Historic Lectures
The W L Newnham Memorial Lecture
The Dobson Lecture (1974 - 1986)
The Hopkins Lecture (1978 - 1993)
The Turner Lecture (1987 - 1993)
Given annually, on the first day of the Institution's annual conference.
Lecturers
| 1970 | R G Norman: Engineer in Society |
| 1971 | A G Stirrat: The Challenge of the 1970s |
| 1972 | Dr R M Williams: Professional Education and the University |
| 1972 | R K Davison: Conservation of the Environment |
| 1974 | J L Newnham: Engineering for Tourism |
| 1975 | C G Martin: The Fairy Tales of Science |
| 1976 | R W K Stevens: Status and all that |
| 1977 | Prof H J Hopkins: Community Leaders and their Engineering Advisers |
| 1978 | M Minogue: The Changing Role of the Engineer |
| 1979 | Prof J F Duncan: The Engineer in the Future |
| 1980 | Gordon Dryden: Twenty Years on (Cooperative Enterprise Called For in NZ) |
| 1981 | Prof L A Endersbee: Engineering in a Participatory Democracy |
| 1982 | A M McConnell: The NZ Engineer in International Business |
| 1983 | D O Walker: The New Zealand Forestry Industry |
| 1984 | R Weir: Engineering and the Development of Farming in New Zealand |
| 1985 | Judge A R Turner: The Changing Basis of Decision-making: Is Reason Sufficient? |
| 1986 | Dr Martin Finlay: Industrial Relations |
| 1987 | H Rennie: New Zealand in the 1990s: Technology Conquered? Or Conquered by Technology? |
| 1988 | Dr R S Deane: Is Corporatisation Relevant to Engineers? |
| 1989 | A McD McLachlan: Management and Engineering |
| 1990 | Dr Nay Htun: Environmental Challenges & Opportunities |
| 1992 | M Thomas: The Tasman Engineers Contribution to Civilisation |
| 1993 | J Williams: Engineers' Responsibilities to Society |
| 1994 | Dr B L Rhoades: Adding the Value |
| 1995 | Rt Hon S Upton |
| 1996 | R.S Kerr |
| 1997 | Sir E Hillary: Farm Engineering in Remote Areas |
The Dobson Lecture (1974 - 1986)
The Dobson Lecture was given occasionally in one of the main centres. The lecture was instigated as a means to attract school pupils to engineering by acquating them with the importance of an engineering issue of the day. The lecture was open to the public lecture.
In 2005 the Dobson name was chosen for the Transportation award which is one of the categories in the Supreme Technical Award for Engineering Achievers. The Dobson name was chosen for the Transportation Award because of its strong engineering heritage which in part is related to transportation.
Lecturers
| 1974 | Sir Dove-Myer Robinson: The Engineer's Responsibility to the Public |
| 1975 | Prof N C Rasmussen: The Nuclear Power Option - a Current Assessment |
| 1977 | R G Norman: Fly Now - Pay Later |
| 1979 | Dr M C Probine: The Electronic Revolution |
| 1981 | Prof A L Titchener: Energy - The Scarce and Plentiful Resource |
| 1983 | Sir Michael Fowler: Seismic Upgrading of Buildings - the Effects on Wellington City |
| 1985 | Sir Allan Hellaby: Preparing New Zealand for the 21st Century |
| 1986 | N Rasmussen: The Engineering of Submerged Tunnels |
The Hopkins Lecture (1978 - 1993)
To recognise Professor H J Hopkins' distinguished service in the engineering field, the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand and the University of Canterbury inaugurated in 1978 an annual Hopkins Lecture. The purpose of the lecture is to encourage discussion of engineering within the profession, and to encourage public understanding of engineering issues. The lecture is given by an eminent speaker with a high reputation in his field and with a knowledge of engineering, although not necessarily an engineer. The lecture is held each year in Christchurch and covers broad and social engineering issues rather than being purely technical. The first lecture was held in May 1978 with Professor Hopkins himself as speaker.
Lecturers
| 1978 | Prof H J Hopkins: A Land of Bridges |
| 1979 | W M Duncan: Energy and Engineering |
| 1980 | Prof P W Taylor: Engineers - Leaders or Followers? |
| 1981 | S M J Smith: Big Can be Beautiful - Hydro Electric Construction on the Waitaki |
| 1982 | I B Reynolds: Cast in Concrete - The substance of NZ Building |
| 1983 | J H Ingram: New Zealand Steel Ltd - Opportunities and Obstacles |
| 1984 | K W Piddington: The Ethics of Environmental Engineering |
| 1985 | Sir Michael Fowler: Cities at Risk |
| 1986 | R G Norman: Politics and Passions - Adventures in Engineering |
| 1987 | Dr R A Flint: Structural Reliability and the Community |
| 1988 | R P Carter: Consulting Engineering Here and Abroad |
| 1989 | Sir Robert Jones: the Case for Nuclear Power |
| 1990 | Dr Peter Troughton: The Future of Telecommunications in New Zealand |
| 1991 | Dr Roger Blakeley: Environmental Challenges in the 1990s |
| 1992 | Sir Edmund Hillary: Building Primitive but Effective Structures in Remote Areas |
| 1993 | Sir Miles Warren Engineers and Architects - Love Hate Relationship |
The Turner Lecture (1987 - 1993)
This series of lectures was endowed in 1985 by C W O Turner. The aim of the lectures is to promote and extend the knowledge of contract, particularly relating to building and engineering.
In 2005 the IPENZ Professional Commitment Award was renamed the Turner Award for Professional Commitment, acknowledging C W O Turner's contribution to the Institution
Lecturers
| 1987 | I L McKay: The Professional Role of the Engineer |
| 1989 | G S Beca: Reflections on the General Conditions of Contract |
| 1993 | Sir Laurence Street: Alternative Dispute Resolution |
