The lecture on April 11, 2021, by Dr Frances Sussmilch, is now available on the RST YouTube channel. Read more about the lecture here.
The Messiness of Colonial Exploration and Cartography
The Royal Society of Tasmania invites you to attend this lecture by Dr Imogen Wegman on Sunday 2nd May 2021 at 3 pm.
The lecture will be presented in person at the RST Lecture Room in TMAG (Hobart) and as a Zoom webinar. This lecture is free for members of the Royal Society of Tasmania. Non-members are welcome to attend and donations are appreciated through our website or at the door. Suggested donation $6; $4 for students and Friends of TMAG.
Attendance in person: Attendance in person is limited by current pandemic restrictions to 20. Please register for the in-person lecture using this link. The password is “RST”. Eventbrite registrations close at midday on Saturday 1st May.
Attendance via ZOOM: Follow this link to register for the Zoom webinar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
Abstract
Two years after the British established the colony of Van Diemen’s Land, the government surveyor George Prideaux Harris begged his brother to send “all the paper you can muster”. Harris was charged with recording the details of a fledgling colony, but paper was “very scarce and dear”. This was life on the colonial front-line. In order to understand the visual records of exploration, we must also consider the circumstances of their creation: the constraints, expectations, and purposes of the surviving maps. This talk focuses on the messiness of exploration, as captured in the messiness of written forms. Inadequate equipment was translated into corrections, unruly labourers became inaccurate boundary lines, and vegetation froze into simple sketches. These charts were a mechanism of indigenous alienation, but they also captured the landscape before it was usurped by European ideas. With careful analysis it is possible to unpick some of the story.
Biography
Having grown up in Hobart, Imogen has a strong connection to her island home. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Tasmania, before moving to the UK to join the University of East Anglia’s Landscape History MA program. Her dissertation examined the creation of ‘isolated’ parish churches – those that stand in the middle of a field, far from their village. She returned to Tasmania to complete a PhD in History at UTAS, examining the differences between land grants given to convicts and free settlers. Her research continues to examine the practicalities of life in the early years of a colony, using digital tools such as GIS (mapping) to understand the historic landscape and extract its stories. Imogen is now a Lecturer in History at UTAS, teaching into the Diploma of Family History and the Bachelor of Arts. She continues to nerd out about maps with her students, teaching them how to find and interpret them for their own research.
RST Medal presentation and Governor’s Lecture, Government House
Royal Society of Tasmania
Medal presentation and lecture delivered by
Her Excellency Professor the Honourable Kate Warner AC Governor of Tasmania
Government House Hobart
On Tuesday 16 March 2021, members of the Royal Society of Tasmania met at Government House as guests of Her Excellency Professor the Honourable Kate Warner AC, Governor of Tasmania, and Mr Richard Warner AM.
The evening was devoted to RST medal presentations and a lecture by Her Excellency. President Mary Koolhof summarised the history and intentions of the two medals to be awarded, the Clive Lord Medal and the MR Banks Medal.
The Clive Lord Medal is awarded to a scholar distinguished for research in Tasmanian science or Tasmanian history. Clive Lord was an acclaimed naturalist, a stalwart of the Royal Society of Tasmania and a director of the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. The 2019 winner is Professor Jamie Kirkpatrick AM, Distinguished Professor in Geography and Environmental Studies at the University of Tasmania. Professor Kirkpatrick’s career has been devoted to helping students learn about nature, researching its characteristics and conservation, and engaging with wider society on issues of conservation reserves and the natural environment. His Clive Lord Lecture “Cyclic dynamics in Tasmanian high mountain treeless vegetation” can be viewed on the RST YouTube channel.
Note: Contactless COVID-compliant medal presentation!
The MR Banks Medal is awarded to an outstanding mid-career researcher in any field. It is named in honour of past Society President and tireless supporter, the late Dr Max Banks. In 2019 for the first time in the medal’s history, there were two MR Banks medallists: Associate Professor Arko Lucieer and Dr Eloise Foo.
Professor Lucieer leads the TerraLuma research group at the University of Tasmania, focusing on the development and application of drones, sensor integration, and image processing techniques for environmental, agricultural, and high-precision aerial mapping applications. His MR Banks Medal lecture, “From Surface to Satellites – how remote sensing from drones advances our understanding of plant biodiversity” is available for viewing on the RST YouTube channel .
Dr Eloise Foo established a new research area at the University of Tasmania examining the role of plant hormones in plant-microbe symbioses. Her research contributes to an Australia-wide effort seeking to harness the power of plants for improving agricultural and ecological outcomes. Her MR Banks Lecture, “Dating in the dark – The underground world of beneficial plant-microbe relationships” is also available for viewing on the RST YouTube channel.
Following the medal presentations, Her Excellency Professor the Honourable Kate Warner AC, Governor of Tasmania, delivered a lecture entitled “Improving literacy and education standards in Tasmania”. The lecture was based largely on Her Excellency’s involvement with the Basics project, the Peter Underwood Centre for Educational Attainment, Connect42, 26Ten and Child and Family Centres around the state since becoming Governor. The full text of the lecture is available here .
Telling the stories of kanamaluka
The Royal Society of Tasmania, Northern Branch, invites you to a public lecture on Sunday 25 April 2021 at 1.30pm by Dr Christine Hansen.
She will deliver a lecture on “Telling the stories of kanamaluka, the Tamar River“.
To view remotely via ZOOM: Register in advance by clicking here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
To attend the lecture in person: Due to COVID restrictions, registration will be required – by phone 0417 330 118
or email to apcachris@gmail.com
Click here to view the latest flyer for the event and print if necessary.
kanamaluka/Tamar River (estuary) is a fascinating water way: a complex ecosystem, a unique hydrological phenomenon and a major factor in the founding of Launceston. It is also a magnet for passionate debate and strong opinion. While discussion about its future rages in public, behind the scenes QVMAG is preparing a new gallery that celebrates life above and below the water.
Dr Christine Hansen is the current Manager of Knowledge and Content at QVMAG. She arrived in Launceston from Sweden where she was a scholar in the Centre for Environmental Humanities at Gothenburg University and worked for the Swedish National Museum of World Cultures. She has a PhD in History from the Australian National University and these days proudly calls herself a ‘Tasmanian.’
Generously supported by
View recording of the lecture by Dr Jess Melbourne-Thomas – March 2021
The lecture on March 7, 2021, by Dr Jess Melbourne-Thomas, Tasmanian Australian of the Year 2020, is now available on the RST YouTube channel. Read more about the lecture here.
Tales of evolution from the mouths of plants
The Royal Society of Tasmania invites you to attend this lecture by Dr Frances Sussmilch on Sunday 11th April 2021 at 3 pm. Dr Sussmilch won the 2020 RST Peter Smith Medal for an outstanding early-career researcher.
The lecture will be presented in person at the RST Lecture Room in TMAG (Hobart) and as a Zoom webinar. This lecture is free for members of the Royal Society of Tasmania. Non-members are welcome to attend and donations are appreciated through our website or at the door. Suggested donation $6; $4 for students and Friends of TMAG.
Attendance in person: Attendance in person is limited by current pandemic restrictions to 20. Please register for the in-person lecture using this link. The password is RST. Eventbrite registrations close at midday on Saturday 10th April.
Attendance via ZOOM: Follow this link to register for the Zoom webinar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
Abstract
Most plant water loss (more than 90%) occurs through adjustable pores called stomata, typically found on leaves. Open stomata enable plants to acquire carbon dioxide for photosynthesis, but also allow water loss via evaporation from the plant into the atmosphere. Plants balance their need for CO2 for growth with the availability of water, opening and closing their stomatal pores in response to environmental signals. In flowering plants, stomatal movements are known to be controlled by complex genetic signalling pathways, with rapid stomatal closure in response to dehydration triggered by biosynthesis of the plant stress hormone abscisic acid (ABA). In this lecture, we will explore the genetic pathways that control stomatal closure and their evolution in land plants.
Biography
Dr Frances Sussmilch is an ARC DECRA (Discovery Early Career Researcher Award) Fellow at UTAS, investigating the genes that plants use to respond to dehydration stress and their evolution. Frances completed her PhD in molecular biology at UTAS in 2014 under the supervision of A/Prof Jim Weller and Dr Valerie Hecht. She continued as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow for three years at UTAS, in the groups of A/Prof Jim Weller, Dr Scott McAdam and Prof Tim Brodribb. In 2017, she was awarded a Short-Term Postdoctoral Research Grant from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) to complete a project at the University of Würzburg (Germany), and continued there for three years as a postdoc in the groups of Prof Rainer Hedrich and Prof Dietmar Geiger, investigating the evolution of plant ion channels and signalling pathways. Frances returned to take up her current position at UTAS in 2020 and is also an Associate Investigator for the UTAS node of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Plant Success in Nature and Agriculture.
Global and Australian Perspectives for COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout
The Royal Society of Tasmania, Northern Branch, invites you to a public lecture by Professor Katie Flanagan, on Sunday March 28, 2021, at 1:15 pm. The lecture will commence at 1.30 pm following the branch Annual General Meeting.
The lecture will take place at the Meeting Room, QVMAG at Inveresk.
If you intend to attend in person: Due to COVID restrictions, registration will be required – phone 0417 330 118 or email apcachris@gmail.com
To view remotely via ZOOM: Register in advance by clicking here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
To download a flyer for printing, click here.
Katie is a world-renowned clinician scientist, Head of Infectious Diseases at LGH and a Professor at UTAS, RMIT and Monash Universities. She is Honorary Secretary of the Australian Society for Infectious Diseases, chairs their Vaccination Special Interest Group, is a member of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, and chairs their COVID-19 Vaccine Utilisation and Prioritisation Subgroup.
Her talk will discuss the platform technologies being used to design COVID-19 vaccines, candidates in preclinical and clinical trials and phase 3 trial efficacy results. It will then discuss the progress globally with COVID-19 vaccine rollout and the Australian COVID-19 strategy and program in more detail. It will conclude with discussing next-generation vaccines including those against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants.
Generously supported by
Pyrogeographic thinking – the key to tackling the global fire crisis
The Royal Society of Tasmania invites you to a public lecture on Sunday 28 February 2021 at 1.30pm by Professor David Bowman.
He will deliver a lecture on his research into problem solving as a means of achieving sustainable co-existence with fire.
Register in advance for this webinar.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
Click here to view the latest flyer for the event and print if necessary.
Due to circumstances beyond our control the advertised lecture by Dr Lavers has been postponed until 23rd May, and Professor David Bowman most generously agreed to bring forward his lecture previously planned for that date.
Generously supported by
2021 Lecture Program
While COVID-19 pandemic restrictions apply, lectures will be online, delivered using Zoom. Lectures will be on Sunday afternoons at 3 pm (except where otherwise indicated). We hope that you will all find this a convenient and an enlightening way to spend a Sunday afternoon. As usual, there is something for everyone and everything of value and interest to inquiring minds of all persuasions.
Sunday 7 March. AGM, Tasmanian Australian of the Year for 2020, Jessica Melbourne-Thomas.
Tuesday 16 March. Medal presentation by Her Excellency Professor the Honourable Kate Warner AC, Governor of Tasmania at Government House.
Sunday 4 April (Easter). 2020 Peter Smith Medal Lecture, Frances Sussmilch.
Sunday 2 May. Susannah Fullerton OAM, FRSN (TBC)
Sunday 6 June. ATSE Joint Lecture (TBC)
Sunday 4 July. TMAG Curator (TBC)
Sunday 8 August. (TBC)
Friday 27 August. Joint Beer Aquatic Event for National Science Week at Hobart Brewing Company
Sunday 5 September. 2020 Doctoral Award Winner/s (TBC)
Sunday 3 October. History lecture (TBC)
Sunday 7 November. Medical sciences/Menzies lecture (TBC)
Tuesday 7 December. Christmas lecture (TBC)
PLEASE CHECK REGULARLY FOR UPDATES.
Engagement, diversity and interdisciplinarity to tackle future challenges
ENGAGEMENT, DIVERSITY AND INTERDISCIPLINARITY TO TACKLE FUTURE CHALLENGES
The Royal Society of Tasmania invites you to attend this lecture by Dr Jess Melbourne-Thomas on Sunday March 7th, 2021 at 3 pm, at the Stanley Burbury Theatre, University of Tasmania. Dr Melbourne-Thomas was the Tasmanian Australian of the Year 2020.
The lecture follows the Annual General Meeting of the Society. Attendance in person is limited by current pandemic restrictions and it is necessary to register for this event.
REGISTRATION
Registration of RST members IS NOW OPEN at https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/rst-agm-and-lecture-tickets-140054549929 The password is “RST”. The registration site will remain open until Friday 5th March 2021.
Registration of non-members WILL OPEN on 14th February at 1 am at https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/rst-agm-and-lecture-tickets-140054549929 , and remain open until Friday 5th March 2021. The password is “RST”.
ADMISSION
Admission is free for members of the Royal Society of Tasmania.
Charges for non-members:
– $6 general admission
– $4 for students and Friends of TMAG
ON THE DAY
Please print and bring your ticket on the day or else have it available for viewing on your mobile phone.
Please also arrive a few minutes early to facilitate entry to the lecture theatre and Covid-safe seating arrangements.
Dr Jess Melbourne-Thomas is a Transdisciplinary Researcher and Knowledge Broker with CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere. Her research background is in mathematical modelling and Antarctic climate change science and she was a Lead Author for the recent IPCC Special Report on the Oceans & Cryosphere in a Changing Climate. Jess co-founded the Homeward Bound project, which took the largest ever all female expedition on a leadership journey to Antarctica in 2016. She was one of Australia’s first 30 Superstars of STEM and was named Tasmania’s Young Tall Poppy of the Year in 2015 for her excellence in research, science communication and policy engagement. Jess was the 2020 Tasmanian Australian of the Year.
Abstract
The future of the Earth and its global population holds significant challenges, particularly with respect to climate change mitigation and adaptation. Indeed, in 2020 we experienced a taste of many of the impacts to come. Engaging people with science and tackling misinformation will be a key part of finding solutions to the challenges ahead.
In this presentation Jess will discuss approaches to engagement with policy-makers, industry and the general public, including increasing needs for co-design, translation, communication and interpretation of science to tackle complex problems. She will give examples of how inter- and transdisciplinary research approaches can support robust decision-making. She will also discuss the importance of increased diversity and equity in STEMM in designing novel solutions to address future challenges. Jess will also reflect on her own learnings about challenges and solutions through her year as 2020 Tasmanian Australian of the Year.
