Our People

Julie Rimes has broad experience in school leadership roles having worked across all sectors and all levels of education, from primary level through to the tertiary sector. In recognition of her work in education she was elected to the Tasmanian Women’s Roll of Honour in 2015.

As a member of a number of state, national and international boards and committees in the education and disability spheres, Adjunct Associate Professor Rimes brings to her role as The Royal Society of Tasmania President extensive experience in working in senior roles in leadership, management and policy.

Professor Richard Coleman is an Emeritus Professor at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) with over 40 years of experience as a researcher and academic in the Australian university sector. His research focuses on understanding the role of the oceans and cryosphere in the global climate system, employing a multi-disciplinary approach that combines geodesy, physical oceanography, and glaciology. Professor Coleman’s work aims to understand and predict the impacts of climate change, providing crucial insights to policymakers. A pioneer in the use of satellite altimeters in oceanography, he established Tasmania as home to the only Southern Hemisphere altimeter calibration/validation site.

He is also a dedicated educator, immensely proud of the contributions his students have made to the research community. Professor Coleman has more than 100 publications in peer-reviewed journals and has supervised 43 graduate student completions. He previously served as the Executive Director of IMAS and Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research Collaborations and Infrastructure) at the University of Tasmania, as well as Executive Director at the Australian Research Council (ARC).

UTAS

Jocelyn McPhie is a volcanologist and for most of her career (1990 to 2015), she held an academic position at the University of Tasmania. She conducted fundamental and applied research in volcanology, and taught volcanology and as well as other undergraduate geology units. Since retiring from the university, she has been consulting to the minerals industry, providing technical advice and professional training in volcanology. She maintains an adjunct position with the University of Tasmania, continuing to supervise PhD students and to participate in research projects. She became a member of the RST in 2020.

UTAS

Dr Don Garden, OAM FFAHS FRHSV, is a former President of the Federation of Australian Historical Societies and of the Royal Historical Society of Victoria, former Co-Chair of GLAM Peak Australia and a former member of the Australian Heritage Council. He is Honorary Secretary of the Royal Society of Tasmania, Honorary Secretary of the Amy Sherwin Fund, an Adjunct Professor at James Cook University, a life member of the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) and of the Albany Historical Society, and a member of a number of other community history and heritage groups.

For many years he taught History and Environmental History at the University of Melbourne. He has for many years he taught History and Environmental History at the University of Melbourne. He has written seventeen books, a mixture of local and regional histories, biography, company history, an environmental history of Australia and the Pacific and a history of El Nino events in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific.

Sonia is an accountant (FCPA) with a PhD in governance in not-for-profits. Although starting her university life in science, lifestyle choices led to an academic career in accounting.

She retired after 21 years in academia lecturing in accounting and corporate governance while also being Course Coordinator for Masters in Professional Accounting and Research Higher Degree Coordinator.

For the past 18 years Sonia has been Treasurer for a diverse range of not-for-profit boards from dancing groups, community legal centres, festival groups, wooden boats and the peak body for volunteering.

Neil MacKinnon was born into a farming family in Northern Tasmania, schooled in Launceston, is an Economics graduate of the University of Tasmania, and a Chartered Accountant. After working in Hobart, Neil took employment in the United Kingdom before embarking on a career in financial and general management as an employee and/or principal that took him to Iran, Seychelles, Hong Kong, U.S.A, Switzerland, Bahamas and mainland Australia. On return to Tasmania, Neil took up a series of short-term senior management positions in firms engaged in vegetable export, tourism and heritage conservation, rail transport, precision manufacturing, civil engineering and employer representation. Neil maintains active involvement with family farming activities.

Neil is now retired and active on community boards and committees. Neil’s maternal family were members of the Royal Society of Tasmania from its early days.

Dr Liza Snow retired as Associate Professor in the School of Health Sciences at the University of Tasmania in 2014. Dr Snow’s research interests were in the molecular biology of carcinogenesis, the Tasmanian Devil facial tumour disease, and in biochemistry. Her PhD was in Biomedical Science from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

Dr Snow has held positions of Associate Professor in the School of Life and Environmental Sciences at Deakin University, and Assistant Professor at the City University of New York’s School of Medicine.

Dr Dawson is a physical oceanographer and postdoctoral researcher at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies in Nipaluna/Hobart. She has an interest in the large-scale circulation and dynamics of the Southern Ocean and Antarctic margins. Her research currently uses numerical models to investigate the drivers of recent Antarctic sea ice variability.

UTAS

Professor Haddad has a distinguished career in the area of development and application of methods for the separation of inorganic species. His work includes high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), its applications to foods, pharmaceuticals and trace metal analysis; ion chromatography (IC), including theory and applications to the minerals industry, environmental analysis, and instrument manufacture; capillary electrophoresis and capillary electrochromatography of inorganic species and low molecular weight acids and bases; spectrofluorometry, as applied to trace metal analysis using ternary complexes; the development of electrochemical detectors for liquid chromatography. He has published more than 210 papers in international journals, made numerous plenary and keynote lecture presentations and is on the editorial board of 10 major journals in analytical chemistry.

Victoria trained as a Registered Nurse and has worked in a number of nursing specialities for the past 36 years. She is passionate about the provision of optimal evidence-based client-centered healthcare. Semi-retired, her most recent permanent role was in cancer services at the Royal Hobart Hospital. As Clinical Nurse Consultant she provided psychosocial care and support for adolescents and young adults, plus their families, throughout Tasmania.

She holds a PhD (University of Sydney), Master of Nursing (first class honours), Master of Health Science and a Graduate Diploma of Advanced Nursing (Child and Family Health). She also trained and worked as a midwife for nine years.

Mary Koolhof OAM is strongly committed to the work of the Royal Society of Tasmania in advancing knowledge and has been an active member of the Society since 2007. Mary was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the General Division for service to education in June 2025.

A graduate of the University of Tasmania with First Class Honours in Arts, Mary had wide experience as a teacher in Tasmanian schools including stints as Senior Education Officer and Senior Curriculum Officer for the Department of Education. Mary was an inaugural awardee of a Commonwealth Endeavour Language Teacher Fellowship and a recipient of several Goethe-Institut scholarships to study in Germany. She was awarded a Rotary Vocational Award for Excellence for her work with refugee students. Mary has finished a six-year term on the Tasmanian Social Sciences Human Research Ethics Committee.

To support vulnerable Tasmanian children, Mary became involved in initiatives of the Salvation Army as the commissioned author of nine children’s books published for the Safe From the Start and Communities for Children programs. The books tackle current issues facing young people such as family violence, peer pressure, cyberbullying and cyberstalking. The latest book to support children exposed to the drug ice was launched in February 2021.

Ross Large is a geologist recognised internationally for his research on the genesis of ore deposits and their relationships to evolution of life, mass extinction and mineral deposit cycles. With colleagues he demonstrated the close connection between selenium on the oceans and the succession of growth and extinction. In 1989 he established the ARC Centre of Excellence for Ore Deposit Research and Exploration Science (CODES), which became one of the world’s most respected ore research centres and was notable for its close collaboration with the mining industry. For over 20 years Large was Professor of Economic Geology at the University of Tasmania.

Lorraine Polglase worked with government and non-government organisations developing programs for families with children from 1978-2006, including the establishment of the inaugural Good Beginnings in Hobart as part of a national strategy. She was a member of the Inaugural Children Commissioner’s Advisory Panel. From 2006-11 she lived in New Delhi as a volunteer with various organisations.

Lorraine joined Arts National Hobart in 2011 and has been a member since, including Chairman 2019-22. She was elected a member of the Arts National Council in early 2025.

She has been Secretary of the Fellowship of First Fleeters since 2024.

Tony, by profession a surveyor, is an adjunct senior researcher in the Department of Physics. He taught
Spatial Science at the University of Tasmania for 35 years before retiring in 2003. Completing a PhD in Physics in 1984, he became interested in the development of instrumentation for high precision
measurement in spatial science and astronomy, designing and making special equipment for these studies. This led to him becoming involved with various projects ranging from launching giant balloons carrying X-Ray telescopes in Central Australia and Brazil, to carrying out archaeological surveys in Greece. For the last 20 years he has played a major role with the establishment and continuing development of the Greenhill Observatory at Bisdee Tier, 70 km north of Hobart. In 2011 he was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia for his work in spatial science, astronomy and disability services.

Throughout his life Tony has had an interest in sculpture and the aesthetics of scientific and industrial machinery as works of art. Using this theme he has designed and constructed several sculptures and sundials situated here in Tasmania and Western Australia.  Tony is the College of Sciences and Engineering representative on the University of Tasmania Alumni Committee.

Roxanne has thirty-five years of experience in primary teaching across a range schools. For over fifteen of those years Roxanne taught gifted and talented students online through the Department of Education’s Centre for Extended Learning (now the Gifted Online program). Through this program Roxanne engaged with students across Tasmania. In 2007, Roxanne and a colleague jointly won the Microsoft 2007 Innovative Teacher Award for their “Cool Chemistry” project. The project involved the creation of a virtual classroom connecting two schools, two teachers and a practising chemist. Within this environment, children used a range of software to share and compare their inquiries.

Roxanne also has a keen interest in literacy through childhood reading and believes every student should have books in their hands whenever they want one – whether they are classics like Journey to the Centre of the Earth or the more modern stories of the 13-storey treehouse series. She won the Scholastic Literacy Champion Award in 2013. Roxanne retired from teaching in June 2018, but retains a strong interest in making Science teaching accessible to everyone.

Evelyn is a PhD candidate in the history department at the University of Tasmania. Her research interrogates how colonial legacies manifest in current food systems. The PhD specifically looks at the pork industry, showing how environmental and public health issues are linked to the historical legacies of colonialism, empire building, industrialism, and capitalism. Evelyn is an active member of the Association for the Study of Food and Society (ASFS) and the Australian Food History Network (AFHN). She has worked across Academic institutions and museums in Tasmania as a recipient of the Humanities in Place Industry Engagement Scholarship. She has also worked across academic and museum sectors in Canberra through the Australia National University and the National Museum of Australia as a recipient of the Summer Scholars Program Scholarship for 2023. She is passionate about making humanities research more public-facing and using transdisciplinary research to make impactful change for vulnerable communities and the environment. Evelyn was also awarded a Westpac Future Leaders Scholarship for 2023 to support her graduate research.

When she is not nose-deep in books, Evelyn enjoys running, rock climbing, kayaking, and being in nature. She plays in a community LGBTQIA+ basketball league and is an active gardener and food enthusiast. She loves ice cream, coffee, and blueberries.

After graduating from UTAS, Dr Sally Bryant worked as a wildlife scientist for over 30 years initially with the Tasmanian Government managing threatened species programs then as Science Manager with the Tasmanian Land Conservancy. Now as an environmental consultant, Sally’s work spans theoretical to applied conservation science specialising in threatened bird recovery and ecological monitoring.

Sally has authored and co-authored numerous books, chapters, journal papers, technical reports and popular articles on conservation issues including for the Royal Society. She is an Adjunct Lecturer at UTAS, on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Ecological Management & Restoration, and a Research Fellow with the Tasmanian Land Conservancy, but is perhaps best known for her popular ABC Radio wildlife talkback program which has been running fortnightly since 1999.

In 2023, Sally was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia for her contribution to wildlife conservation and land protection.

Anita is The Royal Society’s Honorary Art Curator. She has been a member of The Royal Society for a number of years, has served as a Council Member, and was Convenor of the 175 Anniversary Committee. She is currently on the Art Collection Committee. Anita co-edited the RST’s The Library at the End of the World and Poles Apart. She was on the Steering Committee of the RST/TMAG Dinosaur Evolution exhibition.

Anita holds a PhD (UTas, Nineteenth Century Natural History Art and Belonging in Tasmania), a MFA (UTas, The Illustrations and Work of William Archer), a Graduate Diploma in Art (Plant and Wildlife Illustration) University of Newcastle, and a BFA (UTas). In 2011 Anita received a Fellowship from the University of Toronto. She has published a number of journal articles and curated numerous art exhibitions, locally, interstate and overseas.

Before returning to Tasmania in 2003, Anita worked with the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) as manager of the projects/publications team, working with all sections of ICAC – Education, Corruption Prevention and Investigation. She was Head of the Art Department of a large design/print company in Leeds, England, and has worked as a graphic designer/artist in her home town – Copenhagen, Denmark. While completing her Graduate Diploma at University of Newcastle, she was Production Manager, Continuing Education Unit, NSW Agriculture at Tocal College.

Mr James Crotty is a distinguished Tasmanian solicitor with a longstanding commitment to community and cultural organisations. He serves as the Honorary Solicitor for the Royal Society of Tasmania, offering valued legal counsel and support.

Arts/Cultural Leadership and Arts Administration

• Director, Curatorial and Cultural Collections at University of Tasmania (March 2023 to present)
• Interim University Librarian, University of Tasmania (March 2024 – December 2024)
• Arts/Culture Work: CAUMAC Council for Australian Universities Museums and Collections, Co-Chair, August 2023+
• Facilitation Work: Future States – strategy facilitation, team and organisation development consultancy
• Facilitation Work: Mediation and conflict-resolution through the Resolution Institute
• Community: Advisory program panelist for TEDxHobart 2022

Neil MacKinnon was born into a farming family in Northern Tasmania, schooled in Launceston, is an Economics graduate of the University of Tasmania, and a Chartered Accountant. After working in Hobart, Neil took employment in the United Kingdom before embarking on a career in financial and general management as an employee and/or principal that took him to Iran, Seychelles, Hong Kong, U.S.A, Switzerland, Bahamas and mainland Australia. On return to Tasmania, Neil took up a series of short-term senior management positions in firms engaged in vegetable export, tourism and heritage conservation, rail transport, precision manufacturing, civil engineering and employer representation. Neil maintains active involvement with family farming activities.

Neil is now retired and active on community boards and committees. Neil’s maternal family were members of the Royal Society of Tasmania from its early days.

Pippa was born and raised on a sheep property near Tenterfield in northern NSW.  She was schooled in Tenterfield and then in Sydney at Tara Anglican School for Girls.  She married a geologist and they moved seventeen times in fifteen years throughout Australia following the exploration commitments of her husband’s company.  With the schooling demands of their four children they settled in northern Sydney for some forty years.  During that time Pippa worked firstly teaching at the Northern Business College and then for thirty years as PA for a city based Chartered Accountant who was involved on the Boards of a number of well known non-public companies.  With her husband they moved to Tasmania in 2019 to be closer to their daughter.   At that time they became members of the Northern Branch of RST and a number of other local interests in Launceston.

After leaving the University of Tasmania with degrees in commerce and economics, Brian’s first employment was teaching in an upper secondary (matriculation) college. He was a foundation appointee to the TCAE’s School of Business in 1971, later merged with the University of Tasmania, retiring around the turn of the century. 

Over this period, as well as completing post-graduate studies at the University of Adelaide, he taught in Tasmanian and British universities in a variety of Economics, Quantitative Methods, and Finance disciplines.

Post-retirement activity included writing a major submission to a Productivity Commission enquiry into Tasmanian Shipping and Freight (TFES); assisting in the Tasmanian Forestry Industry settlement; preparing a submission for capital funding for establishing a manufactured timber industry in Tasmania. 

He has been a member of The Royal Society of Tasmania for over 30 years, during most of which he has been Treasurer of the Northern Branch.

Dr Lois Beckwith is the Assistant Secretary of the Northern Branch of the Royal Society of Tasmania. She holds multiple degrees including a PhD in health promotion and has worked across 110 countries in health policy and consulting. Now based in Golden Valley, she is also Tasmania Director for Days for Girls and President of the Lupus Association of Tasmania.

Martin Renilson moved from Scotland to Tasmania in 1983 to work at the Australian Maritime College (AMC), where he established the Ship Hydrodynamics Centre in 1985, and the Department of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering in 1996, with the first naval architecture and then ocean engineering degrees at AMC.

In 2001 he moved to the UK to work at the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency, (later QinetiQ) as Technical Manager, Maritime Platforms and Equipment. In 2007 he returned to Tasmania and conducted work for a range of clients in the maritime field. In 2011 he was appointed the inaugural Dean of Maritime Programs at the HCT in the UAE to develop tertiary level maritime education in the country. He returned to Tasmania in 2015, and was appointed Adjunct Professor at AMC/UTas.

Martin’s current interest is in submarine hydrodynamics, and he has given lectures on this in many countries. His book on the topic, published by Springer, is used by a number of universities worldwide.

Martin is a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects. He is currently Vice President for the Pacific Region, and Chair of the Tasmanian Section, in addition to being a past President of the Australian Division. He is also a Fellow of Engineers Australia.

Dr Andrew Alexander is a general dentist based in Launceston, Tasmania, where he operates his private practice, Dr Alexander Dental Surgery, located at 261 Charles Street. He earned his Bachelor of Dental Science from the University of Queensland in 1976 and has since gained extensive experience in various dental settings, including school dental services, private practices, and hospital and community clinics in both Australia and the UK. Royal Society of Tasmania+6dentist.com.au+6dentist.com.au+6Royal Society of Tasmania

Beyond his dental practice, Dr Alexander is actively involved in the scientific community as a committee member of the Northern Branch of the Royal Society of Tasmania.

Melanie, an alumna of Durham University, has extensive experience in teaching in primary education in government, Catholic and independent school sectors both in Tasmania and England. Her interests are in Art, Literacy, Gymnastics and Dance, and Special Education. She was Play and Communication Therapist at Giant Steps Tasmania, a special school for children on the autism spectrum.

Melanie is the author of books on the paper craft of quilling, which she introduced into Tasmania in the 1980s through Adult Education courses state-wide and exhibiting for thirteen years at Rotary’s prestigious Deloraine Craft Fair.

Lynette Ross was born in 1954 and grew up in the South Island of New Zealand. She moved to Australia in her 20s and after living in various parts of the country settled in Tasmania where she undertook a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in History and Archaeology; the latter through the University of New England. Her Honours degree in History featured a thesis on convict death at Port Arthur which led to a re-interpretation of the Isle of the Dead.

Employment includes working as Heritage Officer at the Port Arthur Historic Site, research and other positions at UTAS, co-ordinator of operations at the historic Saumarez Homestead in NSW and operating as a private contractor. Her special interest is the history and archaeology of Australia’s colonial period.

Hobbies over the years have been horse riding, scuba diving, travel, subjects related to the past, reading and the natural world.

Lynette is retired and is busy completing writing projects related to the colonial period. Her history of Launceston’s Government Cottage is in press (2024). She also volunteers at QVMAG in Natural Sciences working on special projects.

Lynette joined the Royal Society of Tasmania in 2017 and the Northern Branch Management Committee the following year. She was a member of the Northern Branch’s centenary subcommittee, celebrated in 2021.

Dr Liza Snow retired as Associate Professor in the School of Health Sciences at the University of Tasmania in 2014. Dr Snow’s research interests were in the molecular biology of carcinogenesis, the Tasmanian Devil facial tumour disease, and in biochemistry. Her PhD was in Biomedical Science from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

Dr Snow has held positions of Associate Professor in the School of Life and Environmental Sciences at Deakin University, and Assistant Professor at the City University of New York’s School of Medicine.

David Morris is an educator with wide experience in Tasmania in State schools, independent schools, in the TAFE sector and as a reference librarian in the State Library of Tasmania and the University of Tasmania.

David’s distinguished contribution and expertise to teacher librarianship and library services in Tasmania and at the national level was recognised in 2013 when he was awarded the esteemed Doreen Hopkins Medal by the Australian School Library Association. He is the Tasmanian representative on the national School Libraries Advisory Committee for the Australian Library and Information Association. Davis was State Chairman of the industry Focus Group for TasTAFE’s Library and Museum Studies courses. He is Vice-President of the Tasmanian Council of Churches and, until June 2013, was also Convener of the Tasmanian Council of Churches Commission for Christian Ministry in State Schools, which is co-responsible for the development and monitoring of Tasmanian Education Department guidelines for the conduct of chaplaincy in State schools and Christian religious education in State schools.

David currently sits on the Scholarship Committee of Worldview Centre for Intercultural Studies. He has a long-standing commitment to the promotion of knowledge in the community, and is currently Head of Library & Information Services at Scotch Oakburn College in Launceston.

Mr. Shane Fitzgerald is the Director of the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery (QVMAG) in Launceston, Tasmania. Appointed in 2021, he brings extensive leadership experience from prominent arts institutions across Australia, including the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences in Sydney, Shepparton Art Museum, and Perc Tucker Regional Gallery. A Tasmanian native, Fitzgerald holds a Master’s degree in Visual Arts from the Queensland College of Art and postgraduate qualifications in Museum Studies from Deakin University. He is also completing a Master’s in Business Arts and Cultural Management.

Fitzgerald is committed to enhancing QVMAG’s role as a dynamic cultural hub. He has overseen major exhibitions like Gentle Protagonist: Art of Michael McWilliams and Six Extinctions, and actively engages the community through initiatives such as the QVMAG Futures Plan and cultural events like Lunar New Year celebrations. Additionally, he serves as the QVMAG representative on the Northern Branch Management Committee of the Royal Society of Tasmania.

Jocelyn McPhie is a volcanologist and for most of her career (1990 to 2015), she held an academic position at the University of Tasmania. She conducted fundamental and applied research in volcanology, and taught volcanology and as well as other undergraduate geology units. Since retiring from the university, she has been consulting to the minerals industry, providing technical advice and professional training in volcanology. She maintains an adjunct position with the University of Tasmania, continuing to supervise PhD students and to participate in research projects. She became a member of the RST in 2020.

UTAS

Mary Koolhof OAM is strongly committed to the work of the Royal Society of Tasmania in advancing knowledge and has been an active member of the Society since 2007. Mary was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the General Division for service to education in June 2025.

A graduate of the University of Tasmania with First Class Honours in Arts, Mary had wide experience as a teacher in Tasmanian schools including stints as Senior Education Officer and Senior Curriculum Officer for the Department of Education. Mary was an inaugural awardee of a Commonwealth Endeavour Language Teacher Fellowship and a recipient of several Goethe-Institut scholarships to study in Germany. She was awarded a Rotary Vocational Award for Excellence for her work with refugee students. Mary has finished a six-year term on the Tasmanian Social Sciences Human Research Ethics Committee.

To support vulnerable Tasmanian children, Mary became involved in initiatives of the Salvation Army as the commissioned author of nine children’s books published for the Safe From the Start and Communities for Children programs. The books tackle current issues facing young people such as family violence, peer pressure, cyberbullying and cyberstalking. The latest book to support children exposed to the drug ice was launched in February 2021.

David Morris is an educator with wide experience in Tasmania in State schools, independent schools, in the TAFE sector and as a reference librarian in the State Library of Tasmania and the University of Tasmania.

David’s distinguished contribution and expertise to teacher librarianship and library services in Tasmania and at the national level was recognised in 2013 when he was awarded the esteemed Doreen Hopkins Medal by the Australian School Library Association. He is the Tasmanian representative on the national School Libraries Advisory Committee for the Australian Library and Information Association. Davis was State Chairman of the industry Focus Group for TasTAFE’s Library and Museum Studies courses. He is Vice-President of the Tasmanian Council of Churches and, until June 2013, was also Convener of the Tasmanian Council of Churches Commission for Christian Ministry in State Schools, which is co-responsible for the development and monitoring of Tasmanian Education Department guidelines for the conduct of chaplaincy in State schools and Christian religious education in State schools.

David currently sits on the Scholarship Committee of Worldview Centre for Intercultural Studies. He has a long-standing commitment to the promotion of knowledge in the community, and is currently Head of Library & Information Services at Scotch Oakburn College in Launceston.

Lorraine Polglase worked with government and non-government organisations developing programs for families with children from 1978-2006, including the establishment of the inaugural Good Beginnings in Hobart as part of a national strategy. She was a member of the Inaugural Children Commissioner’s Advisory Panel. From 2006-11 she lived in New Delhi as a volunteer with various organisations.

Lorraine joined Arts National Hobart in 2011 and has been a member since, including Chairman 2019-22. She was elected a member of the Arts National Council in early 2025.

She has been Secretary of the Fellowship of First Fleeters since 2024.

Tony, by profession a surveyor, is an adjunct senior researcher in the Department of Physics. He taught
Spatial Science at the University of Tasmania for 35 years before retiring in 2003. Completing a PhD in Physics in 1984, he became interested in the development of instrumentation for high precision
measurement in spatial science and astronomy, designing and making special equipment for these studies. This led to him becoming involved with various projects ranging from launching giant balloons carrying X-Ray telescopes in Central Australia and Brazil, to carrying out archaeological surveys in Greece. For the last 20 years he has played a major role with the establishment and continuing development of the Greenhill Observatory at Bisdee Tier, 70 km north of Hobart. In 2011 he was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia for his work in spatial science, astronomy and disability services.

Throughout his life Tony has had an interest in sculpture and the aesthetics of scientific and industrial machinery as works of art. Using this theme he has designed and constructed several sculptures and sundials situated here in Tasmania and Western Australia.  Tony is the College of Sciences and Engineering representative on the University of Tasmania Alumni Committee.

Ross Large is a geologist recognised internationally for his research on the genesis of ore deposits and their relationships to evolution of life, mass extinction and mineral deposit cycles. With colleagues he demonstrated the close connection between selenium on the oceans and the succession of growth and extinction. In 1989 he established the ARC Centre of Excellence for Ore Deposit Research and Exploration Science (CODES), which became one of the world’s most respected ore research centres and was notable for its close collaboration with the mining industry. For over 20 years Large was Professor of Economic Geology at the University of Tasmania.

Marley is a graduate of the University of Tasmania. She has travelled widely in Australia and overseas and particularly enjoys visiting museums and galleries to understand the history of her various destinations through both national and local art. Books have been the central focus of her career, being employed for some years by the State Library of Tasmania and later by a local bookseller as the literature and history book buyer.

While antiquarian books also played a part later in her career, history is her passion and it is in this field that Marley has been able to serve the Royal Society. In 2019 she presented a lecture to the Royal Society of Tasmania during it’s 175^th Anniversary celebrations entitled “Snapshots of the last 175 years”. Marley is currently serving on a number of committees with the Royal Society, having completed one research project and  highly involved with another for the past year two years.

Warwick is a third generation antique dealer, selling English Regency furniture & decorative arts, campaign furniture, clocks & early keyboard instruments, locally sourced. Items are chosen for originality, colour, patina & beauty. Warwick is a Commonwealth Government Approved valuer (Cultural Gifts Scheme) for Tasmanian art & decorative arts 1803-1939.

Anita is The Royal Society’s Honorary Art Curator. She has been a member of The Royal Society for a number of years, has served as a Council Member, and was Convenor of the 175 Anniversary Committee. She is currently on the Art Collection Committee. Anita co-edited the RST’s The Library at the End of the World and Poles Apart. She was on the Steering Committee of the RST/TMAG Dinosaur Evolution exhibition.

Anita holds a PhD (UTas, Nineteenth Century Natural History Art and Belonging in Tasmania), a MFA (UTas, The Illustrations and Work of William Archer), a Graduate Diploma in Art (Plant and Wildlife Illustration) University of Newcastle, and a BFA (UTas). In 2011 Anita received a Fellowship from the University of Toronto. She has published a number of journal articles and curated numerous art exhibitions, locally, interstate and overseas.

Before returning to Tasmania in 2003, Anita worked with the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) as manager of the projects/publications team, working with all sections of ICAC – Education, Corruption Prevention and Investigation. She was Head of the Art Department of a large design/print company in Leeds, England, and has worked as a graphic designer/artist in her home town – Copenhagen, Denmark. While completing her Graduate Diploma at University of Newcastle, she was Production Manager, Continuing Education Unit, NSW Agriculture at Tocal College.

Mary Koolhof OAM is strongly committed to the work of the Royal Society of Tasmania in advancing knowledge and has been an active member of the Society since 2007. Mary was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the General Division for service to education in June 2025.

A graduate of the University of Tasmania with First Class Honours in Arts, Mary had wide experience as a teacher in Tasmanian schools including stints as Senior Education Officer and Senior Curriculum Officer for the Department of Education. Mary was an inaugural awardee of a Commonwealth Endeavour Language Teacher Fellowship and a recipient of several Goethe-Institut scholarships to study in Germany. She was awarded a Rotary Vocational Award for Excellence for her work with refugee students. Mary has finished a six-year term on the Tasmanian Social Sciences Human Research Ethics Committee.

To support vulnerable Tasmanian children, Mary became involved in initiatives of the Salvation Army as the commissioned author of nine children’s books published for the Safe From the Start and Communities for Children programs. The books tackle current issues facing young people such as family violence, peer pressure, cyberbullying and cyberstalking. The latest book to support children exposed to the drug ice was launched in February 2021.

Mr James Crotty is a distinguished Tasmanian solicitor with a longstanding commitment to community and cultural organisations. He serves as the Honorary Solicitor for the Royal Society of Tasmania, offering valued legal counsel and support.

Marley is a graduate of the University of Tasmania. She has travelled widely in Australia and overseas and particularly enjoys visiting museums and galleries to understand the history of her various destinations through both national and local art. Books have been the central focus of her career, being employed for some years by the State Library of Tasmania and later by a local bookseller as the literature and history book buyer.

While antiquarian books also played a part later in her career, history is her passion and it is in this field that Marley has been able to serve the Royal Society. In 2019 she presented a lecture to the Royal Society of Tasmania during it’s 175^th Anniversary celebrations entitled “Snapshots of the last 175 years”. Marley is currently serving on a number of committees with the Royal Society, having completed one research project and  highly involved with another for the past year two years.

Ross Large is a geologist recognised internationally for his research on the genesis of ore deposits and their relationships to evolution of life, mass extinction and mineral deposit cycles. With colleagues he demonstrated the close connection between selenium on the oceans and the succession of growth and extinction. In 1989 he established the ARC Centre of Excellence for Ore Deposit Research and Exploration Science (CODES), which became one of the world’s most respected ore research centres and was notable for its close collaboration with the mining industry. For over 20 years Large was Professor of Economic Geology at the University of Tasmania.

Lorraine Polglase worked with government and non-government organisations developing programs for families with children from 1978-2006, including the establishment of the inaugural Good Beginnings in Hobart as part of a national strategy. She was a member of the Inaugural Children Commissioner’s Advisory Panel. From 2006-11 she lived in New Delhi as a volunteer with various organisations.

Lorraine joined Arts National Hobart in 2011 and has been a member since, including Chairman 2019-22. She was elected a member of the Arts National Council in early 2025.

She has been Secretary of the Fellowship of First Fleeters since 2024.

Julie Rimes has broad experience in school leadership roles having worked across all sectors and all levels of education, from primary level through to the tertiary sector. In recognition of her work in education she was elected to the Tasmanian Women’s Roll of Honour in 2015.

As a member of a number of state, national and international boards and committees in the education and disability spheres, Adjunct Associate Professor Rimes brings to her role as The Royal Society of Tasmania President extensive experience in working in senior roles in leadership, management and policy.

Dr Deborah Kathleen Beswick OAM is a distinguished Tasmanian educator with over four decades of service in science education. She has taught at Elizabeth College, Cosgrove High School, and Glenora District High School. From 1990 to 2020, she led the Science and Computing Department at Elizabeth College, also teaching mathematics .govhouse.tas.gov.au+1Rotary Club of North Hobart+1

Dr Beswick has been instrumental in promoting science among students statewide. She coordinated the Tasmanian National Science Week from 2001 to 2020 , and directed the Tasmanian Science Talent Search, including its transition to an online format in 2020 .stat.org.au+2govhouse.tas.gov.au+2National Science Week+2stat.org.au

In recognition of her contributions, she was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the 2022 Australia Day Honours for her service to education .rst.org.au+1Facebook+1

Dr Beswick is an active member of the Royal Society of Tasmania.

Her enduring commitment has significantly advanced science education and inspired countless students across Tasmania.

Mary Koolhof OAM is strongly committed to the work of the Royal Society of Tasmania in advancing knowledge and has been an active member of the Society since 2007. Mary was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the General Division for service to education in June 2025.

A graduate of the University of Tasmania with First Class Honours in Arts, Mary had wide experience as a teacher in Tasmanian schools including stints as Senior Education Officer and Senior Curriculum Officer for the Department of Education. Mary was an inaugural awardee of a Commonwealth Endeavour Language Teacher Fellowship and a recipient of several Goethe-Institut scholarships to study in Germany. She was awarded a Rotary Vocational Award for Excellence for her work with refugee students. Mary has finished a six-year term on the Tasmanian Social Sciences Human Research Ethics Committee.

To support vulnerable Tasmanian children, Mary became involved in initiatives of the Salvation Army as the commissioned author of nine children’s books published for the Safe From the Start and Communities for Children programs. The books tackle current issues facing young people such as family violence, peer pressure, cyberbullying and cyberstalking. The latest book to support children exposed to the drug ice was launched in February 2021.

David Morris is an educator with wide experience in Tasmania in State schools, independent schools, in the TAFE sector and as a reference librarian in the State Library of Tasmania and the University of Tasmania.

David’s distinguished contribution and expertise to teacher librarianship and library services in Tasmania and at the national level was recognised in 2013 when he was awarded the esteemed Doreen Hopkins Medal by the Australian School Library Association. He is the Tasmanian representative on the national School Libraries Advisory Committee for the Australian Library and Information Association. Davis was State Chairman of the industry Focus Group for TasTAFE’s Library and Museum Studies courses. He is Vice-President of the Tasmanian Council of Churches and, until June 2013, was also Convener of the Tasmanian Council of Churches Commission for Christian Ministry in State Schools, which is co-responsible for the development and monitoring of Tasmanian Education Department guidelines for the conduct of chaplaincy in State schools and Christian religious education in State schools.

David currently sits on the Scholarship Committee of Worldview Centre for Intercultural Studies. He has a long-standing commitment to the promotion of knowledge in the community, and is currently Head of Library & Information Services at Scotch Oakburn College in Launceston.

Julie Rimes has broad experience in school leadership roles having worked across all sectors and all levels of education, from primary level through to the tertiary sector. In recognition of her work in education she was elected to the Tasmanian Women’s Roll of Honour in 2015.

As a member of a number of state, national and international boards and committees in the education and disability spheres, Adjunct Associate Professor Rimes brings to her role as The Royal Society of Tasmania President extensive experience in working in senior roles in leadership, management and policy.

Roxanne has thirty-five years of experience in primary teaching across a range schools. For over fifteen of those years Roxanne taught gifted and talented students online through the Department of Education’s Centre for Extended Learning (now the Gifted Online program). Through this program Roxanne engaged with students across Tasmania. In 2007, Roxanne and a colleague jointly won the Microsoft 2007 Innovative Teacher Award for their “Cool Chemistry” project. The project involved the creation of a virtual classroom connecting two schools, two teachers and a practising chemist. Within this environment, children used a range of software to share and compare their inquiries.

Roxanne also has a keen interest in literacy through childhood reading and believes every student should have books in their hands whenever they want one – whether they are classics like Journey to the Centre of the Earth or the more modern stories of the 13-storey treehouse series. She won the Scholastic Literacy Champion Award in 2013. Roxanne retired from teaching in June 2018, but retains a strong interest in making Science teaching accessible to everyone.

John has been a passionate teacher for 40 years. He has taught Pre-Tertiary Modern History, Ancient History and Philosophy, at Fahan School and he has lectured on Antarctic History at the University of Tasmania’s Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies. John and a colleague developed the Polar Pathways Tour for the State Government and John has been a regular guide for these during the Antarctic Mid-Winter Festivals. John has worked in Antarctica as a guide/historian.

Julie Rimes has broad experience in school leadership roles having worked across all sectors and all levels of education, from primary level through to the tertiary sector. In recognition of her work in education she was elected to the Tasmanian Women’s Roll of Honour in 2015.

As a member of a number of state, national and international boards and committees in the education and disability spheres, Adjunct Associate Professor Rimes brings to her role as The Royal Society of Tasmania President extensive experience in working in senior roles in leadership, management and policy.

Dr Dawson is a physical oceanographer and postdoctoral researcher at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies in Nipaluna/Hobart. She has an interest in the large-scale circulation and dynamics of the Southern Ocean and Antarctic margins. Her research currently uses numerical models to investigate the drivers of recent Antarctic sea ice variability.

UTAS

Victoria trained as a Registered Nurse and has worked in a number of nursing specialities for the past 36 years. She is passionate about the provision of optimal evidence-based client-centered healthcare. Semi-retired, her most recent permanent role was in cancer services at the Royal Hobart Hospital. As Clinical Nurse Consultant she provided psychosocial care and support for adolescents and young adults, plus their families, throughout Tasmania.

She holds a PhD (University of Sydney), Master of Nursing (first class honours), Master of Health Science and a Graduate Diploma of Advanced Nursing (Child and Family Health). She also trained and worked as a midwife for nine years.

Evelyn is a PhD candidate in the history department at the University of Tasmania. Her research interrogates how colonial legacies manifest in current food systems. The PhD specifically looks at the pork industry, showing how environmental and public health issues are linked to the historical legacies of colonialism, empire building, industrialism, and capitalism. Evelyn is an active member of the Association for the Study of Food and Society (ASFS) and the Australian Food History Network (AFHN). She has worked across Academic institutions and museums in Tasmania as a recipient of the Humanities in Place Industry Engagement Scholarship. She has also worked across academic and museum sectors in Canberra through the Australia National University and the National Museum of Australia as a recipient of the Summer Scholars Program Scholarship for 2023. She is passionate about making humanities research more public-facing and using transdisciplinary research to make impactful change for vulnerable communities and the environment. Evelyn was also awarded a Westpac Future Leaders Scholarship for 2023 to support her graduate research.

When she is not nose-deep in books, Evelyn enjoys running, rock climbing, kayaking, and being in nature. She plays in a community LGBTQIA+ basketball league and is an active gardener and food enthusiast. She loves ice cream, coffee, and blueberries.

Ross Large is a geologist recognised internationally for his research on the genesis of ore deposits and their relationships to evolution of life, mass extinction and mineral deposit cycles. With colleagues he demonstrated the close connection between selenium on the oceans and the succession of growth and extinction. In 1989 he established the ARC Centre of Excellence for Ore Deposit Research and Exploration Science (CODES), which became one of the world’s most respected ore research centres and was notable for its close collaboration with the mining industry. For over 20 years Large was Professor of Economic Geology at the University of Tasmania.

Lorraine Polglase worked with government and non-government organisations developing programs for families with children from 1978-2006, including the establishment of the inaugural Good Beginnings in Hobart as part of a national strategy. She was a member of the Inaugural Children Commissioner’s Advisory Panel. From 2006-11 she lived in New Delhi as a volunteer with various organisations.

Lorraine joined Arts National Hobart in 2011 and has been a member since, including Chairman 2019-22. She was elected a member of the Arts National Council in early 2025.

She has been Secretary of the Fellowship of First Fleeters since 2024.

John has been a passionate teacher for 40 years. He has taught Pre-Tertiary Modern History, Ancient History and Philosophy, at Fahan School and he has lectured on Antarctic History at the University of Tasmania’s Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies. John and a colleague developed the Polar Pathways Tour for the State Government and John has been a regular guide for these during the Antarctic Mid-Winter Festivals. John has worked in Antarctica as a guide/historian.

Neil MacKinnon was born into a farming family in Northern Tasmania, schooled in Launceston, is an Economics graduate of the University of Tasmania, and a Chartered Accountant. After working in Hobart, Neil took employment in the United Kingdom before embarking on a career in financial and general management as an employee and/or principal that took him to Iran, Seychelles, Hong Kong, U.S.A, Switzerland, Bahamas and mainland Australia. On return to Tasmania, Neil took up a series of short-term senior management positions in firms engaged in vegetable export, tourism and heritage conservation, rail transport, precision manufacturing, civil engineering and employer representation. Neil maintains active involvement with family farming activities.

Neil is now retired and active on community boards and committees. Neil’s maternal family were members of the Royal Society of Tasmania from its early days.

Tony Culberg OAM is a Tasmanian accountant, educator, and conservationist. He received the Order of Australia Medal in 2013 for community service. A long-time advocate for tax education and public accounting, he also played a major role in cave conservation, founding Exit Cave Adventure Tours and contributing to national speleological efforts. He served as Secretary of the Royal Society of Tasmania (2009–2015) and now sits on its Foundation Committee, supporting the Society’s financial sustainability.

Dr John Thorne AM JP is a Tasmanian educator and humanitarian known for his leadership in Rotary International, where he co-founded Food Plant Solutions to combat global malnutrition. A past Director of Rotary International and Chair of the Tasmanian Order of Australia Association, he also serves on the Royal Society of Tasmania’s Foundation and Membership Committees.

Sonia is an accountant (FCPA) with a PhD in governance in not-for-profits. Although starting her university life in science, lifestyle choices led to an academic career in accounting.

She retired after 21 years in academia lecturing in accounting and corporate governance while also being Course Coordinator for Masters in Professional Accounting and Research Higher Degree Coordinator.

For the past 18 years Sonia has been Treasurer for a diverse range of not-for-profit boards from dancing groups, community legal centres, festival groups, wooden boats and the peak body for volunteering.

Dr Don Garden, OAM FFAHS FRHSV, is a former President of the Federation of Australian Historical Societies and of the Royal Historical Society of Victoria, former Co-Chair of GLAM Peak Australia and a former member of the Australian Heritage Council. He is Honorary Secretary of the Royal Society of Tasmania, Honorary Secretary of the Amy Sherwin Fund, an Adjunct Professor at James Cook University, a life member of the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) and of the Albany Historical Society, and a member of a number of other community history and heritage groups.

For many years he taught History and Environmental History at the University of Melbourne. He has for many years he taught History and Environmental History at the University of Melbourne. He has written seventeen books, a mixture of local and regional histories, biography, company history, an environmental history of Australia and the Pacific and a history of El Nino events in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific.

Professor Richard Coleman is an Emeritus Professor at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) with over 40 years of experience as a researcher and academic in the Australian university sector. His research focuses on understanding the role of the oceans and cryosphere in the global climate system, employing a multi-disciplinary approach that combines geodesy, physical oceanography, and glaciology. Professor Coleman’s work aims to understand and predict the impacts of climate change, providing crucial insights to policymakers. A pioneer in the use of satellite altimeters in oceanography, he established Tasmania as home to the only Southern Hemisphere altimeter calibration/validation site.

He is also a dedicated educator, immensely proud of the contributions his students have made to the research community. Professor Coleman has more than 100 publications in peer-reviewed journals and has supervised 43 graduate student completions. He previously served as the Executive Director of IMAS and Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research Collaborations and Infrastructure) at the University of Tasmania, as well as Executive Director at the Australian Research Council (ARC).

UTAS

Professor Haddad has a distinguished career in the area of development and application of methods for the separation of inorganic species. His work includes high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), its applications to foods, pharmaceuticals and trace metal analysis; ion chromatography (IC), including theory and applications to the minerals industry, environmental analysis, and instrument manufacture; capillary electrophoresis and capillary electrochromatography of inorganic species and low molecular weight acids and bases; spectrofluorometry, as applied to trace metal analysis using ternary complexes; the development of electrochemical detectors for liquid chromatography. He has published more than 210 papers in international journals, made numerous plenary and keynote lecture presentations and is on the editorial board of 10 major journals in analytical chemistry.

Professor Hamish Maxwell-Stewart is a leading historian specializing in convict transportation and digital heritage. Currently, he serves as Professor of Heritage and Digital Humanities at the University of New England and is CEO of Digital History Tasmania. He is also an associate member of the Menzies Institute for Medical Research at the University of Tasmania.

Born in Nigeria and educated at the University of Edinburgh, Maxwell-Stewart moved to Tasmania in 1996. He held various academic positions at the University of Tasmania, including Associate Dean Research for the Faculty of Arts.

Maxwell-Stewart has authored over 100 publications and led significant digitization projects, including the imaging and linking of 2.5 million Tasmanian historical records. He has also curated major exhibitions, such as the “Lottery of Life” at Port Arthur and the 2023 Convict Memorial in Hobart.

His work integrates historical research with digital technologies, offering new insights into Australia’s convict past

Jocelyn McPhie is a volcanologist and for most of her career (1990 to 2015), she held an academic position at the University of Tasmania. She conducted fundamental and applied research in volcanology, and taught volcanology and as well as other undergraduate geology units. Since retiring from the university, she has been consulting to the minerals industry, providing technical advice and professional training in volcanology. She maintains an adjunct position with the University of Tasmania, continuing to supervise PhD students and to participate in research projects. She became a member of the RST in 2020.

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Professor Jim Reid is an Emeritus Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Tasmania, specializing in plant molecular biology. His research has significantly advanced understanding of plant hormones and gene regulation, particularly in legumes and eucalypts.

He has provided scientific leadership in developing technologies to enhance eucalyptus plantation efficiency in Australia.

Professor Reid has held leadership roles in the Royal Society of Tasmania, including Chair of its Foundation Committee, and has been a trustee of the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery.

His contributions to science and education have been recognized with the Royal Society of Tasmania Medal and fellowship in the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

Professor Brian Yates is an Emeritus Professor at the University of Tasmania and a leading Australian computational chemist. He has held senior academic roles, including Executive Dean of the College of Sciences and Engineering, and served at the Australian Research Council. Known for his research in reaction mechanisms and catalysis, he’s also a nationally recognised advocate for science education and currently serves as Director of Strategic Communications for the Australian Council of Deans of Science.

Professor Jonathan Sprent is a world-leading Australian immunologist known for groundbreaking work on T cell biology and immune tolerance. He has held senior roles in the U.S. and Australia, currently leading research at the Garvan Institute. A Fellow of the Royal Society and recipient of the AAI Lifetime Achievement Award, his work has shaped modern immunology.

While his primary research base is the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Sydney, his involvement with the Royal Society of Tasmania reflects his broader commitment to advancing scientific knowledge across Australia.

Julie Rimes has broad experience in school leadership roles having worked across all sectors and all levels of education, from primary level through to the tertiary sector. In recognition of her work in education she was elected to the Tasmanian Women’s Roll of Honour in 2015.

As a member of a number of state, national and international boards and committees in the education and disability spheres, Adjunct Associate Professor Rimes brings to her role as The Royal Society of Tasmania President extensive experience in working in senior roles in leadership, management and policy.

Roxanne has thirty-five years of experience in primary teaching across a range schools. For over fifteen of those years Roxanne taught gifted and talented students online through the Department of Education’s Centre for Extended Learning (now the Gifted Online program). Through this program Roxanne engaged with students across Tasmania. In 2007, Roxanne and a colleague jointly won the Microsoft 2007 Innovative Teacher Award for their “Cool Chemistry” project. The project involved the creation of a virtual classroom connecting two schools, two teachers and a practising chemist. Within this environment, children used a range of software to share and compare their inquiries.

Roxanne also has a keen interest in literacy through childhood reading and believes every student should have books in their hands whenever they want one – whether they are classics like Journey to the Centre of the Earth or the more modern stories of the 13-storey treehouse series. She won the Scholastic Literacy Champion Award in 2013. Roxanne retired from teaching in June 2018, but retains a strong interest in making Science teaching accessible to everyone.

Victoria trained as a Registered Nurse and has worked in a number of nursing specialities for the past 36 years. She is passionate about the provision of optimal evidence-based client-centered healthcare. Semi-retired, her most recent permanent role was in cancer services at the Royal Hobart Hospital. As Clinical Nurse Consultant she provided psychosocial care and support for adolescents and young adults, plus their families, throughout Tasmania.

She holds a PhD (University of Sydney), Master of Nursing (first class honours), Master of Health Science and a Graduate Diploma of Advanced Nursing (Child and Family Health). She also trained and worked as a midwife for nine years.

Dr Liza Snow retired as Associate Professor in the School of Health Sciences at the University of Tasmania in 2014. Dr Snow’s research interests were in the molecular biology of carcinogenesis, the Tasmanian Devil facial tumour disease, and in biochemistry. Her PhD was in Biomedical Science from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

Dr Snow has held positions of Associate Professor in the School of Life and Environmental Sciences at Deakin University, and Assistant Professor at the City University of New York’s School of Medicine.

Dr John Thorne AM JP is a Tasmanian educator and humanitarian known for his leadership in Rotary International, where he co-founded Food Plant Solutions to combat global malnutrition. A past Director of Rotary International and Chair of the Tasmanian Order of Australia Association, he also serves on the Royal Society of Tasmania’s Foundation and Membership Committees.

After graduating from UTAS, Dr Sally Bryant worked as a wildlife scientist for over 30 years initially with the Tasmanian Government managing threatened species programs then as Science Manager with the Tasmanian Land Conservancy. Now as an environmental consultant, Sally’s work spans theoretical to applied conservation science specialising in threatened bird recovery and ecological monitoring.

Sally has authored and co-authored numerous books, chapters, journal papers, technical reports and popular articles on conservation issues including for the Royal Society. She is an Adjunct Lecturer at UTAS, on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Ecological Management & Restoration, and a Research Fellow with the Tasmanian Land Conservancy, but is perhaps best known for her popular ABC Radio wildlife talkback program which has been running fortnightly since 1999.

In 2023, Sally was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia for her contribution to wildlife conservation and land protection.

Dr Margaret Davies OAM is a distinguished Australian herpetologist renowned for her extensive research on frog taxonomy and ecology. Over her career, she described 35 new frog species, including one from Tasmania, and authored or co-authored more than 120 scientific publications.

Dr Davies earned her BSc from the University of Tasmania in 1966, followed by an MSc from the Australian National University and a PhD from the University of Adelaide, focusing on the genus Uperoleia. She served as an academic at the University of Adelaide for 30 years, receiving the Dean’s Certificate for Excellence in Teaching in 1996 .

After retiring in 2002, she returned to Tasmania, where she continues to contribute to the scientific community. She serves as the Honorary Editor of the Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania and is a member of the Society’s Publications Committee.

In recognition of her contributions to science, Dr Davies was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2014 and was inducted into the Tasmanian Honour Roll of Women in 2015.

John has been a passionate teacher for 40 years. He has taught Pre-Tertiary Modern History, Ancient History and Philosophy, at Fahan School and he has lectured on Antarctic History at the University of Tasmania’s Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies. John and a colleague developed the Polar Pathways Tour for the State Government and John has been a regular guide for these during the Antarctic Mid-Winter Festivals. John has worked in Antarctica as a guide/historian.

David Wilson is a Tasmanian geologist and long-serving member of the Royal Society of Tasmania (RST). He graduated with a BSc (Hons) in geology and geophysics from the University of Tasmania in 1978. His early career included 12 years as a geophysicist with Hydro Tasmania, conducting geological investigations across remote regions of the state.

Wilson joined the RST in 2014 and has since held several leadership roles. He served as Honorary Secretary from 2018 to 2020 and as Honorary Treasurer from 2020 to 2023. He has also contributed to multiple RST committees, including the Foundation, Aboriginal Engagement, and Style Guide Committees, supporting the Society’s mission to advance knowledge in Tasmania.

Dr Dawson is a physical oceanographer and postdoctoral researcher at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies in Nipaluna/Hobart. She has an interest in the large-scale circulation and dynamics of the Southern Ocean and Antarctic margins. Her research currently uses numerical models to investigate the drivers of recent Antarctic sea ice variability.

UTAS

Evelyn is a PhD candidate in the history department at the University of Tasmania. Her research interrogates how colonial legacies manifest in current food systems. The PhD specifically looks at the pork industry, showing how environmental and public health issues are linked to the historical legacies of colonialism, empire building, industrialism, and capitalism. Evelyn is an active member of the Association for the Study of Food and Society (ASFS) and the Australian Food History Network (AFHN). She has worked across Academic institutions and museums in Tasmania as a recipient of the Humanities in Place Industry Engagement Scholarship. She has also worked across academic and museum sectors in Canberra through the Australia National University and the National Museum of Australia as a recipient of the Summer Scholars Program Scholarship for 2023. She is passionate about making humanities research more public-facing and using transdisciplinary research to make impactful change for vulnerable communities and the environment. Evelyn was also awarded a Westpac Future Leaders Scholarship for 2023 to support her graduate research.

When she is not nose-deep in books, Evelyn enjoys running, rock climbing, kayaking, and being in nature. She plays in a community LGBTQIA+ basketball league and is an active gardener and food enthusiast. She loves ice cream, coffee, and blueberries.

Bernard Pryor OAM is a dedicated Tasmanian horticulturist and long-serving member of the Royal Society of Tasmania (RST). He has made significant contributions to the Society as the editor and designer of its monthly newsletter, a key communication tool that keeps members informed and engaged. rst.org.au

In recognition of his service to horticulture and the community, Bernard was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2019.

Beyond his work with the RST, Bernard is an accomplished iris hybridizer, having registered numerous Louisiana iris cultivars, including ‘Let Freedom Ring’ and ‘Her Excellency Kate Warner’.

He also serves as the Membership Officer for the Friends of the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, contributing to the promotion and preservation of Tasmania’s botanical heritage.

Bernard’s diverse contributions reflect his commitment to horticulture, community engagement, and the advancement of knowledge in Tasmania.

John has been a passionate teacher for 40 years. He has taught Pre-Tertiary Modern History, Ancient History and Philosophy, at Fahan School and he has lectured on Antarctic History at the University of Tasmania’s Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies. John and a colleague developed the Polar Pathways Tour for the State Government and John has been a regular guide for these during the Antarctic Mid-Winter Festivals. John has worked in Antarctica as a guide/historian.

Eddy Steenbergen is a Tasmanian IT professional and community volunteer known for his contributions to historical and genealogical societies. He serves as the Webmaster for the Royal Society of Tasmania, maintaining its online presence. Additionally, he has held various leadership roles in the Tasmanian Family History Society, including Vice President and Secretary, and manages the Hobart Branch’s Facebook page. Beyond these roles, Eddy contributes to local history discussions through his blog, the Glenorchy City Observer.