Montgomery Spencer Memorial Lecture
Honouring a legacy in child health
The Montgomery Spencer Memorial Lecture is the only named paediatric lecture hosted by the RACP Aotearoa New Zealand.
It honours the life and legacy of Dr Frederick Montgomery Spencer, a pioneer in paediatrics whose commitment to children's health reshaped care standards across Aotearoa NZ.
A distinguished speaker delivers the lecture on a topic related to child health—celebrating not only the advancements in the field but also the lecturer’s contributions to paediatric research and service.
The 2026 Montgomery Spencer Memorial Lecture
Past lectures
This lecture has featured leaders in paediatrics delivering thought-provoking presentations that continue Dr Spencer’s legacy of advocacy, evidence-based care, and equity for children.
View a full list of speakers from 1948 to today
On a subject relating to the health of children
| Year | Recipient | Theme | Venue |
| 1948 | S L Ludbrook | | Auckland |
| 1950 | T F Corkhill | | Wellington |
| 1952 | G P Fitzgerald | | Dunedin |
| 1955 | I M Allen | | Wellington |
| 1958 | J F Landreth | | Christchurch |
| 1961 | W E Henley | | Auckland |
| 1964 | R H Caughey | The foetus and his environment | Auckland |
| 1967 | A W Liley | The foetus in control of his environment | Auckland |
| 1970 | J M Watt | Inborn efforts of metabolism | Dunedin |
| 1972 | R B Elliot | Child health in the Cook Islands | Auckland |
| 1975 | F T Shannon | The genesis of chronic pyelonephritis | Christchurch |
| 1978 | H J Weston | Children in a materialistic age –current difficulties and hopes for the future | Wellington |
| 1982 | B G Barratt-Boyes KBE, FRACS | Coarctation of the aorta – a 25-year experience | Auckland |
| 1985 | J G Mortimer | Paediatric bequests – legacies of childhood
| Dunedin |
| 1992 | David Becroft | Childhood and perinatal mortality 1959-1992: Will you do as well in the next 33 years? | Auckland |
| 1994 | Mont Liggins | Fetal patients | Dunedin |
| 1992 | Prof. Peter Gluckman | Birth asphyxia | Christchurch |
| 1999 | John Neutze | Cardiology and healthcare in the young: What is the key for continuing improvement? | Wellington |
| 2001 | Assoc. Prof. David Holdaway | Children and ethics in medicine | Auckland |
| 2003 | David Barry | Iron and infection | Queenstown |
| 2005 | Prof. Keith Grimwood | Early cystic fibrosis lung disease: An Anzac view from a myopic microbiologist | Wellington |
| 2006 | Prof. Ed Mitchell Nelson | Sudden Infant Death Syndrome – What we have learned and what we should do now | |
| 2007 | Prof. Diana Lennon
| The state of New Zealand child and youth health: Progress? | |
| 2008 | Leo Buchanan | Time past and time future are both contained in time present | |
| 2009 | Barry Taylor | | Dunedin |
| 2010 | Jane Harding | | Auckland |
| 2011 | Prof. Spencer Beasley | The challenge of change | Auckland |
| 2012 | Dr Archie Kerr | Yesterday, today and tomorrow | Palmerston North |
| 2013 | Dr John Werry | | Dunedin |
| 2014 | Dr Kevin Pringle | | Dunedin |
| 2015 | Professor Brian Darlow
| One thing leads to another: Clinical research in neonatology | Christchurch |
| 2016 | Dr John Newman | | Auckland |
| 2017 | Professor Innes Asher
| | Auckland/held in Christchurch |
| 2018 | Dr Paul Taylor | | Nelson |
| 2019 | Dr Rosemary Marks | | Auckland |
| 2020 | N/A | | |
| 2021 | Dr Johan Morreau | | Rotorua |
| 2022 | Dr John Doran | | Taranaki |
| 2023 | Prof. Dawn Elder | Keep asking why | Wellington/Held in Rotorua |
| 2024 | Turid Peters | Children in Aotearoa flourish in health and well-being - The role of Allied Health and Te Wai Pounamu Lived Experience group in supporting this vision | Dunedin |
| 2025 | Dame Teuila Percival, DNZM, QSO, FRACP | Join the hibiscus fibre to the hibiscus fibre. A Samoan proverb that reminds us of the importance of connections and collective strength. | Due Drop Events Centre Manukau, Ki Taamaki Makaurau Aotearoa NZ |
Contact
For more information or to nominate a speaker, contact the RACP Aotearoa NZ Office via AoNZ_Paeds_Child_Health@racp.org.nz