Conferences
Where ASBS members come together to connect and reflect
Annual General Meetings and Special General Meetings
Each year ASBS aims to connect and inspire our membership through a conference, often held in conjunction with an Annual General Meeting (AGM). These conferences are hosted either online or in person at botanic gardens, herbaria, and universities across major cities and large regional centres in Australasia. ASBS may also co-host a joint meeting with other societies such as the New Zealand Plant Conservation Network or the Society of Australian Systematic Biologists.
The conference is a wonderful opportunity for our members to come together to expand professional networks, establish collaborations, and share our botanical passions!
Members volunteer their time and skills to organise and host the conference. These meetings are a highlight of the ASBS calendar and involve multiple days of members sharing their research through oral presentations and poster sessions. In addition, field trips, workshops, tours, special keynote lectures, conference dinners, and the AGM are frequently part of the conference programme.
Annual conference support
Conferences can be daunting when you don’t know many people or you face extra physical or mental health challenges. We aim to try and help all delegates have an enjoyable conference experience by seeking to ensure the following:
- A conference space that is accessible to people with a physical disability
- On-call assistance for people with specific mental or physical health needs (get in touch prior the conference to discuss your needs)
- An Early Career Researcher (ECR) buddy system - if you are new to the Society and would like to connect with other ECRs who can meet and greet you at registration and chat with you throughout the meeting contact our ECR committee (ecr.asbs@gmail.com)
- Access to a quiet room for activities such as breastfeeding/expressing milk, thinking, reflecting, or recharging
Past Conferences
November 2022
- Conference Title: Student and Early Career Researcher conference
- Location: Mt Annan, NSW, Australia
- ASBS Newsletter 193-194: 14–31
- Burbidge lecture: Barbara Rye
July 2021
- Conference Title: Biodiverse futures—systematics in a changing world
- Location: Virtual conference hosted by James Cook University, Cairns
- ASBS Newsletter 188: 11–15
- Burbidge lectures: Kevin R. Thiele (2021) & Wendy Nelson (2020)
- Annual General Meeting (5 October 2021) number: 32
- ASBS Newsletter 189: 4–23
2020
- Postponed due to Covid-19 pandemic
- Annual General Meeting Number: 42
- ASBS Newsletter 185: 8–29
November 2019
- Conference Title: Taxonomy for Plant Conservation
- Location: Wellington, New Zealand
- Associated groups and meetings: New Zealand Plant Conservation Network
- Annual General Meeting Number: 41
- ASBS Newsletter 181: 10–27
- Burbidge lecture: Barry Conn
December 2018
- Conference Title: Mind The Gap
- Location: Brisbane, Qld, Australia
- Annual General Meeting Number: 40
- ASBS Newsletter 178: 5–12
- Burbidge lecture: Ilse Breitwieser
November 2017
- Conference Title: Systematics 2017: Integrating Systematics for Conservation and Ecology Conference proceedings available as a supplement to the journal Swainsona
- Location: Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Associated groups and meetings: Society of Australian Systematic Biologists
- Annual General Meeting Number: 39
- ASBS Newsletter 173: 2–18
- Burbidge lecture: P.J. Brownsey
September 2016
- Conference Title: Systematic botany—a view from the Centre Conference proceedings available as a supplement to the journal Swainsona
- Location: Alice Springs, NT, Australia
- Annual General Meeting Number: 38
- ASBS Newsletter 168–9: 2–19
- Burbidge lecture: A.E. Orchard
November–December 2015
- Conference Title: Building Our Botanical Capital
- Location: Canberra, ACT, Australia
- Annual General Meeting Number: 37
- ASBS Newsletter 165: 4–24
- Burbidge lecture: G. Kantvilas (on behalf of Jack Elix)
November 2014
- Conference Title: Next-generation Systematics
- Location: Palmerston North, New Zealand
- Annual General Meeting Number: 36
- ASBS Newsletter 161: 3–17
- Burbidge lecture: P.H. Weston
December 2013
- Conference Title: Systematics Without Borders
- Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Associated groups and meetings: Invertebrate Biodiversity & Conservation and the Society of Australian Systematic Biologists
- Annual General Meeting Number: 35
- ASBS Newsletter 157: 2–3
- Burbidge lecture: P.J. Garnock-Jones
September 2012
- Conference Title: Local knowledge, global delivery
- Location: Perth, WA, Australia
- Annual General Meeting Number: 34
- ASBS Newsletter 153: 5–7
- Burbidge lecture: B.R. Maslin
November 2011
- Location: Melbourne, Vic, Australia (not held with conference)
- Annual General Meeting Number: 33
- ASBS Newsletter 149: 2–14
July 2011
- Conference Title: ASBS Conference
- Location: Melbourne, Vic, Australia
- Associated groups and meetings: International Botanical Congress (IBC)
- Annual General Meeting Number: No associated AGM
- Burbidge lecture: M.D. Crisp
November–December 2010
- Conference Title: Systematic botany across the ditch: links between Australia and New Zealand
- Location: Lincoln, Canterbury, New Zealand
- Associated groups and meetings: ASBS/New Zealand Plant Radiation Network
- Annual General Meeting Number: 32
- ASBS Newsletter: 144: 2–15
December 2009
- Conference Title: Systematic botany: from science to society
- Location: Armidale, NSW, Australia
- Annual General Meeting Number: 31
- ASBS Newsletter: 141: 3–13
September–October 2008
- Conference Title: Systematics in a changing environment
- Location: Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Annual General Meeting Number: 30
- ASBS Newsletter 136: 2–12
- Burbidge lecture: S.D. Hopper
September 2007
- Conference Title: Australian Plant Taxonomy
- Location: Darwin, NT, Australia
- Annual General Meeting Number: 29
- ASBS Newsletter 133: 1–13
November 2006
- Conference Title: Plant Diversity in the Tropics
- Location: Cairns, Qld, Australia
- Annual General Meeting Number: no associated AGM
March 2006
- Location: Canberra, ACT, Australia (not held with conference)
- Annual General Meeting Number: 28
- ASBS Newsletter 126: 1–16
November 2005
- Conference Title: Plant Systematics in Australia – Where is it Going?
- Location: Brisbane, Qld, Australia
- Annual General Meeting Number: no associated AGM
May 2005
- Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Annual General Meeting Number: 27
- ASBS Newsletter 123: 2–14
July 2004
- Conference Title: Handbook on Families of Australian Vascular Plants
- Location: Canberra, ACT, Australia
- Annual General Meeting Number: 26
- ASBS Newsletter 119: 1
September–October 2003
- Conference Title: 150 Years of Systematic Botany in Australia
- Location: Melbourne, Vic, Australia
- Annual General Meeting Number: 25
- ASBS Newsletter 117: 1–13
- Burbidge lecture: R.S. Hill
September 2002
- Location: Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Associated groups and meetings: ASBS/Australian Institute of Biology conference: “Evolution of the Australian Biota”
- Annual General Meeting Number: 24
- ASBS Newsletter 113: 3–11
September 2001
- Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Associated groups and meetings: ASBS/Flora Malesiana (International meeting)
- Annual General Meeting Number: 23
- ASBS Newsletter 109: 1–11
- Burbidge lecture: J.G. West
June 2000
- Conference Title: Roderick Page workshop on Historical Associations
- Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Annual General Meeting Number: 22
- ASBS Newsletter 104: 1–12
December 1999
- Conference Title: Dampier 300
- Location: Perth, WA, Australia
- Associated groups and meetings: Society of Australian Systematic Biologists
- Annual General Meeting Number: 21
- ASBS Newsletter 101: 3–14
- Burbidge lecture: A.A. Burbidge
September 1998
- Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Associated groups and meetings: Monocots II (International meeting)
- Annual General Meeting Number: 20
- ASBS Newsletter 95: 3–11
- Burbidge lecture: M. Bennett
September 1997
- Conference Title: Systematics: advancing knowledge and conservation of Australia’s biodiversity
- Location: Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Associated groups and meetings: Society of Australian Systematic Biologists (SASB)
- Annual General Meeting Number: 19
- ASBS Newsletter 93: 4–18
October 1996
- Conference Title: Beyond the Floras/Proteaceae/Fungi
- Location: Melbourne, Vic, Australia
- Annual General Meeting Number: 18
- ASBS Newsletter 89: 3–10
- Burbidge lecture: P.Y. Ladiges
September 1995
- Conference Title: Workshop: Analysis of cladistic data: morphological and molecular.
- Location: Canberra, ACT, Australia
- Annual General Meeting Number: 17
- ASBS Newsletter 85: 24–29
July 1994
- Conference Title: Origin and evolution of Flora of Monsoon Tropics
- Location: Kuranda, Qld, Australia
- Annual General Meeting Number: 16
- ASBS Newsletter 80: 35–42
- Burbidge lecture: G.A.M. Scott
October 1993
- Conference Title: Systematics, Evolution and Conservation of the Western Australian Biota
- Location: Perth, WA, Australia
- Annual General Meeting Number: no associated AGM
January 1993
- Conference Title: Southern Temperate ecosystems – origin and diversification
- Location: Hobart, Tas, Australia
- Associated groups and meetings: Southern Connections, Ecological Society of Australia
- Annual General Meeting Number: 15
- ASBS Newsletter 74: 5–9
- Burbidge lecture: E. Truswell
August 1992
- Conference Title: Biogeography and Phylogenetics of Pacific Flora
- Location: Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
- Associated groups and meetings: Botanical Society of America
- Annual General Meeting Number: no associated AGM
March 1992
- Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia (not held with conference)
- Annual General Meeting Number: 14
- ASBS Newsletter 71: 10–19
November 1991
- Conference Title: Systematic and Ecological relationships of South Pacific floras
- Location: Auckland, New Zealand
- Associated groups and meetings: New Zealand Botanical Society
- Annual General Meeting Number: no associated AGM
August 1990
- Conference Title: Indo Pacific Biogeography; at the crossroads
- Location: Canberra, ACT, Australia
- Associated groups and meetings: post Hennig conference
- Annual General Meeting Number: 13
- ASBS Newsletter 65: 13–25
- Burbidge lecture: R. Carolin
June 1989
- Conference Title: Plant systematics in the age of Molecular Biology
- Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Annual General Meeting Number: 12
- ASBS Newsletter 60: 30–36
- Burbidge lecture: R. Schodde
May 1998
- Conference Title: Development of systematic botany in Australasia
- Location: Melbourne, Vic, Australia
- Annual General Meeting Number: 11
- ASBS Newsletter 56: 19–28
- Burbidge lecture: J.H. Willis
August 1986
- Conference Title: Evolution & systematics of Australian tropical flora
- Location: Brisbane, Qld, Australia
- Associated groups and meetings: Ecological Society of Australia
- Annual General Meeting Number: 10
- ASBS Newsletter 48: 15–20
- Burbidge lecture: D.E. Symon
February 1986
- Conference Title: The systematic status of large flowering plant genera
- Location: Thredbo, NSW, Australia
- Annual General Meeting Number: no associated AGM
February 1985
- Conference Title: Origin & evolution of Australasian Alpine Biota
- Location: Thredbo, NSW, Australia
- Associated groups and meetings: APES
- Annual General Meeting Number: 9
- ASBS Newsletter 42: 1–6
- Burbidge lecture: H.E. Connor
May 1984
- Conference Title: Cladistics, Systematics and Phylogeny
- Location: Canberra, ACT, Australia
- Associated groups and meetings: ANZAAS
- Annual General Meeting Number: no associated AGM
May 1983
- Conference Title: Systematics & Biogeography of Myrtaceae
- Location: Perth, WA, Australia
- Associated groups and meetings: ANZAAS
- Annual General Meeting Number: 8
- ASBS Newsletter 35: 9–20
- Burbidge lecture: B.J. Grieve
August 1981
- Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Associated groups and meetings: International Botanical Congress
- Annual General Meeting Number: 7
- ASBS Newsletter 28: 3–8
May 1980
- Conference Title: Evolution of the flora and fauna of arid Australia
- Location: Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Associated groups and meetings: Ecological Society of Australia, Australian Entomological Society and Australian Society of Herpetologists
- Annual General Meeting Number: 6
- ASBS Newsletter 23: 2–10
- Burbidge lecture: H.T. Clifford
January 1979
- Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Associated groups and meetings: ANZAAS
- Annual General Meeting Number: 5
- ASBS Newsletter 18: 2–7
- Burbidge lecture: S.L. Everist
August 1977
- Conference Title: The cytogenetic stimulus to taxonomy
- Location: Melbourne, Vic, Australia
- Associated groups and meetings: ANZAAS
- Annual General Meeting Number: 4
- ASBS Newsletter 12: 2–7
May 1976
- Conference Title: Plant Biogeography
- Location: Hobart, Tas, Australia
- Associated groups and meetings: ANZAAS
- Annual General Meeting Number: 3
- ASBS Newsletter 8: 9–20
January 1975
- Conference Title: Modern methods in Plant Taxonomy
- Location: Canberra, ACT, Australia
- Associated groups and meetings: ANZAAS
- Annual General Meeting Number: 2
- ASBS Newsletter 4: 2–7
Aug 1973
- Location: Perth, WA, Australia
- Associated groups and meetings: ANZAAS
- Annual General Meeting Number: 1
- ASBS Newsletter 1: 4–6