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. 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. "Australian National Science Fiction Conventions". Convergence 2. Victorian Science Fiction Conventions. Archived from the original on 1 October 2009.
4. 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.