We invite all of Igor's friends and colleagues to join us in Wellington on Friday, 3 November, to celebrate Igor's life and legacy. We will convene at 12 p.m. in the National Library Auditorium, with refreshments to follow around 3 p.m. There will be a mix of speakers and presentations, and we encourage everyone to submit their memories and stories using the form on the page linked below. For those unable to attend in person, the event will be recorded and (hopefully) streamed online (Zoom details to be announced).

For more information and to share your thoughts, visit Celebration of Life: Igor Drecki.

It is with the heaviest of hearts we announce the passing of our dear friend, colleague, and Vice President, Igor Drecki.  Igor and his wife, Iwona, were killed in a tragic car accident on 26 August.

Igor's drive and seemingly ceaseless energy for all things cartographic was infectious. He was one of those lucky people who turned their passion into a career, and he always had a dozen projects underway.  Igor's legacy is all around us, from university walking maps to GeoCart, CartoPRESS books to the ICA News and, most importantly, his fervent dedication to the NZ Cartographic Society, which he helped revive in the 1990s and has been a driving force behind ever since.  Over the years, Igor honed his talents while working at Wises, the Bay of Plenty Regional Council, the University of Auckland, and finally the Alexander Turnbull Library.  He built a knowledge of NZ cartographic history that was second to none, he spearheaded the digitisation of our national map archive, he cultivated an amazing network of international connections, and he was determined that the art of cartography should be promoted in all its forms at every opportunity.  His work will endure and continue to shape NZ cartography for decades to come.

Originally from Poland, Igor and Iwona came to NZ on their honeymoon and loved our little country so much they never left. Eventually, they were joined here by Igor's brother and family, and his parents. Our thoughts are with their entire whānau, but most especially with Igor and Iwona's daughters, who have suffered an unimaginable loss.  Igor and Iwona were amazing people with the biggest hearts, and their absence leaves a hole that can never be filled.

The funeral mass will be next Thursday, August 10th, at 11 a.m. at Saint Thomas More Church in Glenfield, Auckland. For friends and colleagues unable to attend the funeral, we will be planning a memorial in Wellington with details to be announced soon.

Those of us on the Committee are still reeling in shock and disbelief, but Igor would want us to come together and carry on...so for him we will. Aroha to you all.

A big thank you to all of the students who entered the New Zealand Children’s Map Competition 2023!  Winning maps will represent New Zealand at the international Barbara Petchenik Children’s Map Competition in Cape Town.

The winning entries are visible on the Children's Map Competition Winners page.

Following the BGM held at GeoCart'2022, NZCS is pleased to announce its new Committee for 2022-2024.  Our deep thanks to outgoing President Roger Smith for all his hard work and leadership the past several years.

President: Tony Moore
Vice President: Igor Drecki
Secretary: Shannon McColley
Treasurer: Brent Brady
Representatives: Emory Beck, Maíread de Róiste, Benjamin Jones, and Andrew Tyrrell