The Peter Woodgate Award is open to Australian-based individuals working within or making a significant contribution to Australia’s geospatial profession.

Nominees may come from academia, government, industry or not-for-profit organisations and may be at any stage of their career.

Help us recognise the breadth of Australia’s geospatial community

We encourage nominations that reflect the diversity of people, backgrounds, experiences and perspectives across Australia’s geospatial profession.

We also want to recognise the next generation of geospatial leaders. The award is not limited to those with long-established careers or senior titles. Emerging and mid-career professionals who are already demonstrating leadership, innovation, mentorship, collaboration and impact are strongly encouraged to be nominated

Self-nominations are not accepted.

Review the nomination guidelines and assessment criteria.

Complete the online nomination form.
Address each of the five assessment criteria.
Include supporting evidence where appropriate.
Submit your nomination before the closing date. 

Nominations for 2026 have closed

For more than three decades, Peter played a central role in shaping Australia’s spatial and space sectors. Beginning his career in forestry, he recognised early the transformative potential of satellite remote sensing and spatial technologies to improve decision making. His work helped establish new approaches to environmental monitoring, land management and policy development, before expanding into broader leadership across research, industry and government. 

Peter held senior leadership positions throughout his career, including Chief Executive Officer of the Cooperative Research Centre for Spatial Information (CRCSI), where he brought together universities, government agencies and industry to translate research into practical outcomes. Under his leadership, the CRC fostered collaboration across more than 100 organisations and helped strengthen Australia’s geospatial capability through research, innovation and commercialisation. 

His influence extended well beyond individual organisations. Peter chaired AURIN, SmartSat CRC and Canthera Discovery, served on the Board of PSMA (now Geoscape), contributed to the Australian Space Agency’s Space Industry Leaders Forum, and played a leading role in developing the Space and Geospatial 2030 Roadmap. Throughout his career, governments regularly sought his advice on issues ranging from environmental management and disaster resilience to spatial data infrastructure, Earth observation and national innovation policy. 

What distinguished Peter was not only the positions he held, but the way he approached them. He believed that the greatest advances occurred when researchers, governments and industry worked together toward a common purpose. He invested significant time in building partnerships, supporting emerging leaders and creating opportunities for others to succeed. Many of today’s leaders across Australia’s geospatial community attribute part of their professional development to Peter’s guidance, encouragement and willingness to share his knowledge. 

Peter was equally recognised for his ability to connect research with real-world impact. His work consistently focused on translating emerging technologies into practical solutions that delivered lasting value for industry, government and the broader community. Whether developing new approaches to forest monitoring, advancing geospatial standards, shaping national policy or strengthening Australia’s research infrastructure, he remained focused on creating impact that extended well beyond individual projects. 

The Peter Woodgate Award honours this enduring legacy by recognising individuals whose work in our geospatial sector demonstrates excellence across four defining qualities: Collaboration, Mentorship, Leadership, and Innovation.  Together, these qualities reflect Peter Woodgate’s belief that lasting progress comes from combining technical excellence with generosity, collaboration and a commitment to serving the broader community. Through this award, his legacy continues to inspire those who are shaping the future of Australia’s geospatial profession.