Museum Notebook: Sir Charles Fleming - Whanganui's groundbreaking scientist 24 Jan, 2021 04:00 PM 4 minutes to read The Charles Fleming Medal is awarded, along with a cash prize, once every three years. Photo / Royal Society of New Zealand. The Charles Fleming Medal is awarded, along with a cash prize, once every three years. Photo / Royal Society of New Zealand. Whanganui Chronicle By: Keith Beautrais Charles Fleming excelled across the spectrum of natural sciences. His selective collecting of shells and birds, and his discoveries in geology and ecology, made him one of New Zealand's last old school naturalists. In Whanganui, his fieldwork brought groundbreaking understanding of how to interpret our region's geology.