The Ness Award is an annual award of the Royal Geographical Society to travellers, particularly those who have successfully popularised Geography and the wider understanding of our world and its environments. It was established in 1953 and named after Mrs. Patrick Ness (1881–1962), an intrepid and well-to-do traveller throughout Africa and the first female Fellow of the Society.
Mrs. Patrick Ness was born Elizabeth Wilhelmina Miller in Brighton in 1881 and married Patrick Powell Ness in 1903. She accompanied her husband to Kenya before the First World War and then returned alone in 1920, when she made several epic journeys across the African and Asian continents. In 1923 she crossed the Syrian Desert, in 1927 she travelled from Khartoum to Nairobi and on via the Congo to the Cape, the first European woman to travel on Lake Kivu. She later wrote a book of her adventures entitled Ten Thousand Miles in Two Continents
Recipients Source: RGS
Year Name Citation (where known)1954Charles W.M. SwithinbankFor research in Antarctic glaciology1955Ernest Frederick RootsFor being a Senior Geologist in the Norwegian-British-Swedish Antarctic Expedition of 1949-521956Mr. Robert DoversFor being in charge of the survey party which completed the first map of Heard Island.1957Mr. J. B. HeaneyFor being the leader of the Gough Island Scientific Survey, 1956.1958Anthony Gerald BomfordFor his work as Chief Surveyor of the South Georgia Survey, 1955-6.1959J. Homes Miller George W. Marsh (jointly) Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition1960Raymond John AdieFor his many contributions to Antarctic geology.1961Robin Hanbury-TenisonFor their very enterprising and adventurous pioneer journey of 6000 miles by jeep across South America, completed in 1959.1962Dr. Hal ListerFor his valuable work in glaciological research both in the Arctic and the Antarctic1963John Baird TysonFor Himalayan mapping and survey and for his leadership of expeditions to India and the Himalayas.1964Dennis Alexander Ardus For their explorations in the Halley Bay region of Antarctica.1965David StoddartFor his investigations on coral cays in South and Central America.1966Mr E. C. Evans and Mr. J. P. M. LongFor journeys among and studies of the Aborigines and their habitat in west central Australia.1967Peter Opie-SmithFor geodetic surveys in the Solomon Islands1968Wing-Commander C. R. AlexanderFor being the leader of the Joint Services expedition to west central Australia.1969Mr. Graham ClarkeFor being the commander of SRN6 Hovercraft and for his skill, courage and resource which brought the expedition through to a successful conclusion.1970Dr John D ThornesFor his hydrological and geomorphological fieldwork in the Amazonas and Northern Mato Grosso expeditions.1971Lieutenant Colonel J D C PeacockFor leading the Northern Peary Land expedition which contributed substantially to our knowledge of a little-known region, especially in geology and mapping.1972Major David N HallFor leading the British Expedition to the Air Mountains, 1970, for Saharan exploration.1973Dr D J MoffatFor being a member of the Royal Society/Royal Geographical Society's Brazil Expedition 1967-70.1974Colonel J M Adam OBE, OStJ, FRCPIan Douglas HamiltonFor contributions to exploration medicine. For zoological investigations in East Africa.1975Adrian ThompsonFor botanical and other surveys in Guyana.1976Squadron Leader Tom Sheppard MBEFor expeditions in the Sahara and contributions to desert navigation.1977Lieutenant Colonel Harry R A Streather OBEFor leadership of the British Army/Royal Nepalese Army Mount Everest Expedition, and other mountaineering achievements.1978Miss F A StreetFor studies of geomorphology in Ethiopia.1979Nigel de Northop WinserFor leadership and organization of expeditions1980Richard SnailhamFor fieldwork and expeditions1981Chief Petty Officer S R WilliamsFor recognition of his leadership of the Joint Services Expedition to the Princess Marie Bay.1982Miss Shane Wesley-SmithFor administration, in the field, of expedition projects.1983Roger Chapman MBEFor his organization and leadership of expeditions1984Andy EavisFor leadership of speleological exploration1985Paul Vander-MolenFor exploration leadership and the introduction of microlite aircraft as an exploration tool.1986Dr Caroline SargeantFor making remarkable studies of Bhutan's forest and flowers, and thus an important contribution to conservation in the Himalayan kingdom.1987Miss Nicola Bennett-Jones SRNFor unselfish service in medical support of the RGS projects in Mulu, Kora and Wahiba.1988Dr John MatthewsFor leadership of glaciological expeditions.1989Steve BowlesFor leadership of the 'Projeto Amazonas' expedition and field leadership of the Maraca Rainforest Project.1990Dick WillisFor contributions to speleology1991Dr Richard CraneFor bicycle expeditions and encouragement of youth exploration.1992Mandip Singh SoinFor mountaineering and polar expeditions and encouragement of youth exploration.1993Michael AsherFor desert expeditions and work with camels1994Alasdair KennedyFor contributions to youth expeditions1995Paul SalamanFor expeditionary fieldwork in Colombia1996Major Alastair RogersFor organisation of research expeditions1997John BirdsallFor contributions to travelling and exploration for those with disabilities.1998Michael PalinIn recognition of his travels leading to a wider public appreciation of the world1999David Grey RattrayFor recognition of widening the popular understanding of Zulu cultures of South Africa.2000Nick DanzigerFor recognition of raising the public understanding of contemporary social, political and environmental issues through documentary films and photography2001Peter DrakeFor recognition of encouraging geographical fieldwork by young people through overseas expeditions2002Nick MiddletonFor recognition of widening the public enthusiasm for Geography through travel writing.2003Ray MearsFor contributions to the popularization of Geography2004John HareFor raising public awareness and conservation of endangered wild camels in Mongolia and China2005 Neil LaughtonNeil Laughton For leadership of expeditions and encouraging others to recognise their potential as travellers2006 John PilkingtonFor the popularisation of geography and the wider understanding of our world 2007 Paul RoseFor supporting and promoting the popular understanding of geography2008David WrightFor the popularisation of geography among young people2009Neil OliverFor popularising and promoting understanding of the British coastal landscape2010Professor Iain StewartFor popularising geography and earth sciences2011Colin Thubron CBEFor popularising geography through travel writing2012Simon ReeveFor popularising geography through television travel documentaries and writing2013Wade DavisFor popularising geography through writing about places, cultures and history2014 Nicholas CraneFor popularising geography and the understanding of Britain2015 Robert MacfarlaneIn recognition of his work in communicating 'geography to a wide public by means of writing about nature, landscape and place2016 Andrea WulfFor popularising the histories of geography and of scientific botanical exploration via her book The Invention of Nature2017 Kathleen JamieFor outstanding creative writing at the confluence of travel, nature and culture2018 Rory Stewart, MP For the popularisation of geography through the media2019 Dervla Murphy For the popularisation of geography through travel literature2020Nancy CampbellFor the popularisation of geography through poetry and non-fiction writing2021Isabella TreeFor the popularisation of geography through her writing on biodiversity and the relation between humans and the environment2022Lemn SissayFor his long-standing contributions to popularising geography and promoting insightful understandings of our world.2023Alastair HumphreysFor long-standing contributions to promoting a greater understanding of our world and wider public engagement with the outdoors2024Colonel Chris HadfieldFor excellence in the practise and promotition of teaching in higher education
See also List of geographers List of geography awards List of prizes named after people
References
External links List of links to RGS awards winners