The New Zealand Society of Gastroenterology was founded during a meeting of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians held in Auckland, 16–19 February 1966. Dr Alan Cameron was the Foundation President. The Society remains closely associated with the RACP.
In 1976, the Gastroenterological Society of Australia presented to the NZSG the President’s Badge of Office as a token of goodwill. The form of the badge is a representation of the Kiwi alimentary tract, made in silver, and bearing the name Apteryx, which is the genus to which the kiwi belongs. The badge was presented in a red box, representing blood, and the ribbon is green representing bile, both important in gastroenterology. The silver of the badge also has gastroenterological meaning as silver salts were an early remedy for gastric disorders.