Presidents

• Hutton, Captain Frederick Wollaston, FRS 1904–05
• Hector, Sir James, KCMG MD FRS 1906–07
• Thomson, Hon. George Malcolm, FRSNZ FLS MLC 1907–09
• Hamilton, Augustus 1909–11
• Cheeseman, Thomas Frederic, FNZI FLS FZS 1911–13
• Chilton, Charles, MB CM MA DSc LLD FNZI FLS CMZS 1913–15
• Petrie, Donald, MA PhD FNZI FLS 1915-16
• Benham, Sir William Blaxland, KBE MA DSc FRS FRSNZ FZS 1916–18
• Cockayne, Leonard, CMG PhD FRS FRSNZ FLS 1918–20
• Easterfield, Sir Thomas Hill, KBE MA PhD FRSNZ FRIC FCS 1920–22
• Kirk, Harry Borrer, MA FRSNZ 1922–24
• Marshall, Patrick, MA DSc FRSNZ FGS FRGS FES 1924–26
• Aston, Bernard Cracroft, FRSNZ FRIC FCS 1926–28
• Thomson, J Allan, MA DSc FNZI FGS AOSM (Mr B. C. Aston reappointed May, 1928 , vice Dr J. Allan Thomson, deceased.) 1928
• Farr, Clinton Coleridge, DSc FRS FRSNZ FPSL 1929–31
• Segar, Hugh William, MA FRSNZ 1931–33
• Speight, Robert, MA MSc FRSNZ FGS 1933–35
• Williams, Right Rev. Bishop, MA LittD FRSNZ 1935–37
• Evans, William Percival, CBE MA PhD FRSNZ HonFNZIC 1937–39
• Holloway, Rev. John Ernest, LTh DSc FRS FRSNZ 1939–41
• Archey, Sir Gilbert, KB CBE MA DSc FRSNZ FZS FMANZ 1941–43
• Allan, Harry Howard, CBE MA DSc PhD(Hons) FRSNZ FLS 1943–45
• Benson, William Noel, BA DSc FRS FRSNZ FGS 1945–47
• Marsden, Sir Ernest, KB CMG MC DSc NZ FRS FRSNZ MIEE 1947
• Falla, Sir Robert Alexander, KBE CMG MA DSc NZ FRSNZ FMANZ 1947–50
• Callaghan, Francis Raymond, ISO MA NZ FRSNZ FRES 1950–52
• Oliver, Walter Reginald Brook, DSc NZ FRSNZ FZS 1952–54
• Miller, David, CBE MSc PhD CMZS CSChE FRSNZ FRES 1954–56
• Briggs, Lindsay Heathcote, DSc DPhil Oxon FRSNZ FNZIC 1956–58
• Allan, Robin Sutcliffe, PhD Cantab DSc FRSNZ 1958–60
• Dixon, Joseph Keith, MSc PhD Lond DIC FRSNZ FRIC NZIC 1960–62
• Fleming, Sir Charles Alexander, KBE BA DSc NZ FRS FRSNZ FMANZ FGS 1962–64
• Barnett, Miles Aylmer Fulton, OBE MSc PhD Cantab FRSNZ FInstP 1964
• Fleming, Sir Charles Alexander, KBE BA DSc NZ FRS FRSNZ FMANZ FGS 1964–66
• Miles, John Arthur Reginald, CBE MA MD Cantab FRSNZ FRACP 1966–70
• Willett, Richard Wright, MSc NZ HonDSc Otago FRSNZ MAIMM 1970–74
• Burns, Sir Malcolm McRae, KBE MSc PhD Aberdeen FRSNZ FNZlC FNZIAS 1974–77
• Dell, Richard Kenneth, QSO BA DSc Vict DipEd FRSNZ FMANZ 1977–81
• Bollard, Edward George, CBE BSc PhD Cantab HonDSc Auck FRSNZ FNZIC 1981–85
• Hatherton, Trevor, OBE DIC PhD DSc Lond HonDSc Vict FRSNZ 1985–89
• Dodd, John Newton, MSc(Hons) PhD B'ham FRSNZ FInstP 1989–93
• Black, Philippa Margaret, CNZM PhD Auck FRSNZ FMSAm 1993–97
• Scott, Sir John KBE FRSNZ 1997–2000
• Simpson, Sir Gil KNZM QSM DSc honoris causa 2000–2003
• Watson, Jim PhD FRSNZ 2004–2006
• Jordan, Neville CNZM 2006–2009
• Carnaby, Garth MNZM FRSNZ 2009–2012
• Skegg, Sir David KNZM OBE FRSNZ 2012–2015
• Bedford, Richard QSO FRSNZ 2015–2018
• Larner, Wendy FRSNZ 2018–2021
• Clothier, Brent FRZNZ 2021–2024

See the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography for short biographies of many of the Society's presidents.