Australian Skeptics is a loose confederation of like-minded organisations across Australia that began in 1980. Australian Skeptics investigate paranormal and pseudoscientific claims using scientific methodologies. This page covers all Australian skeptical groups which are of this mindset. The name "Australian Skeptics" can be confused with one of the more prominent groups, "Australian Skeptics Inc", which is based in Sydney and is one of the central organising groups within Australian Skeptics.
Origins In 1979, Mark Plummer (later president of Australian Skeptics) sent a letter to the American skeptical magazine The Zetetic in which he expressed interest in beginning a skeptical organisation in Australia. Sydney electronics entrepreneur Dick Smith responded to the letter, and offered to sponsor a visit to Australia by James Randi, the principal investigator for the American-based Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP), now known as the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI), part of the non-profit organisation Center for Inquiry (CFI), which are joint publishers of the Skeptical Inquirer. During this visit, James Randi, Dick Smith, Phillip Adams, Richard Carleton and an unidentified businessman offered a $50,000 prize to anyone who could prove psychic phenomena in front of Randi. A number of contenders, largely water diviners came forward, but all failed to prove their claims in front of independent observers.
The Australian Skeptics formed in 1980 out of this event, with the original purpose of continuing to test claims of the paranormal, with committee members Mark Plummer (president), James Gerrand (secretary), Joe Rubinstein (treasurer), and Allan Christophers, as well as Bill Cook, John Crellin, Logan Elliot, Peter Kemeny, Loris Purcell, and Mike Wilton. It was at this time that the group adopted the name "Australian Skeptics". The amount of the prize was raised to AU$100,000 and it has been offered since then (see The $100,000 Prize below). Very soon after the original formation of the Australian Skeptics in Victoria, Barry Williams from Sydney, New South Wales (NSW), responded to a call from Dick Smith seeking interest for new members. He became involved, and the New South Wales committee formed. The NSW committee included Barry Williams (president), Tim Mendham (secretary/treasurer), Mel Dickson, Dick Champion, Jean Whittle and others. The Australian Skeptics are the second oldest English language skeptical group in the world after CSICOP in the US. Tim Mendham joined the NSW committee from the very first meeting and went on to become secretary, treasurer, and editor of the magazine.
In 1986, the year after the first national convention in Sydney (see below), Mark Plummer stepped down as national president when he began a new job as an executive officer at CSICOP in the US. At this time the NSW Skeptics group took over the role as the national secretariat and the national committee, but the magazine production remained in Victoria with various editors including James Durand. The national committee did not consist of representative from all the state organisations, but rather was just of the state groups which acted as the national organising committee. "Australian Skeptics incorporated in NSW" (Australian Skeptics Inc. - ASI) became an incorporated association in 1986 in NSW with Barry Williams as president.
ASI still operates today and is responsible for several national activities, such as the publication of The Skeptic magazine and coordination of awards (listed below) and the annual conventions. Today ASI is one of many formal and informal skeptical groups throughout Australia that fall under the general umbrella title of "Australian Skeptics". Over time, other branches around Australia became incorporated including Australian Skeptics (Victorian Branch) Inc, Skeptics (S.A.) Incorporated, Hunter Skeptics Incorporated, Canberra Skeptics and Borderline Skeptics Inc (which caters for skeptics living around the NSW and Victorian border). ASI is the local group in NSW.
In 1995 the Australian Skeptics received a sizeable bequest from the estate of Stanley David Whalley. With these funds the organisation established the "Australian Skeptics Science and Education Foundation", tasked to expose "irrational activities and pseudoscience and to encourage critical thinking and the scientific view". This foundation now funds the "Thornett award for promotion of reason", known affectionately as "the Fred", named after the late Fred Thornett, an influential figure in the skeptical movement in Tasmania and nationally. "The Fred" is a $1000 prize given by ASI for significant contribution to educating or informing the public regarding issues of science and reason. The bequest also allowed for the introduction of a paid position, that of executive officer. This position is answerable to the ASI committee, and traditionally manages accounts, queries from the public and media, editing The Skeptic, and various sundry tasks. Barry Williams was executive officer from 1995 to 2009, followed by Karen Stollznow (2009) and Tim Mendham from 2009 to the present.
In 1989 at a national committee meeting the aims of Australian Skeptics were updated and drafted as follows: To investigate claims of pseudoscientific, paranormal and similarly anomalous phenomena from a responsible, scientific point of view. To publicise the results of these investigations and, where appropriate, to draw attention to the possibility of natural and ordinary explanations of such phenomena. To accept explanations and hypotheses about paranormal occurrences only after good evidence has been adduced, which directly or indirectly supports such hypotheses. To encourage Australians and the Australian news media to adopt a critical attitude towards paranormal claims and to understand that to introduce or to entertain a hypothesis does not constitute confirmation or proof of that hypothesis. To stimulate inquiry and the quest for truth, wherever it leads.
As of 2015, every state and territory within Australia has its own regional branch, and some have their own newsletters, with new local skeptics' groups springing up in Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Launceston and Darwin.
Awards and prizes Thornett Award for the Promotion of Reason The Thornett Award for the Promotion of Reason, affectionately known as "The Fred" (much like the Academy Award is known as the "Oscar"), is named after Fred Thornett, a noted member of Australian Skeptics from Tasmania who died in April 2009. The Fred award includes a $2000 cash prize (increased from $1000 in 2018) that is given to the recipient or to a charity or cause of their choice. It is awarded annually to a member of the public or a public figure who has made a significant contribution to educating or informing the public regarding issues of science and reason. Year Winner Reason 2025 Robyn Williams "'Robyn is a justifiably famous national living icon, and his dedication to science, reason and truth over the years makes him a highly worthy winner.'" 2024 Dr Nikki Milne 2023 Nathan Eggins 2021 Prof Kristine Macartney, NCIRS 2020 Dr Vyom Sharma GP and magician, who has maintained his cool while imparting information that is both accurate and understandable when bringing his medical and scientific expertise to bear on COVID-19, despite what has been a hazardous road full of pseudoscientific pitfalls. 2019 Guy Nolch Former publisher of the magazine Australasian Science which ceased publication in 2019. 2018 Ian Musgrave For being a long-standing and effective science communicator in the area of pharmacology and providing a voice of reason in challenging "chem-phobia". 2017 John Cunningham In recognition of his continued and authoritative exposure of chiropractic misconduct and anti-vaccination misrepresentation. 2016 Jill Hennessy MP For courageously facing down those who misrepresent and mislead the public in their promotion of dodgy medical claims and practices. 2015 Catherine & Greg Hughes "Light for Riley" Continuing the fight against vaccine preventable diseases after the death of their son Riley from pertussis. 2014 Northern Rivers Vaccination Supporters A grassroots pro-vaccination group in a northern NSW region which has among the lowest vaccination rates in the country. 2013 Sonya Pemberton For her documentary Jabbed, a dramatic presentation on the impact of delaying or refusing immunisation. 2012 Adam vanLangenberg For his work in founding McKinnon Secondary College in Melbourne’s skeptical club. 2011 Ken Harvey For taking great personal risks in exposing pseudomedicine claims, including his much publicised stoush with the SensaSlim company. 2010 Wendy Wilkinson and Ken McLeod For their relentless campaign to ensure that the Australian (anti)Vaccination Network's activities are brought into the light of official scrutiny, and their subsequent success in this campaign. The prize in 2010 was doubled (not shared). 2009 Toni and David McCaffery For their unstinting and extremely brave efforts on behalf of children in the face of the anti-vaccination movement.
Skeptic of the Year The Skeptic of the Year award is given annually to someone associated with the skeptical community who has been particularly active over the previous year. ASI coordinates the prize, and the final decision is voted on by representatives from the various Australian Skeptics groups. Year Winner 2023 Paul Gallagher 2020 Mandy-Lee Noble 2017 Christine Bayne 2016 Mal Vickers and Ken Harvey 2014 Peter Tierney 2013 Simon Chapman 2012 Friends of Science in Medicine 2011 Loretta Marron 2010 Stop the AVN 2007 Loretta Marron 2006 Karl Kruszelnicki 2004 Lynne Kelly 2002 Paul Willis 2000 John Dwyer 1999 Cheryl Freeman 1998 Mike Archer 1997 Peter Doherty 1996 Derek Freeman
Barry Williams Award for Skeptical Journalism
The Barry Williams Award for Skeptical Journalism which recognises "the best piece of journalism (in any medium) that takes a critical and skeptical approach to a topic" within the scope of the Australian Skeptics. The award is named in memory of Barry Williams who died in 2018 and carries a $AU2000 prize. Williams was a past president and executive officer of Australian Skeptics who regularly appeared in the Australian media. The award has been nicknamed "the Wallaby" after the nom-de-plume Sir Jim R Wallaby, used by Williams in some of his more whimsical writing.
Year Winner Reason 2025 Henrietta Cook and Liam Mannix For "'their story on the use of the toxic substance belladonna for infant colic.'" 2024 Henrietta Cook 2023 Media Watch 2021 Melissa Davey 2020 Dr Norman Swan, and Science Friction (Click-Sick episodes) Dr Norman Swan of the ABC Health Report, and the ABC Radio National program Science Friction, have both presented serious, rational and uncompromising pieces on the COVID-19 pandemic and how to deal with its effects, across a range of media platforms. 2019 Liam Mannix Reporter who writes with a critical approach for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald. 2018 Jane Hansen Reporter for News Corp, who has written extensively on the anti-vaccination and anti-fluoride movements, fad diets, and quack cures.
Bent Spoon Awards
The Bent Spoon Award is an annual award coordinated by ASI, although the final decision is voted on by representatives from the various groups comprising Australian Skeptics. It is "presented to the perpetrator of the most preposterous piece of paranormal or pseudoscientific piffle" in a tongue-in-cheek fashion. The group describe the award trophy as follows:
Although awarded annually since 1982, only one copy of the trophy exists, as "anyone wishing to acquire the trophy must remove it from our keeping by paranormal means" and no winner has yet overcome this obstacle.