40th Anniversary

The NZIQS was established on 27 September 1978 through a merger of The Building Surveyors Institute of New Zealand and the Quantity Surveyors Institute of New Zealand (formed in 1943).

Prior to the start of World War II, 1939, quantity surveyors operated, having mostly trained in the United Kingdom but there was no established professional grouping or organisation representing their interests.

Early records indicate that there were a few quantity surveying consultant firms, i.e Chas E. George and sons, Dunedin, A.L. Robertson of Wellington and Messrs James Stewart, Alfred Maltby and H.B. Sommerville of Auckland, (read Rene Natusch’s recollections of these early pioneers of QS in NZ) however, the majority of quantity surveyors and building estimators were employed by Government departments and building contractors.

 The most important initial influence of the QS profession was during 1942 - 43 war years period when James Fletcher (later the first Sir James) was appointed the Commissioner of Defence Construction. As an outstanding leader in the building industry, he was appointed to organise and coordinate a somewhat uncertain and disorganised construction industry, struggling under the impact of huge defence projects additional to an active commercial and housing programme. James Fletcher was given wide and sweeping powers to stabilize labour and material costs – to manpower professions and the construction industry resources into essential government work.

Under his direction, the ‘Defence Schedule’ was introduced. This document was designed and administered by leading quantity surveyors (such as Messrs Frank Tomlinson) and was an attempt to stabilize building costs on a basis of measured quantities and agreed on unit cost rates. Although it fell short of what is expected of a Schedule of Quantities, it was probably the most significant document of the time in that it introduced hundreds of contractors throughout New Zealand to the essentials of measurement and analysis of unit costs for buildings.

It may have been the shortcomings of the Defence Schedule and the concerns of those who administered and contracted under its terms that sparked off a small band of enthusiasts to try to improve nationally, the somewhat ‘hit and miss’ methods prevalent in buying and selling construction in the industry.

Impromptu discussions in Wellington took place even though all quantity surveyors were heavily committed, with acute shortages – manpower, food, rationing, with defence call-ups and it was agreed that to delay the organised introduction of professional quantity surveying on a national basis, could be foolhardy or even disastrous.

The first recorded informal meeting took place on 21 April 1943. Attendees  at the informal meeting were Messrs Brosnan, Chambers, Drysdale, Flynn, Gardner, George, AH Jones, McCutcheon, O’Meeghan, AE Powrie, Russell, J Stewart, J Tennet and FL Tomlinson.

At the inaugural meeting 12 May 1943, at Dominion Farmers Institute building, Featherston Street, Wellington.  There were 29 attendees from Wellington, 1 from Christchurch and 3 from Napier. F Tomlinson was appointed temporary Chairman and GC Russell as temporary Secretary.

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The NZIQS Logo

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 Cartoon 

 The NZIQS Logo 

What do the various components of the logo represent?

Centre Cross – Is the stylised Cross of St George – representing the defense of truth and justice

Top right quadrant – Balanced scales for equity and justice in work

Bottom right quadrant – The kiwi fern symbol surrounded by the four main stars of the Southern Cross – representing NZ

Bottom left quadrant – Quill and parchment

Top left quadrant – Surveyor’s Theodolite - Transferred directly from part of the Building Surveyors Institute logo to represent the merger with the previous QSINZ and the Building Surveyors Institute in 1978 

More Interesting Articles

The Origin, Evolution and Practice of the Quantity Surveyor

A Brief History of early English Quantity Surveying

 

Article

project CONFERENCE 1979
project NZIQS PRESIDENTIAL GAVEL 1979
project QS JOURNAL 1980
project JOURNAL DEL HOGG 1987
project LPMS ARTICLE 1987
project JOHN HALE 1990 - 91
project ALAN MUXLOW 1995
project FIRST DEGREES IN QUANTITY SURVEYING AWARDED 1995
project AIQS 25th ANNIVERSARY 1996
project PETER_BEDDEK 1996
project PRESENTATION OF PLAQUE TO ROSA SANTOS 1996
project NZIQS ACCREDITED STANDARDS AGENCY 1997
project EDWARD TANG - NZIQS HONORARY MEMBERSHIP 1997 - 98
project DIANE TAYLOR, FIRST-CLASS HONOURS DEGREE 1998
project MR. JAMES GREEN - INSTITUTE LIFE MEMBER 1999
project STEVE FLANDERS AT INSTITUTE'S 21ST ANNIVERSARY 2000
project ALAN Q. DICKINSON
project KAREN WILSON
project RICHARD HILES - SMITH Council Member
project RONNIE MATAFEO
project VISIT BY REPRESENTATIVES OF THE BUILDING SURVEYORS INSTITUTE OF JAPAN

 

Conference

project CONFERENCE WELLINGTON 1965
project PRE-CONFERENCE DISCUSSIONS 1979
project CONFERENCE AT ST. GEORGE HOTEL, WELLINGTON 1983
project ARCH JONES, COLIN TOOMEY, NORM WAHLBERG AT CONFERENCE 1984
project CONFERENCE ATTENDEES 1984
project CONFERENCE CHRISTCHURCH 1985
project PLAYING GOLF AT CONFERENCE 1985
project CONFERENCE AUCKLAND 1986
project CONFERENCE DELEGATES, WELLINGTON 1987
project CONFERENCE PLENARY 2009
project PAUL MAYNARD, JOHN PEAKE AND RANJAY DUTT @ CONFERENCE 2013
project ROSS DAVIDSON AND PAST PRESIDENT GORDON CAIRNEY AT CONFERENCE 2013
project CONFERENCE (HOT TOPIC) 2014
project CONFERENCE PLENARY 2014
project CONFERENCE SIR RAY AVERY 2015
project DAVID REILLY AND JOHN PEEZ AT CONFERENCE 2015
project AT CONFERENCE WITH ALANA AND THE COMMITTEE 2017
project CONFERENCE PLENARY 2017
project CONFERENCE PLENARY AT DUNEDIN 2018

 

Past President

project BILL GEORGE RECEIVING LIFE MEMBERSHIP 1974
project MURRAY KILTY 1978
project JEFF HANCOCK 1980
project JAMES GREEN 1981
project GEORGE DOUGLAS 1982
project MICHAEL HARTSHORNE 1983
project COLIN TOOMEY 1984
project IAN HARRISON 1985
project DEL HOGG 1986
project PETER WATERHOUSE 1988
project PAUL WILLIAMS 1989
project JOHN HALE 1990
project ALAN DICKINSON 1991
project BRYAN GRAHAM 1992
project ALLAN PANKHURST 1993
project THEO MARLOW 1994
project PHILIP LING 1995
project PETER BEDDEK 1996
project DAVID PERRY 1997
project PAUL BUNKALL 1998
project STEVE FLANDERS 1999
project CHRIS SUTHERLAND 2000
project PETER EGGLETON 2001
project PETER MCKEOWN 2002
project GORDON CAIRNEY
project DAVID RICHARDS 2004
project CATHY GIDDENS 2005
project PAUL MAYNARD 2006
project BRUCE GLENNIE 2007
project PHILLIPPA GOODMAN-JONES 2008
project KEITH HARVEY 2010
project BARRY MCLEAN 2012
project JULIAN MACE 2013
project JEREMY SHEARER 2015

 

People

project NZIQS Council 1977 - 78
project FRED BARTON 1978
project COUNCILLOR IAN HARRISON 1984
project JOHN MOORE 1986
project PETER VAN DE LOO 1986
project SEPTEMBER 1988
project AWARD WINNER, RALPH MURRAY 1988
project SIGNING FOR MQS RECIPROCITY AGREEMENT 1988
project PATRICIA O'DONOVAN 1989
project PETER NOTMAN 1992 Conference
project MENTORING MASSEY 2009
project MENTORING UNITEC 2009
project REVIVAL OF INDOOR CRICKET COMPETITION Auckland, 2009
project CONFERENCE PARTICIPANTS 2010
project MENTORING WELTEC 2010
project 2011
project DAVID MONEY AND JEREMY SHEARER
project GEOFF BAYLEY
project HUGH MACKENZIE
project JOHN BOON
project KEITH POWER Canterbury Representative
project KEN MCGUNNIGLE
project MAYFAIR HOUSE NZIQS OFFICE
project MATTHEW ENSOLL
project NEW INSTITUTE NATIONAL OFFICE
project PRESENTATION TO GILLES GAUPIN WITH AN INSTITUTE PLAQUE ICEC Single-Project
project K. COOMBES AND C. SMITH RECEIPT OF FELLOWSHIP DIPLOMA
project BARRY ROSE
project CHRIS PRIGG
project OWEN RAGG
project TONY DEAN
project TONY GEMMELL
project VIC CRISCILLO, 50 YRS
project FUNCTION IN CANTERBURY 2008

 

Staff

project PAUL WILLIAMS WITH NAZMUN ALI 1987
project ANDRE CHAMBERS Staff Change
project KARL BALE Executive Director
project JOHN GRANVILLE Executive Director, 2000
project GRETCHEN WOUDT AND ALANA CUTHBERT 2018 Conference, Dunedin

 

Teaching

project DAVID BUCKLE Tutor with Carrington Students
project RAY KNOWLES Advises on computer applications
project ALAN MUXLOW WITH STUDENTS Dunedin, 2018 Conference

 

Cartoon

project 1978 JOURNAL
project 1994 BULLETIN
project 1994 BULLETIN