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About ANZOS

The Australian and New Zealand Optical Society (ANZOS) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to advancing optics in Australia and New Zealand. The society was founded as the Australian Optical Society (AOS) in 1983 for this purpose. In recognition of the strong and long-standing links between Australian and New Zealand optics and photonics, the Society formally changed its name in 2020.

The Society is a professional organisation that embraces anyone contributing to or interested in optics in the widest sense.

The Society has over 200 members throughout Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand and the wider world.

The Society is a constituent member of Science and Technology Australia (STA, the primary science representative and lobby group in Australia, whose aim is to encourage scientific dialogue between industry, government, and the science and technology community) and Royal Society Te Aparangi (RSNZ, the primary science representative in Aotearoa New Zealand, whose aim is to support New Zealanders to explore, discover and share knowledge).


ANZOS Mission and Objectives

The Australian and New Zealand Optical Society was established:

  • To provide a forum for persons involved in or in any way interested in optics.
  • To strengthen the teaching of optics in Australia and New Zealand
  • To promote research in and other activities in optics in all its diversity
  • To foster closer collaboration in optics both nationally and internationally

ANZOS Operations

The operation of ANZOS is primarly based on the work of an elected Council, Executive Group, and Administrative Officer.

An elected Council has overall responsibility for the direction of ANZOS activities, while a five-strong Executive Group deals with ANZOS business on a regular basis. The Executive Group consists of an elected Vice President, President, and Past President, as well as a Secretary and Treasurer who are both appointed internally, from elected Councillors.

Additional participants sit on Council (formally as observers), representing important industry and student constituencies, providing input to the Council on specific areas of ANZOS action.

Two members are appointed annually, by the Executive Group, as editors of the Society's publication "ANZOS News", with the President sitting in on the wider editorial team. 

An Administrative Officer, assists with the execution of ANZOS action, such as ANZOS News and professional support for the Society's annual conference, ANZCOP. They report directly to the President.

ANZOS Values

ANZOS is committed to the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion. These principles are integral to our desire to promote excellence and fairness, and to encourage interest in optics across the community. All conferences and events associated with ANZOS must also operate in accordance with these principles. As such,  we have an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Policy. 

Furthermore, ANZOS is dedicated to providing a harassment-free experience for everyone attending events it organises or promotes. Anyone who violates this code of conduct may be sanctioned or expelled from these spaces at the discretion of the Organising Committee of the event. As such, the ANZOS Code of Conduct (or code with substantially similar provisions) applies to any event which ANZOS runs, technically sponsors or promotes and must be adopted by the event organisers.

Equity and Diversity Policy

Code of Conduct


ANZOS Rules & Regulations

ANZOS is governed by a Constitution. Note that while the Society operates as the Australian and New Zealand Optical Society (ANZOS), the company name for legal purposes in Australia remains The Australian Optical Society (AOS).

You can view our ANZOS Constitution.


ANZOS News & Publications

The Australian and New Zealand Optical Society publishes a quarterly journal, the AOS News. Electronic copies are available online: ANZOS News (formally AOS News).

Significant breaking news is emailed to members and published online: News.

ANZOS publishes an Industry Report every two years. The 2024 report is out now. The 2026 report is in preparation.


ANZOS History

For a personal view of the creation of the AOS, this article has been transcribed from the AOS News : Article - The Founding of the Australian Optical Society by W.H. Steel. In 2013 the AOS News (Vol. 27, No. 4) published an article of reminiscences on the first thirty years of the AOS, and the history of the logo can be found in the same issue of AOS News (Vol. 27, No. 4).

The AOS was originally established in 1984 under Tasmanian corporate legislation. The Constitution was brought into line with current corporate law in 2015. The original Memorandum and Articles of Association can be found here:

Memorandum of association

Articles of association


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