From Spiny Ant-Eater to Promiscuous Spiky Baby Killer: An Incomplete Natural History of Echidnas presented by Associate Professor Stewart Nicol, in the Meeting Room, QVMAG at Inveresk, 2.00pm Sunday 24th May 2015
Admission: $6 General Public, $4 Friends of the Museum and Students
Free for members of The Royal Society of Tasmania

To assist us with the organization of this event
RSVP by Thursday 21st May 2015:
Email bookings@qvmag.tas.gov.au or telephone 6323 3798

Assoc. Prof. Nicol will discuss the controversies provoked by the arrival of the first specimens of echidnas and platypuses in Europe at the end of the 18th century, and some of the larger than life personalities involved. It wasn’t until 1884 that the debate about their mode of reproduction was fully settled, and surprisingly little work was done on the field biology of the echidna until recently, and it was not until 1986 that it was shown that the echidna is a “classical” hibernator. Studies of echidnas in the wild have shown surprising interrelationships between hibernation and reproduction, and explain why male echidnas have such large testes. Recent observations provide a possible explanation of why males mate with females that have not yet completed their hibernation, why females may re-enter hibernation when pregnant, and while they continue to mate when pregnant. Assoc Prof. Nicol will also provide new information on the unusual properties of echidna milk.

Stewart Nicol, was born in Launceston and attended Launceston High School and Launceston Matriculation College before studying zoology and geology at the University of Tasmania in Hobart, obtaining first class honours in Zoology in 1968. After a brief period as a teacher at Launceston College he returned to Hobart as Demonstrator in Physiology in the Medical School and completed a PhD on the  thermal physiology of the potoroo in 1978. He eventually became Head of Anatomy & Physiology and Deputy Dean of Health Science, but his research interests were mainly in the physiology of native mammals and in 2007 he transferred to the School of Zoology. Since 1990 his principal research interest has been the biology of the echidna and he has published over 50 papers on various aspects of their biology, ranging from haematology, respiration and hibernation to reproduction, maternal care, olfactory  communication and milk composition, as well as several book chapters. He retired in 2012 but continues with his research.

The Royal Society of Tasmania – 2015 Launceston Lecture Series

Professor Ross Large
Distinguished Professor of Geology, UTAS

will present

Variations of Nutrient Trace Elements in the Past Oceans Provides a New Explanation for Major Extinction Events

in the Meeting Room, QVMAG at Inveresk
2.00 pm Sunday 26th April 2015
Admission: $6 General Public, $4 Friends of the Museum and Students
Free for members of The Royal Society of Tasmania

To assist us with the organization of this event
RSVP by Thursday 23rd April 2015:
Email bookings@qvmag.tas.gov.au or telephone 6323 3798

Availability of nutrients in the ocean is a major factor affecting marine life, burial of carbon and release of oxygen. However, the nutrient trace element (TE) composition of the paleo-ocean cannot be measured directly and is therefore poorly understood. In this talk I present a comprehensive global dataset on the TE content of marine sedimentary pyrite in black shales, dating back 700 million years. The data demonstrate that variations in continental uplift and erosion created a series of nutrient cycles that controlled evolution in the oceans and oxygen in the atmosphere. The cyclic patterns reveal periods of nutrient-rich oceans of 30 to 60 million years duration, followed by nutrient-poor oceans of 10 to 40 million years duration that account for several major mass extinction events.

Professor Ross Large is a Distinguished Professor of Geology at the University of Tasmania. He gained his BSc (Hons) from the University of Tasmania in 1969 and PhD from University of New England in
1973. For ten years Ross worked in mineral exploration in Northern Territory, Queensland and Tasmania. In 1984 he joined the University of Tasmania, and five years later established the Centre for Ore
Deposit and Exploration Science (CODES). Under his leadership CODES has grown to become recognized as one of the top industry collaborative ore deposit research centres in the world. Ross has over
100 publications in international journals and has gained a number of international awards for his research. His current research interests are sediment-hosted gold deposits and evolution of the chemistry
of the oceans.

Paul Brunton OAM, FAHA  Emeritus Curator, State Library of NSW, Honorary Associate of the School of Philosophy and Historical Inquiry,
University of Sydney  will present  The Portraits of Captain James Cook  in the Meeting Room, QVMAG at Inveresk 2.00pm Sunday 22nd March 2015

Admission: $6 General Public, $4 Friends of the Museum and Students
Free for members of The Royal Society of Tasmania

To assist us with the organization of this event
RSVP by Thursday 19th March 2015:
Email bookings@qvmag.tas.gov.au or telephone 6323 3798

There are only six authentic extant portraits of Captain James Cook (1728-1779) in the world, of which three are by the same artist, John Webber (1751-1793). Webber was the official artist on Cook’s third and last voyage. Three of these six portraits were unknown until after 1960 including both the portraits in Australia which are the first and last portraits of Cook to be painted. The stories of these contemporary portraits and the images of the great explorer made after his death give an insight into the man and the making of his legend. They helped create the legend of a man who selflessly died so that others might live, a great British hero but one of science not of war.

Paul Brunton, OAM, FAHA, is Emeritus Curator of the State Library of New South Wales, and Honorary Associate of the School of Philosophical and Historical Inquiry, University of Sydney. He was Senior
Curator, Mitchell Library, from 2002 to 2012 and Curator of Manuscripts from 1986 to 2000. He has a special interest in the European discoveries in the Pacific and was responsible for the acquisition of
a number of significant manuscripts and printed books on this subject for the Mitchell Library. His publications include Matthew Flinders: personal letters from an extraordinary life (2002).

The Royal Society of Tasmania – 2015 Launceston Lecture Series

Solomon Walker-Bowd BA (Hons), UTAS  will present  The Northern Branch of the Royal Society of Tasmania: 1853-1953   in the Meeting Room, QVMAG at Inveresk 2.00 pm Sunday 22nd February 2015
Admission: $6 General Public, $4 Friends of the Museum and Students
Free for members of The Royal Society of Tasmania

To assist us with the organization of this event
RSVP by Thursday 19th February 2015:
Email bookings@qvmag.tas.gov.au or telephone 6323 3798

The Royal Society for the Advancement of Science, formed by royal charter in 1662, was the pre-eminent scientific body of the British Empire. The first branch to be founded outside Britain was formed in Hobart in 1843 and has been the subject of considerable scholarship. However, little has been written about the two incarnations of the Royal Society that were formed in Launceston. A “Northern Branch” was first attempted in 1853, yet this body was defunct by 1860. The Branch was later re-formed in 1921 and continues to the present day. This presentation will examine the first century of the Northern Branch, from 1853 to 1953. It will be argued that the re-formed Northern Branch in particular served as a focal point for Launceston’s progressively-minded and intellectual classes to congregate and discuss scientific and historical matters, as well as coordinate the social and intellectual uplift of the city. In this way, the Northern Branch has served as both a barometer of Launceston’s intellectual growth and a facilitator of future development.

Solomon Walker-Bowd is a postgraduate student at the University of Tasmania, currently completing a Masters of Teaching. He was a co-winner of the Malcolm McRae Honours Scholarship for History in 2012, and
graduated from the University of Tasmania in 2013 with First Class Honours in History. Solomon’s Honours thesis focused on the first century of the Northern Branch of the Royal Society of Tasmania, unearthing
considerable information about the Branch – now Chapter – previously overlooked by historians. The wealth of available material leaves potential for him to consider a PhD thesis sometime in the future.

The Royal Society of Tasmania – 2014 Launceston Lecture Series

Andrew Parsons will present The Royal Society of Tasmania Library, 1845-  in the Meeting Room, QVMAG at Inveresk at 2.00pm Sunday 23rd November 2014

Admission: $5 General Public, $3 Friends of the Museum, $2 Students
Free for members of The Royal Society of Tasmania

To assist us with the organization of this event
RSVP by Thursday 20th November 2014:
Email bookings@qvmag.tas.gov.au or telephone 6323 3798

Andrew Parsons served as Honorary Librarian to the Royal Society of Tasmania from 2010 to 2013. Drawing on material from The Society’s new publication, The Library at the End of the World, he will take listeners through the history of the Library, from its earliest days as a fledgling colonial library right up to the digital age. He will draw on his own experiences, as well as the knowledge of others intimately involved with the library and The Society’s latest publication. Andrew will look at all aspects of The Society’s library operations and collections, including rare books, journals, and digital content.

Andrew Parsons worked at the AMC and UTAS libraries, Launceston and Hobart, from 1996 through to early 2013. From 2010 to 2013, he managed UTAS Library’s special and rare collections; as part of
this role he served as Hon. Librarian to the Society. During his time in this role, he oversaw the continuation of digitising of the Society’s archives and ‘Papers & Proceedings’, as well as the completion of
the cataloguing and reorganisation of the Society’s serials collection.
In February 2013, he took up the position of Library Coordinator at the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, where he revived the Society’s Northern library collection. Andrew served on the Society’s Council from 2010-13, and is presently a member of the Management Committee of the Northern Chapter (2013-)

The Royal Society of Tasmania – 2014 Launceston Lecture Series

Professor John Pearn Emeritus, School of Medicine, University of Queensland

will present

The First Medical Research in Australia

in the Meeting Room, QVMAG at Inveresk
2.00 pm Sunday 26th October 2014
Admission: $5 General Public, $3 Friends of the Museum, $2 Students
Free for members of The Royal Society of Tasmania

To assist us with the organization of this event
RSVP by Thursday 23rd October 2014:
Email bookings@qvmag.tas.gov.au or telephone 6323 3798

Australia has a rich heritage of medical research. For those interested in “firsts”, the first formal medical research in Australia was undertaken on the French naval Baudin expedition of 1801 – 1803, in Tasmanian waters. The French naval surgeon, Francois Peron, had constructed a strength-testing machine, a dynamometer, and used this to measure the effects of climate and nutrition on human strength. These experiments were conducted against the background of scurvy, a disease which Cook’s earlier nutritional experiments had brought under control in the Royal Navy. Maria Island holds a special place in the history of medicine and healthcare in Australia.

Professor John Pearn is a Senior Paediatrician based at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Brisbane. A Founder and Past President of the Australian and New Zealand Society of the
History of Medicine. He is also a long-serving Committee Member of the International Society of the History of Medicine. As Major General John Pearn, he is a former Surgeon
General of the ADF.

 

The Royal Society of Tasmania – 2014 Launceston Lecture Series

Dr Guy Williams
ARC Future Fellow

will present

Antarctic Ocean/Ice Interactions: New Insights from Biotagging and Autonomous Platforms

in the Meeting Room, QVMAG at Inveresk
2.00 pm Sunday 28th September 2014
Admission: $5 General Public, $3 Friends of the Museum, $2 Students
Free for members of The Royal Society of Tasmania

To assist us with the organization of this event
RSVP by Thursday 25th September 2014:
Email bookings@qvmag.tas.gov.au or telephone 6323 3798

Antarctica’s input to the Southern Ocean is one of the major thermodynamic engines of the Earth climate system. Our understanding is formed by our observations, which act to evaluate and validate our ability to monitor the system with satellites and predict future states with numerical models. But the Antarctic margin of the Southern Ocean is a harsh environment and there are non-trivial limitations to the observational datasets we’ve struggled to achieve so far. Recent technological advances in the miniaturisation of sensors for biologging and the application of autonomous robotics are dramatically enhancing the spatial and temporal coverage of our observations. This talk will examine recent outcomes from both areas that are having a dramatic impact on polar climate science

Dr Guy Williams moved to Tasmania in 1998, translating a confused background in Aeronautical Engineering at the University of Sydney into an Honours project at UTAS, modelling the dynamics of Heard
Island glaciers. Thereafter he completed a PhD in observational physical oceanography, falling deeply in love with the production of cold, salty Antarctic Bottom Water. Completing post-doctoral positions
in Hobart, Sapporo and Paris, Guy returned to the ACE CRC in 2011 to successfully lead an ‘Autonomous Underwater Vehicle under Sea Ice’ project in October 2012. A veteran of 7 polar research voyages
and nearly a year at sea, he now resides at IMAS as an ARC Future Fellow, happy to let Elephant seals and robots collect data for him.

The Royal Society of Tasmania – 2014 Launceston Lecture Series

 

Dr Tom Dunning, PhD (History, University of California) will present The Virtues of Local History: the Case for Launceston

in the Meeting Room, QVMAG at Inveresk
2.00 pm Sunday 24th August 2014
Admission: $5 General Public, $3 Friends of the Museum, $2 Students
Free for members of The Royal Society of Tasmania

To assist us with the organization of this event
RSVP by Thursday 21st August 2014:
Email bookings@qvmag.tas.gov.au or telephone 6323 3798

Local history is the basis for all historical studies, as the unique characteristics of one small place helps us to understand all places. Launceston is an excellent example of this axiom. With this in mind, Dr Tom Dunning, in collaboration with Paul Richards and Barbara Valentine, aim to facilitate and edit the first new history of Launceston since 1969. This publication, to be titled The Fabric of Launceston, will weave together thematic threads to demonstrate the diversity, difference and enterprise of the local Launceston community. The authors want this history to be owned by members of the community in a collaborative effort. This lecture will be the public launch of this project.

Dr Tom Dunning has lived in Launceston since 1985, teaching at the Newnham campus of the University of Tasmania. From 2007 to 2012, he was head of the cross campus School of
History and Classics. He retired at the end of 2013. With Paul Richards and Barbara Valentine, he has edited two previous works. He has a doctorate from the University of California.

Mr Tim Roberts, Research and Development Manager, Revolution Design, Hobart

will present

Designing a Low-Emission, High-Speed Ferry for Argentina

in the Meeting Room, QVMAG at Inveresk
2.00 pm Sunday 10th August 2014
Admission: $5 General Public, $3 Friends of the Museum, $2 Students
Free for members of The Royal Society of Tasmania

To assist us with the organization of this event
RSVP by Thursday 7th August 2014:
Email bookings@qvmag.tas.gov.au or telephone 6323 3798

Incat is a Hobart-based company providing optimal lightweight ships for ferry operators, special service providers and militaries. It specialises in catamarans, from fast and flexible vehicle-passenger ferries to high-speed military support vessels and crew ships. The catamaran “Francisco” was built in Incat’s Prince of Wales Bay shipyard in Hobart, and delivered last year to the Argentinia company Buquebus, and will operate on the River Plate, between Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Montevideo, Uruguay. It is the first high-speed Ro-Ro ferry to operate with liquefied natural gas (LNG) as one of the primary fuels, and accordingly it has one of the lowest emission levels in the word. Incat was awarded the construction contract for this ship in November 2010. The design works were carried out by Revolution Design. The vessel was launched in November 2012, with sea trials commencing in March 2013. The energy-efficient vessel was named in June 2013. Tim Roberts will talk about some of the challenges faced by Revolution Design to produce the design features of this unique vessel.

Mr Tim Roberts has been an executive Director of Revolution Design, the design arm of Incat in Hobart, since 2003 and is currently the Research and Development Manager. He first became involved with ship design as a consultant in noise and vibration, and in 1984, completed a Master’s Degree using a wind tunnel study to quantify flow forces on underwater winged appendages. He then spent four years in Asia consulting in noise and vibration, wind engineering and small boat design. Prior to his appointment with Revolution Design, Tim worked at Incat, and was responsible for research into all facets of high speed ship design and building, and the application of this research into the production of fast ferries and cargo vessels. Particular areas of research have included tank model testing, computer modelling performance prediction of catamaran hull shapes, fatigue analysis of catamaran structures, and full scale monitoring of vessel motions, stresses and sea conditions for the prediction of sea

in the Meeting Room, QVMAG at Inveresk

Admission: $5 General Public, $3 Friends of the Museum, $2 Students
Free for members of The Royal Society of Tasmania
To assist us with the organization of this event, RSVP by Thursday 24th July 2014:
Email bookings@qvmag.tas.gov.au or telephone 6323 3798

Colon cancer is one of the most commonly occurring forms of internal cancer, and the second most common cause of cancer-related death, after lung cancer. Around 80 Australians die of the disease each week. It will affect one in twenty people in their lifetime, and currently has a mortality rate of 50%. Colon cancer is a serious disease, but if cancer or precursor colonic polyps are diagnosed early, it is often curable. Surgery offers the only chance of cure in detected cancers, while chemotherapy and radiotherapy may offer both cure and symptom control in more advances cases.

Dr Scott Fanning: Colonic Polyps and Cancers – A Gastroenterologist’s Perspective
Dr Fanning will provide an overview of colonic polyps and cancer, a brief summary of genetic pathways, and will discuss endoscopic assessment, classification and treatment options.
Dr Fanning runs a busy practice based at St Vincent’s Private Hospital, and is Visiting Gastroenterologist at the Launceston General Hospital. He is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

Dr Hung Nguyen: Surgical Treatment of Colorectal Cancer
Dr Nguyen will present some rationales and historical perspectives on the surgical treatment of colorectal cancer, looking also at current research and future directions in surgical techniques.
Dr Nguyen has been a colorectal surgeon in Launceston since 1996. He is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, and has acted as an Examiner for RACS Fellowship examinations.

Dr Mark Bell: Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy for Colorectal Cancer
Dr Bell will outline the evolution of chemotherapy and radiotherapy for both cure and symptom control in colorectal cancer, particularly in relation to patients presenting with more advanced disease.
Dr Bell is a Radiation Oncologist working at Launceston General Hospital, Mersey Community Hospital and St Vincent’s Private Hospital. He is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Radiation Oncologists.