THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF TASMANIA 

Memo to Members

Wednesday 18 March 2020

 

Dear Members, 

 

Thank you all for such a strong start to the year for our Society, with a great turnout at our AGM on 1 March. 

In response to the COVID-19 situation, the Council has taken steps to help protect the members of our Society and help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the community. 

The Northern Management Committee has postponed the Northern Branch AGM and lecture by Andrew Parsons planned for Sunday 22 March. The forward program of the Northern Branch for 2020 has been cancelled until further notice. 

In Hobart, the lecture by Susannah Fullerton on 5 April has also been cancelled. We are sorry that these cancellations have been necessary, but the health of our members and guests must be the priority. 

To conduct the necessary business of the Society, the Council and its Committees will continue to meet as scheduled, possibly via conference call. We plan to investigate the feasibility of delivering some lectures by livestream while it is inadvisable for larger gatherings to meet. 

In the meantime, we will do our utmost to fulfil the Society’s mission of ‘advancing knowledge.’ Our newsletter will continue. Papers are now being sought for our Papers and Proceedings – please consider contributing a paper, and encouraging your friends and colleagues to do likewise. Bursaries to secondary students will continue to be offered, and the Peter Smith Medal for early career researchers as well as the Doctoral Awards will be advertised a little later in the year. 

We will keep you informed if the situation changes, and will post updates on our website and social media when possible. 

 

Please feel free to contact the me at the Royal Society if you have any queries.

 

Yours sincerely, 

 

Mary Koolhof 

President 

The Royal Society of Tasmania

The committee of the Royal Society of Tasmania Northern Chapter regrets to inform you that we need to defer the AGM and lecture which were to have been held on Sunday 22 March 2020.

We have made this decision reluctantly, but it has been made following the best medical advice. The health and well-being of our members and the community in general is of the utmost importance; we do not want to put anyone at risk of coronavirus Covid 19 infection.

We will resume our program as soon as it is safe to do so.

 

A new year begins for the Royal Society of Tasmania

 

At the Annual General Meeting held on 1 March, the following office bearers and Council members were elected:

 

PRESIDENT: ​   Mrs Mary Koolhof

VICE-PRESIDENT: ​   Prof. Jocelyn McPhie

SECRETARY: ​   Mrs Marley Large

TREASURER: ​   Mr David Wilson

 

COUNCIL POSITIONS:       Dr Greg Lehman

​                                       Mr Peter Manchester

​                                       Ms Niamh Chapman

Early Career Researcher: Dr Robert Johnson

Student Councillor:          Ms Shasta Henry

 

Congratulations to all those elected, and a very warm welcome to the new members of Council. A warm welcome also goes to our new Editor, Dr Sally Bryant, and Mr James Crotty who has accepted the appointment of Honorary Solicitor. It is very much appreciated when members commit their skills and experience to furthering the aims of our Society in the advancement of knowledge.

Grateful thanks are extended to all those who worked hard behind the scenes in the organisation of the Annual General Meeting and the preparation of the Annual Report.

The Annual General Meeting was very well attended, with 90 members and guests, and many positive comments on the new venue.  Warm thanks were extended to outgoing President, Prof. Ross Large AO, and the 2019 Council who worked so hard on behalf of the Society.

The lecture by Prof. Jean-Philippe Beaulieu was heard with great interest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Royal Society of Tasmania coat of arms carved by Nellie Payne in 1930

These bursaries and the application process were widely advertised to government, independent and Catholic schools, subject associations, curriculum leaders, and on the RST website.

The Chair of the Bursary Committee was Dr Deborah Beswick, and committee members were Dr Robert Johnson, Dr Adele Wilson, Penny Cocker and Andrew Porter.

High quality, detailed applications were received by the committee.

Four bursaries were awarded.

Three of these were for attendance at the International RoboCup competition in Sydney, July 2019.

These were awarded to Michael Duffett from Rosny College, and Will Gaffney and Thomas Norgaard from Rose Bay High School.

Sophia Newton, from Elizabeth College, was awarded a bursary to attend a STEM Accelerator Tour in the United States, in April 2020.

     

Dr Deborah Beswick

Chair of the Bursary Committee

 

Congratulations to the all the very deserving recipients

 

Royal Society of Tasmania

BURSARIES

for TASMANIAN STUDENTS 2020

 

The Royal Society of Tasmania is offering bursaries for Tasmanian secondary/senior secondary students who have been selected through a competitive process to represent Australia at an international event. The amount of each bursary may be up to $1000.

 

What is the Royal Society of Tasmania?

The Society has been in active existence since 1843 and we have continued to achieve our aim of ‘advancing knowledge’ in a wide variety of ways. The bursaries are one way in which we support the youth of Tasmania.

 

Who can apply?

In 2018 bursaries were offered in the fields of science, mathematics and engineering. In 2019 the bursary program was broadened to also support students selected through a competitive process for international events in the arts, humanities and social sciences.

 

What is the closing date?

There is no closing date for applications, as applications are considered on a rolling basis throughout the year.

 

How to apply:

Students need to send a written application including:

· a brief descriptor of the international summer school or event they have been selected to attend, including dates and costs

· a copy of the recommendation from the Australian selection event or activity they were selected to attend

· a concise statement, written by the student, about their goals and aspirations and a short CV (max 2 pages)

· the endorsement of a senior staff member of their school.

 

Note: As the student/staff member may be contacted for interview/further information please provide contact phone numbers.

 

Send applications to:

deborahkathleen.beswick@gmail.com

 

Dr Deborah Beswick
Chair, Bursaries Committee
The Royal Society of Tasmania

 

The Australian Academy of Science has released a statement on the science behind bushfires and climate change. 

 

See the Statement below or follow the Link to the Australian Academy of Science website:

 AAS – Statement on bushfires

 

Statement regarding Australian bushfires

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://<a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/light”>Light vector created by pikisuperstar – www.freepik.com</a>

 

Penguins and sea birds of Antarctica,

the illustrations of Edward Adrian Wilson (1872–1912),
artist on the Robert Falcon Scott expeditions to the south

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The Royal Society of Tasmania 2020 Calendar is now available for purchase. A beautiful gift for any occasion, the calendar can be purchased at our on-line shop, by postal order or directly from the Royal Society Rooms

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Retail price: $19.95 – click here to go to our on-line shop

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If you purchase directly from the Royal Society Rooms the price is $18.00 – open Wednesday mornings, at 19 Davey St (opp. Constitution Dock).

Or order by post for $24.00 per copy (including handling and postage within Australia). Download the Order Form here: 2020 Calendar Order Form0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 ∞