Australian National Science Fiction Convention
Encyclopedia
The Australian National Science Fiction Convention or Natcon is a science fiction convention
Science fiction convention
Science fiction conventions are gatherings of fans of various forms of speculative fiction including science fiction and fantasy. Historically, science fiction conventions had focused primarily on literature, but the purview of many extends to such other avenues of expression as movies and...

 that is scheduled each year usually at Easter.

Unlike many national conventions, 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 organised by the current national convention committee.

Ditmar Award

The Ditmar Award has been awarded at the convention since 1969 to recognise achievement in Australian science fiction
Australian science fiction
Australian science fiction grew in 1960s and became a notable field around 1980s. Most Australian science-fiction writers are writing for the international market.David G...

 (including fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...

 and horror
Horror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...

) and science fiction fandom
Science fiction fandom
Science fiction fandom or SF fandom is a community or "fandom" of people actively interested in science fiction and fantasy and in contact with one another based upon that interest...

. The award is similar to the Hugo Award
Hugo Award
The Hugo Awards are given annually for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was officially named the Science Fiction Achievement Awards...

 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
ASFMA Award
The Australian Science Fiction Media Award was an award given for achievement in non-literary media and media appreciation within Australian science fiction...

, several "production" awards).

List of recent Australian National Science Fiction Conventions

No Date Name Location Guests of Honour
September 1999 Spawncon II (part of Aussiecon III, the 57th Worldcon
Worldcon
Worldcon, or more formally The World Science Fiction Convention, is a science fiction convention held each year since 1939 . It is the annual convention of the World Science Fiction Society...

)
Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

(none)
April 2000 Swancon
SwanCon
SwanCon is a science fiction convention held in Perth, Western Australia. It is Australia's longest-running science fiction convention, and probably the longest-running in the southern hemisphere. It was founded in 1975 by Grant Stone, and has been run annually since...

 25
Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....

Connie Willis and Ian Nichols.
40 April 2001 Swancon
SwanCon
SwanCon is a science fiction convention held in Perth, Western Australia. It is Australia's longest-running science fiction convention, and probably the longest-running in the southern hemisphere. It was founded in 1975 by Grant Stone, and has been run annually since...

 2001, Masquerade
Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....

Robert Silverberg, Karen Haber, Rosaleen Love, Marilyn Pride, Lewis Morley, Kate Orman, and Sue Ackerman
41 7-10 June 2002 Convergence Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

Joe & Gay Haldeman, Lucy Sussex, Sean Williams, and (fan) Race Mathews
42 April 2003 Swancon
SwanCon
SwanCon is a science fiction convention held in Perth, Western Australia. It is Australia's longest-running science fiction convention, and probably the longest-running in the southern hemisphere. It was founded in 1975 by Grant Stone, and has been run annually since...

 2003
Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....

Lynn Flewelling, Tony Shillitoe, Fiona McIntosh, and (fan) Justin Ackroyd
43 April 2004 Conflux
Conflux Science Fiction Convention
The Conflux Science Fiction Convention is an annual science fiction convention held in Canberra, Australia since 2004. Conflux has built on the CSFcons , held in the early noughties.- Conflux 1, April 2004 :...

Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...

Greg Benford, Sean McMullen, and (fan) Karen Herkes
44 June 2005 Thylacon III Hobart
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...

Anne Bishop, Marianne de Pierres, and (fan) Merv Binns
45 April 2006 Conjure Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...

Bruce Sterling, Cory Doctorow, Sean Willaims, Kim Wilkins, and (fan) Erica Lacey
46 8–11 June 2007 Convergence 2 Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

Isobelle Carmody, Fred Gallagher, Dave Freer, and (fan) Cath Ortlieb
47 20–24 March 2008 Swancon 33 Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....

Ken Macleod, Rob Shearman, Glenda Larke, and (fan) Zara Baxter
48 5–8 June 2009 Conjecture Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...

Julie E. Czerneda, and (fans) Steve & Catherine Scholz
49 2–6 September 2010 Dudcon III (part of Aussiecon IV, the 68th Worldcon
Worldcon
Worldcon, or more formally The World Science Fiction Convention, is a science fiction convention held each year since 1939 . It is the annual convention of the World Science Fiction Society...

)
Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

Peter Watts, Helen Merrick, and (fan) Jacob Blake
50 21–25 April 2011 Swancon Thirty Six Natcon Fifty Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....

Ellen Datlow, Justina Robson, Sean Williams, and (fan) Sarah Xu

External links

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