2022 John Easton Award: Chris Hubbert

Chris Hubbert was involved in orchid culture as a hobby from the early 1980s, becoming interested after visiting a show in Takapuna, Auckland. He developed a special interest in Paphiopedilums, making some crosses of his own, and was a driving force in the NZ Paph Alliance, as well as being a member of the NZ Odontoglossum Alliance. In the mid-1990s Chris became interested in judging orchids and went on to become an accredited judge in three systems: Orchid Council of New Zealand (from 1999); from 2003 in the Cymbidium Society of New Zealand (previously the NZ branch of CSA); and with the New Zealand Orchid Society.

Chris was the Northern Regional Judging Group chair from 2008-2020, and chair of the Committee on Awards (COA) in 2021 and 2022. Besides being very good at writing award descriptions and assisting in the preparation of award descriptions for the OCNZ Yearbook, he also became a very good award photographer and supplied many photos to the Yearbook. In October 2022, the COA elevated Chris to Senior Judge in recognition of his outstanding service and dedication. 

For many years Chris was a key person in the North Shore Orchid Society, including being editor of Insigne, the society newsletter, for 28 years, and as a long-serving committee member.  Earlier in 2022, North Shore president Peter Jenner presented Chris with the President’s trophy for his outstanding service to the society.

Chris joined the OCNZ Executive in 2015 as Treasurer, a position he held until late 2022; and in 2017 became the OCNZ webmaster, again retiring in 2022.

In his working life Chris had been a lawyer, and from about 1973 was a partner in Jackson Russell Lawyers for 41 years. The attention to detail that his legal training and work engendered was much appreciated by the orchid community. Chris was a keen traveller, both for ‘holiday’ and to see orchid shows and orchids in their native habitats, including Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic islands, and Hawaii, Argentina, Brazil and Australia. Chris died on December 17, 2022.