Graeme Blick

Graeme Hilton Blick CNZM
Born	1953 (age 71–72) [1]
Alma mater	Otago University
Occupation(s)	surveyor, geodesist
Years active	1969–2020
Employer(s)	GNS Science, LINZ
Partner	Judy
Children	3

Graeme Hilton Blick CNZM (born 1953) is a surveyor and photogrammetrist from Whitby, New Zealand. He was Chief Geodesist of New Zealand, working for Land Information New Zealand, from 2009 until his retirement in 2020.

Biography

Blick graduated from Otago University in 1980, with a degree in surveying, and worked for several years at GNS Science focused on measurement of crustal deformation across New Zealand. In 1992/1993 he won a visiting NAVSTAR scientist award to work on plate tectonics, until in 1995 he joined Land Information New Zealand, where he established the Antarctic mapping and charting programme. In 1998 he implemented a new dynamic geodetic system in New Zealand, in 2001 along with GNS Science he established the GeoNet system, and in 2016 he defined the New Zealand height standard. From 2009 he worked as Chief Geodesist of New Zealand; that same year he announced the launch of a new series of topographical maps for the country. In 2022 he supported the deployment of the Southern Positioning Augmentation Network to increase the accuracy of satellite navigation. ^{[2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]}

From 2013 Blick represented New Zealand at the United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management Committee of Experts. He has been a longstanding member of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, and also chaired the FIG Commission on Reference Frames. ^{[2] [3]}

Blick retired from LINZ in 2020. ^[4]

Personal life

Blick is married to Judy, and has 3 daughters. ^[4]

Awards and honours

Blick was awarded the Ron Munro Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024. ^[4] For services to geodesy, he was awarded Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the New Year Honours List 2025. ^{[3] [8]}

Mount Blick, in the Carlstrom Foothills, Antarctica, was named in honour of Blick by the Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names. ^[9]

Selected bibliography

• G.H. Blick; B.J. Scott; P.M. Otway (1995). 1995 Taupo Volcanic Zone GPS Project field report. Institute of Geological & Nuclear Sciences. ISBN   0478088752.
• Blick, G.; Crook, C.; Grant, D.; Beavan, J (2005). "Implementation of a Semi-Dynamic Datum for New Zealand". A Window on the Future of Geodesy. International Association of Geodesy Symposia. 128. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg: 38–43. doi:10.1007/3-540-27432-4_7. ISBN   3-540-24055-1.
• G.H. Blick (August 2007). Where in the world are we? : a technical guide to datums and projections in New Zealand (PDF). LINZ. ISBN   9780478107548.

References

1. "Blick, G. H. (Graeme Hilton), 1953-". Auckland Libraries. Retrieved 25 January 2025.
2. "Bio & Abstract". geospatialworld.net. Retrieved 25 January 2025.
3. "New Year Honours List 2025 - Citations for Companions of the New Zealand Order of Merit". DPMC . 31 December 2024. Archived from the original on 14 January 2025. Retrieved 25 January 2025.
4. "Graeme Blick honoured with Ron Munro Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award". Survey and Spatial New Zealand. 2024. Retrieved 25 January 2025.
5. "New Year Honour for Whitby's Graeme Blick". Porirua News. 1 January 2025. Retrieved 25 January 2025.
6. "Lifetime achievement award for NZ's Graeme Blick". spatialsource.com.au. 12 December 2024.
7. "NZ's official mapping series updated". Otago Daily Times . 23 September 2009. Retrieved 25 January 2025.
8. "New Year Honours 2025: The full list". NZ Herald . 30 December 2024. Archived from the original on 14 January 2025. Retrieved 25 January 2025.
9. "Mount Blick". USGS . 24 January 2003. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021.

External links

• Graeme Blick and B Scott with lava bomb at Erebus Hut at Antarctica New Zealand