman, Frank Boffa, Charlie Challenger, Robin Gay, Bill McLeary, Frank Spacil, Eleanor Ironside, Sally Mason, Esmae Sage, Ray Wright, Patricia Shiel, Neil Aitken, Hugh Baxter, George Malcolm, and Paula Parsonson. Incorporation was finally granted on 3 January 1973 by the Justice Department.
The first executive committee was formed under the chairmanship of Tony Jackman and was made up of Frank Boffa, Charlie Challenger, George Malcolm, Neil Aitken, Robin Gay and Hedley Evans. Earl Bennett replaced Hedley Evans on the committee in time for the first AGM.
The Institute is producing a book to commemorate the 50th anniversary which will trace the history of NZILA and the landscape architecture profession.
Over the next seven months LAA will feature more milestones from the Institute’s history, profile some of the pioneers of the early years of the profession here in Aotearoa as well as highlighting important landscape architecture work done here over the past half century.
17 Jul
Reminder To Submit Your Applications before 5 August
![Image: uploads/2024_07/Screenshot_54.png](/media/cache/ec/43/ec436a168116d11519603cde772d7e10.png)
NZILA Vectorworks Landmark Student Scholarship 2024
The is a friendly reminder that applications close 5 August 2024. The NZILA Vectorworks Landmark Student Scholarship is to support …
16 Jul
Students’ vision for heart of the city on display
![Te Ngākau – A Student Vision opening night](/media/cache/02/73/02738cfe2c566f92c6a560127690997e.jpg)
An exhibition showcasing works by architecture and design innovation students envisioning the future of Te Ngākau Civic Precinct is now open to the public until 23 July.
The exhibition is the culmination of an urban design competition organised by Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington and Wellington …
10 Jul
Slipping Underwater
![Catchments in the top of the South Island, bottom of the North Island. Source data: MfE Data Service (data.mfe.govt.nz) and LINZ Data Service (data.linz.govt.nz). Analysis and visualisation: Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand.](/media/cache/75/bc/75bc2cdd2c09a05b984e92691f56f383.png)
New report from the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment
While New Zealand has plenty of freshwater, we are heavy users of this resource. Our water use is changing the …
Events calendar
Full 2024 calendar