Renew your membership now
Dear Royal Society Member
We appreciate your interest in the Royal Society of Tasmania during this difficult year.
If your membership expires at the end of 2020, we look forward to your renewal showing how much you value membership in our scientific community.
You can quickly renew in the online shop using your credit card. This method will also allow you to change your contact details (address or email) or name if either have changed.
New facility for automatic renewal
The Society now provides a brand new facility to allow your membership to be automatically renewed each year using credit card details you provide. You will need to download the renewal form to do this. You will find the Automatic Renewal box at the bottom of the form.
General Society email address change
The Society’s contact email address is now aligned with our web address. Please use admin@rst.org.au for all general email to the Society. For a simple message without attachments, you can use the Contact Us form in this website.
Australian Mineral Discoverers 1950-2010 Book Launch
The Royal Society of Tasmania’s is honoured to have Professor Geoffrey Blainey AC launch its most recent publication “Australian Mineral Discoverers” at the University Club, Dobson Street, Sandy Bay, on December 15, 4.30 pm for 5 pm.
An absolute limit of 15 may attend the event in person (first come, first served). To attempt a registration click here.
You may find it more convenient to view the event online. Up to 400 places are available. Click here to request an online place.
Copies of the book may be purchased online at the Society’s online shop.
Learn more about the book here.
Australian Mineral Discoverers 1950-2010
Published 1st December 2020
Editors: John Hill, Tony Hope, Ross Large, David Royle
To order a copy for delivery in Australia, use our online store.
For all international orders, use the Contact Us page in this website to let the Society know your requirements.
Mineral discoveries in the 1950 to 2010 period have been the backbone of wealth creation for all Australians and helped to maintain Australia’s economic position as the “Lucky Country”. However, discovery of buried minerals is an extremely complex science that requires knowledge, innovation, disciplined application of geological principles, teamwork, persistence and an ounce of luck.
In this book you will read 65 exciting and sometimes unbelievable stories of the life and achievements of a cross-section of Australian mineral explorers and educators who have advanced the science of discovery and contributed to the wealth of Australia for all Australians. Without these mineral discoveries, most in remote and inhospitable parts of Australia, many of us would not enjoy the high standards of living achieved in this country.
The stories told in these pages include the discovery of 150 mineral deposits, from the very largest (Olympic Dam of over 6 billion tonnes of copper, gold and uranium ore) to the smallest (the gold-rich Juno deposit in Tennant Creek). Collectively these mineral discoveries amount to many hundreds of billions of in-ground value, that have supported many mines, towns and communities in outback Australia for 50 years and beyond.
The Royal Society of Tasmania Annual Doctoral (PhD) Awards: Nominations close November 15
Nominations are now open for the RST annual doctoral awards. Two awards are made for excellence in research by recent PhD graduates in any field within the purview of the Society. The value of each award is $1,000 (AUD). Nominations will close on 15th November, 2020. Click here for the guidelines to the awards.
Update on the work of the Council’s Aboriginal Engagement Committee
The committee (AEC) has continued to work on two areas of activity in recent weeks, and regular interaction with Council is occurring given the importance of these activities to the Society.
First, the suggested wording for Acknowledgement of Country has been drafted and discussed with the Council, with variations proposed for the Papers and Proceedings and meetings.
Second, we have advanced the discussions with Council on the apology to Tasmanian Aboriginal people, including planning for the apology event.
On Tuesday 22nd September, the Council hosted an extraordinary meeting to discuss the wording of the apology. The Council agreed the wording pending confirmation of the preamble. This historic decision was a result of substantial work by several members of the AEC, particularly in fact-checking the text so that all mentions of “Society” or “Member” activities in the past are traceable to the Society’s minutes, correspondence or other historical documents. We will continue to update members as plans progress.
Prof Matt King, Chair of AEC
Progress Toward an Apology
By Professor Matt King
Chair, RST Aboriginal Engagement Committee
The RST Aboriginal Engagement Committee (AEC) has continued to assist Council in working toward an apology to Tasmanian Aboriginal people. The wording of the apology has received further attention from Council and it is expected to be finalised in the coming weeks.
We have had positive and constructive discussions with senior staff members of the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) regarding their own apology. We are continuing discussions with the plan of offering paired apologies at a shared event. We will inform members further as details are agreed and finalised by TMAG and RST Council.
The AEC has also briefed the incoming members of Council regarding the history of the work of the AEC dating back to 2016 and, especially, the recent proposal that the RST enter into a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) or RAP-like arrangement. Council are currently considering this matter.
Finally, Professor Greg Lehman has stepped down from his role as Co-Chair of the AEC while remaining an active member. The AEC thanks Greg very much for his insight and co-leadership of the AEC and looks forward to ongoing partnership with him.
September 2020.
Working on Water: Celebrating women in marine science
The Royal Society of Tasmania
National Science Week 2020
Working on Water: Celebrating women in marine science
Saturday 15th August.
Aired on Edge Radio 99.3FM 2-4pm and released on the RST YouTube channel and wherever you get your podcast.
For National Science Week 2020, the Royal Society of Tasmania secured $2,000 in grant funding from the Tasmanian National Science Week committee for a project profiling four women in marine science. New RST Council member Niamh Chapman led the project in collaboration with the team she directs at That’s What I Call Science.
We are excited to produce local and national radio, podcast and video content from the interviews as well as worksheets on the topic for children. The featured guests were invited to demonstrate the diversity of opportunities for careers in marine science including in industry and research.
Featured guests include:
Claire Butler – Marine Solutions Tasmania. After completing an Honours degree in seaweed ecology, Claire held multiple research assistant jobs at research institutions. Her role in these positions was focused on making existing spatial data (e.g. habitat maps) available to the public for communication and use in scientific (and other) pursuits.
A/Prof Mary-Anne Lea from IMAS, UTAS. Dr Mary-Anne Lea is an Associate Professor at the Ecology and Biodiversity Centre at the Institute for Marine & Antarctic Studies at the University of Tasmania. She is interested in the way in which the environment and climate change affect the behaviour, distribution and life history of marine and polar vertebrates.
Mibu Fisher, CSIRO. Mibu is an early career marine ethnoecologist within the multi-use ecosystems tropical coastal group, in CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, in Brisbane. She is an Aboriginal scientist with engagement skills for strengthening partnerships between First Nations communities and the research sector. Her specific interests are around Traditional Knowledge (science) and management practices being considered within modern day fisheries, coastal and conservation management.
Megan Hartog, CSIRO. Megan completed a degree in marine science at the Australian Maritime College. Her Honours project uncovered soft coral communities in the lower Tamar Estuary. Megan worked for several years in natural resource management, which included regular water quality monitoring in the Tamar. Megan then joined CSIRO Marine National Facility as a Voyage Operations Manager, where she is involved in organising research voyages on the blue-water research vessel, RV Investigator.
Worksheets (with answers here) include artwork from local artist Josh Pringle and sea country artwork by Brisbane-based Aboriginal artist Shara Delaney. Shara also provided a story to accompany the artwork based on Tasmanian marine life.
COVID-19 response: Memo to Members
THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF TASMANIA
Memo to Members
Thursday 2 July 2020
Dear Members,
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the office bearers and Council members have worked very hard to keep the Society thriving. We are offering a vibrant program of online lectures via Zoom webinar, and recordings of these can be viewed on our newly established YouTube channel here. We have an exciting project in the pipeline for National Science Week: RST Council member Niamh Chapman is heading up a team to record a series of podcasts for our YouTube channel. This is a great way to share fascinating science with the community, and another first for our Society.
Restrictions on room occupancy mean we are not yet able to hold in-person lectures in our lecture room, but the RST office is open on Wednesday mornings for phone or in-person enquiries and sales of merchandise.
A highlight of the RST year is the launch of the annual calendar, and the 2021 edition is particularly beautiful. We extend grateful thanks to Dr Margaret Davies OAM for her work in compiling this. The images of artworks by Simpkinson de Wesselow come from paintings held in the Royal Society of Tasmania collection on loan to the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. The calendar features scenes of northern Tasmania in honour of the centenary of the Northern Branch of our Society, which will be celebrated next year.
We are continuing to do our utmost to fulfil the Society’s mission of ‘advancing knowledge.’ Papers are now being sought for our Papers and Proceedings – please consider contributing a paper, and encouraging your friends and colleagues to do likewise. Nominations are now open for the Peter Smith Medal – do you know an outstanding early career researcher you could nominate for this award? Bursaries to secondary students continue to be offered, and the Doctoral Awards will be advertised a little later in the year.
I extend very warm thanks to all the members who have supported our Society by renewing their membership during the pandemic, and we have been extremely pleased to welcome new members each month.
Please email me if you have any queries: royal.society@tmag.tas.gov.au
Yours sincerely,
Mary Koolhof
President
The Royal Society of Tasmania
Progress Toward an Apology
by Professor Greg Lehman
Co-Chair, RST Aboriginal Engagement Committee
On Wednesday, 4 December 2019, the University of Tasmania became the first learned institution in Tasmania to offer a formal apology to Tasmanian Aboriginal people.
Vice Chancellor, Professor Rufus Black, marked the day as one on which “… we reflect on the parts of our past we are not proud of …a moment for humility, truth-telling, pain and accountability.” Broadly welcomed by Aboriginal people and positively reflected on across Tasmanian media, the University’s apology was offered in response to over a century of disrespectful treatment of Aboriginal people by the academy. “For too long the histories we taught hid the true story of war and genocidal behaviour. For too long the wisdom of Aboriginal people was not thought worthy of our academy,” Prof Black said.
During 2019, the Royal Society of Tasmania has made substantial progress toward the development of its own Apology. Like the University of Tasmania, the Society was also involved in research and treatment of Aboriginal ancestral remains that is now recognised as disrespectful and has contributed to ongoing hurt being felt by today’s Aboriginal people. The development of the Society’s Apology has been a painstaking one, involving independent commissioned research and close examination of Society records to ensure that an accurate and objective assessment could be made of a range of activities that impacted on Aboriginal people. The Society’s approach has been to thoroughly account for the decisions and actions that it should take responsibility for and to better understand the context of those actions.
An Aboriginal Engagement Committee jointly chaired by Prof Matt King and Prof Greg Lehman worked under close direction of the RST Council to produce two discussion papers and reports to Members during 2019, outlining key issues considered by the Apology process, and identifying a number of recommended actions to accompany a formal Statement of Apology.
Following a special meeting of the Council on 19 December 2019, a draft Apology to Tasmanian Aboriginal people has now been produced. This was recently presented for confidential consideration by the Aboriginal Advisory Council of the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, which is also developing its own apology. It was agreed that the RST and TMAG would work cooperatively to plan an event at which both institutions would present their respective statements. Similar consultation will also be held with the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery’s Aboriginal Reference Group to ensure that sensitive matters involved in the Apology are dealt with appropriately and respectfully. Further information will be provided to Members of the Society when the Apology is finalised and a date for its announcement is set.
Reproduced from the April, 2020 RST Newsletter.