# Australian National Science Fiction Convention

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.

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