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 15^th November, 2020. Click here for the guidelines to the awards.

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 22^nd 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of “Society” or “Member” activities in the past are traceable to the Society’s minutes, correspondence or other historical documents.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

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.

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.

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

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.

Want to learn something new while stuck at home?

Tune in to “That’s What I Call Science”, a weekly radio show and podcast featuring interesting and relevant science happening in Tasmania and across Australia.

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Niamh Chapman, one of our new Royal Society of Tasmania Council members, is the founding director and regular host of the show.

Led by an all-woman team of scientists from the University of Tasmania, the show chooses a topic each week and interviews a knowledgeable local guest in a conversational style interview.

The podcast can be found on major streaming services or at http://bit.ly/ThatsScienceTAS  

 The Royal Society of Tasmania Entomology Go challenge – what will you spot?

With nearly ten quintillion insects on earth you can’t catch em all!! But you may have a photo of an unknown insect on your phone, a dead one on your windowsill or a live one in your backyard?

Royal Society Entomologist, Shasta Henry, wants you to GO and discover some of the unique insects in your world; don’t worry She will help. Submit photos (or drawings) of your catches for the opportunity to receive Entomology Go ID cards and learn some wonderful facts about your insects.

*Safe for scientists aged 1-100+

Submit insect ID enquiries to bugirl@mail.com or send a Facebook message to Shasta Henry aka Bug Girl https://www.facebook.com/TasBugGirl/

Submissions should include the: LOCATION, DATE, SIZE (try including a coin in your photo)

WARNING: Some insects bite and some sting! Search respectfully – look but do not touch.

Click on this link for ideas from Shasta speaking in an interview with the ABC about catching and identifying bugs at home.

In this update the Royal Society of Tasmania introduces:

our new Vice President – Professor Jocelyn McPhie, 
Niamh Chapman – Councillor,

Shasta Henry – Student Councillor, and
Peter Manchester – Councillor

Vice President – Professor Jocelyn McPhie – Volcanologist

Jocelyn McPhie is a geologist and for most of her career (1990 to 2015), held an academy position at  the University of Tasmania. As an academic, she conducted fundamental and applied research in volcanology, and taught volcanology as well as other undergraduate geology units. Since retiring from the university, she has consulted 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 participate in research projects.

Niamh Chapman – Councillor – Medical research

Niamh Chapman is a passionate medical researcher and science communicator. She is based at the Menzies Institute for Medical Research in the Blood Pressure Research Group. Niamh’s research is focused on the role of health policy and digital technology for the prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Niamh is the Founding Director of radio show and podcast That’s What I call Science, which won the national award for Best New Program 2019 from the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia. That’s What I Call Science is run by a team of women in STEM that aims to deliver accurate, accessible and engaging content on areas of public interest with expert guests from across the state of Tasmania. The podcast can be found on major streaming services or http://bit.ly/ThatsScienceTAS

Niamh is a member of the Australian Cardiovascular Alliance Emerging Leaders Committee, the Australian Society for Medical Research Tasmania state committee and the Tasmanian National Science Week Coordinating Committee.

Shasta Henry (aka Bug Girl) – Student Councillor

Shasta is completing her PhD in 2020, investigating the impact of wildfire on Tasmania’s smallest alpine residents, invertebrates. She is a passionate entomologist and educator, having transitioned to science and science communication from ecotourism in 2009. During her time at Utas Shasta has completed a Bachelor of Science and Honours in zoology/entomology, worked as a tutor for Riawunnah and junior lecturer in the Geography department, volunteered as a Young Tassie Scientist and completed an internship at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington DC, “that’s how I got a species of beetle named after me.”

She also maintains a public presence as the Bug Girl via ABC Radio (also on Facebook), The Gourmet Farmer and Libraries Tasmania to name a few. While interpreting insects for the Tasmanian public, Shasta often talks about insects as food, introduced pests, native pollinators, ecological adaptation and how to identify insects for kids. From her days working as a white water rafting guide and rock climbing instructor Shasta still loves to travel and explore nature “but collecting insects is much easier on the knees.”

Peter Manchester – Councillor – Geochemist, photographer, orchid grower

Peter S Manchester B.Sc. (Hons), B.Ed. TTC.. Photographic Honors (AFIAP, AAPS, FAPS , FTPF)

Peter is Launceston born, educated at the University of Tasmania in geology, geochemistry and education. Apart from a short period at the Mines Department, then in ocean mining, he served National Service in Vietnam and Papua New Guinea. On return he served 40 years lecturing at TAFE, University and Colleges in geology, chemistry, still and video photography, multimedia (former Head of a Department) and recently geotourism to Australian and overseas to clients of all levels of experience. He is an accredited international judge in digital imagery and has conducted seminars, field trips and weekend getaways on Tasmanian geology, photography and astronomy throughout Tasmania and mainland Australia. He was Australian President of the Australian Photographic Society in 2002 – 2006.

In 2010 Peter self-published a book on Tasmanian geology Created from Chaos – 100 geological sites in Tasmania which has been distributed Australia-wide. (now out of print but in process of writing the updated edition). In June this year Peter was given the challenge to photograph, write and publish a book and poster on Tasmanian fossils taking over from the late Dr. Max Banks.  He is also producing a booklet on “30 Tasmanian Geotrails” as a source of use for tourism.

Peter is a much sought after lecturer and educator in geology, geotourism, and mineralogy, while also lecturing at places like U3A on various topics as scientific toys, inventions, meteorites and orchid growing. As an orchid grower he collects and presents at his place at Oakdowns.