The Royal Society of Tasmania

The advancement of knowledge

2017 Award winners

2017 Doctoral Award

Dr Lavenia Ratnarajah

2017 Doctoral award winner: Lavenia Ratnarajah

Dr Ratnarajah’s research focussed on the effects of natural iron fertilization by baleen whales and Antarctic krill on the Southern Ocean carbon cycle.

Dr Ratnarajah’s dissertation demonstrated that Antarctic krill acts as an efficient reservoir of Fe, with much of the consumed Fe being stored in the digestive organs and not incorporated into the muscle. Baleen whales then recycle the Fe stored in Antarctic krill through their diet and subsequent defecation. Although whale faecal material consists mostly of particulate Fe, the concentration of dissolved Fe in whale faecal material is comparable to marine ice and continental ice, but considerably higher than other sources in the region. This suggests that baleen whales could play an important role in recycling Fe to HNLC regions of the Southern Ocean.

2017 M.R. Banks Medal

Prof Michael C Breadmore

Professor Breadmore is an outstanding scientist and scholar having been awarded three consecutive fellowships from the Australian Research Council and in August 2017 was awarded with a DSc by the University of Tasmania. He is also a proud  Tasmanian who has made the deliberate decision to work in Tasmania for the majority of his career to date. His current work in the use of low cost additive manufacturing (i.e. 3D printing) for the production of new analytical devices is internationally recognized as leading new directions in the analytical sciences.

M.R. Banks Medal winner: Prof Michael Breadmore

2017 The Royal Society of Tasmania medal

Distinguished Prof Ross R Large

President of the Society for 2018 – 2020 Prof Large has contributed a great deal to the Society having previously been President and always working to the aim of advancing knowledge. 

Bursaries announced for Tasmanian students

Honours, Awards and Bursaries Committee

Bursaries:

Our Society now has the opportunity to offer up to three or four bursaries per year for Tasmanian students who have been selected to attend an overseas science, engineering or mathematics peak activity having attended a similar one in Australia. The amount of each bursary will be in the order of $1000.

We have always supported the youth in the Tasmanian community and this bursary scheme is a further step.

Typically a Tasmanian student at the end of Grade 11 may be chosen to attend a ‘summer school’ in one of the sciences or a combination, such as “The National Youth Science Forum” or “The Australian Mathematics Olympiad”. Following those events, a handful are recommended or chosen to represent Australia and attend an international equivalent. It is those youngsters that we wish to assist. In the past we actually have helped a number, but a recent announcement to several peak organisations brings the name and status of the Royal Society to the forefront in the school communities.

The Royal Society of Tasmania is offering financial support for Tasmanian students selected to attend international events in science, mathematics or engineering.

Applicants will be encouraged to forward one or two pages to the Society about their experience at the specific summer school (or similar) and aspirations of further study or even work choices.

In addition, a copy of the official invitation to attend the overseas science/mathematics event is essential. To support the application the appropriate teacher at school needs to write a supportive letter.

Dr John G. Thorne  AM

2018 Upcoming lectures

2018

10th April: M.R. Banks medal winner Prof Michael Breadmore: Chemical answers now – safer food, water and environment through chemistry on a chip
1st May: Ms Sophie Muller Director of the Tasmanian Climate Change Office in the Department of Premier and Cabinet – Putting the change in climate change
5th June: Dr Andreas Klocker – Sistema Huautla, Cave diving for science in one of the world’s most spectacular deep caves
3rd July: Joint Astronomy lecture
9th August: Margaret MacMillan, the noted Canadian historian of WW1, in Hobart as part of a short National speaking tour
4th September: A.Prof Arko Lucieer
2nd October: Postgraduate night
14th November: Susannah Fullerton OAM FRS (N), President of the Jane Austen Society – And so to bed … The Diary of Samuel Pepys
4th December: UTAS Vice Chancellor Prof. Rufus Black for Christmas Lecture and dinner.

Congratulations Adele Wilson!

Dr Adele Wilson, newly elected Council member of the Royal Society of Tasmania, has won the Winifred Curtis Award from the Science Teachers’ Association of Tasmania.
The Winifred Curtis Award is awarded annually and celebrates outstanding work in science education in Tasmania. Dr Wilson was presented with the award at the state science teachers’ conference in Burnie on 23 March, 2018.
Warm congratulations go to Dr Wilson from the Council and members of the Royal Society of Tasmania.

Australia Day Honours:

The Royal Society of Tasmania congratulates two of its members whose service to the community has been recognised in the Australia Day Honours List 2018:

Prof Trevor McDougall AC

 Prof. Trevor McDougall, FRS, has been appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) for eminent service to science, and to education, particularly in the area of ocean thermodynamics, as an academic, and researcher, to furthering the understanding of climate science, and as a mentor of young scientists.

Chief Justice Alan Blow

 Chief Justice Alan Blow has been appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished service to the judiciary and to the law, particularly as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Tasmania, to legal education and professional standards, and to the community.  

2018 Mawson Medal and Lecture celebrates Professor King

Winner of the M. R. Banks Medal 2015, University of Tasmania, Glacier researcher Professor Matt King. Picture: Peter Mathew

Member of our Society and its President, Professor Matt King will give the Mawson Lecture to the Geological Society of Australia at their convention in 2018. We’ll keep you posted!

Professor King’s research achievements on sea level change have earned him this recognition from the Geological Society. Matt’s work looks at ice sheets in the north and south poles observing the melting changes as the Earth deforms, imparting information about the properties of the planet hundreds of kilometres below its surface: read the full article.

Those who wish to apply: Australian Academy of Science

2018 Northern branch lectures

FEBRUARY 25 Jim Palfreyman “2016 Glitch of the Vela Pulsar” – In a world first, the only ever pulsar glitch observed in action with a large radio telescope. Right here in Tasmania.

** ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 1.15 pm March 25 **

MARCH 25 Prof Pat Quilty “Highlights of Tasmania’s Antarctic Exploration – Scott (why Scott?) and others” – Tasmania has long been a major location for Antarctica explorers. Researching their history has revealed some eye-opening surprises.

APRIL 22 Prof Hamish Maxwell-Stewart “Height, Health and History in Victoria and Tasmania 1850-1920” – How human stature can be used to explore early life disadvantage.

MAY 27 Dr Alison Alexander “Jane Franklin – the Real Founder of the Royal Society of Tasmania?” – The woman who organised, dominated, persuaded and commanded the men around her to co-operate in forming a scientific society.

JUNE 24 Dr Karin Orth “Mega Volcanic Eruptions and the Greatest Mass Extinction of All Time.” – Can Earth’s own internal heat engine driving volcanism be the harbinger of mass extinction?

JULY 22 Dr Caitlyn Vertigan “Shoot. Catalogue. Eat: Interacting with Nature at a Tasmanian Penal Station” – The early history of the Port Arthur penal station (1830-77) was filled with scientific exploration that today might be considered somewhat outside the accepted scientific regime.

** SCIENCE WEEK: AUGUST 11-19 **

AUGUST 26 Assoc Prof Jonathan Binns “Why Does an Engineer Need a PhD?” – Real problems in industry, defence and sport tackled with research and innovation, in Tasmania, Australia and the World.

SEPTEMBER 23 Dr Patsy Cameron “Voices From the Other Side of the Colonial Frontier” – A story of the social, cultural and spiritual survival of a unique people who lived on the Bass Strait islands from 1810.

OCTOBER 28 TBA “Breaking New Ground” – PhD students from the University of Tasmania will be presenting synopses and answering questions about their current research and progress. Topics TBA.

** The Annual QVMAG Staff Lecture**

NOVEMBER 25 David Maynard “Tasmania’s Forgotten Emus” – Before the thylacine there were other less well-known extinctions, including the Tasmanian emu soon after European arrival.