Nominations for the 2026 JA Prescott Medal are open for submissions.
 – Nominations should be prepared in each case by a nominator and a seconder and be supported by three additional financial members of the Society.
 – Nominations are confidential to the Awarding Committee.
 – Open to any individual who has made a significant contribution to soil science.
 – The Award is open to financial Members of Soil Science Australia and other Australian soil scientists.
 – If no outstanding nominations are received, the award may be withheld for that year.
Submission of the candidate for the award shall be accompanied by a case in support of the candidate.
Supporting documentation must include:
 – A nomination statement (up to 1000 words) outlining the nominee’s contribution to soil science and details the significance of the nominee’s work.
 – Any additional materials that strengthen the application.
Dr Cameron Gourley has made an outstanding contribution to soil science. Â
His research has had a significant impact on the assessment and improvement of nutrient management on Australian farms. It has spanned the development of soil chemical tests for phosphorus sorption, the delivery of major industry-based projects with national scientific networks, and the production of decision support tools widely adopted by the Australian fertiliser industry, consultants, and farmers. Â
He is nationally and internationally recognised for his critical research in nutrient and fertiliser management, developing national standards for soil sampling, testing and interpretation, as well as quantifying nutrient flows and use efficiency at the whole-farm and within farm scales. He has also promoted nutrient recycling through better re-use of manure and processing waste streams.Â
A deeply-committed scholar, respected international leader, and generous collaborator, Dr Cameron Gourley is praised for his abilities to build capacity in soil science, bring research teams together, attract significant research funding, communicate with next-users and end-users and ultimately generate outputs that culminated in widespread industry adoption, better soil management and protection of the environment.  Â
| Year | Name |
|---|---|
| 1972 | C.G. Stephens |
| 1973 | not awarded |
| 1974 | T.J. Marshall |
| 1975 | J.P. Quirk |
| 1976 | R.G. Downes |
| 1977 | K. Norrish |
| 1978 | J.K. Taylor |
| 1979 | N. Collis-George |
| 1980 | R. Brewer |
| 1981 | B.E. Butler |
| 1982 | C.H. Williams |
| 1983 | G.D. Hubble |
| 1984 | C.G. Hallsworth |
| 1985 | J.R. Freney |
| 1986 | K. Lee |
| 1987 | M. Raupach |
| 1988 | P.H. Walker |
| 1989 | O.T. Denmead |
| 1990 | K.G. Tiller |
| 1991 | R. Gilkes |
| 1992 | W.W. Emerson |
| 1993 | J.N. Ladd |
| 1994 | R. French |
| 1995 | G. Aylmore |
| 1996 | not awarded |
| 1997 | K. Northcote |
| 1998 | R.W. Fitzpatrick |
| 1999 | A. Rovira |
| 2000 | M.J. Mulcahy |
| 2001 | B.E. Clothier |
| 2002 | J.W. Holmes |
| 2003 | J.M. Oades |
| 2004 | A.B. McBratney |
| 2005 | not awarded |
| 2006 | R.E. White |
| 2007 | P. Rengasamy |
| 2008 | R. Dalal |
| 2009 | M. McLaughlin |
| 2010 | D. Chen |
| 2011 | not awarded |
| 2012 | S.E. Smith |
| 2013 | J. Churchman |
| 2014 | A.J. Baldock |
| 2015 | V.V.S.R. Gupta |
| 2016 | Rai Kookana |
| 2017 | Neil McKenzie |
| 2018 | D. McKenzie |
| 2019 | N.W. Menzies |
| 2020 | not awarded |
| 2021 | B. Singh |
| 2022 | R. Bell |
| 2023 | B. Minasany |
| 2024 | Professor Chengrong Chen |
![James Arthur Prescott [1890-1987]](https://www.soilscienceaustralia.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/6231123.png)
was born in England, moving to Australia in 1924 as Professor of Agricultural Chemistry at the University of Adelaide. From 1929 he was Chief of the Division of Soils CSIR, and from 1938 to 1955 he was the Director of the Waite Agricultural Research Institute, South Australia.When Prescott came to Australia he was just beginning to make some impact on the scientific world. Prescott was to further the development of agricultural science in a revolutionary manner that attracted international attention. In 1951 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of London for his fundamental pedological researches and his pioneering work in climatology.
