Lectures and Events

Professor Greg Lehman, an internationally respected authority on the history and representation of Tasmanian Aboriginal people, will explore how early Australian colonial art drew heavily on visual traditions developed in French and British North America a century earlier. These images, often marked by naïveté and contradiction, nonetheless carry enduring influence, shaping perceptions of Aboriginal people and informing how we understand our place within the Australian landscape today.

Dr Vaughan Cruickshank and Dr Scott Pedersen will jointly present the Northern Branch monthly lecture for June entitled “The Importance of Movement: How Are Australians Active and What Else Could We Do?” at 1.30pm on Sunday 28 June at QVMAG Inveresk.

For most of human history, obesity has been understood as a failure of character. The science tells a very different story. Clinical A/Professor Roland McCallum traces how we came to misunderstand one of the most common conditions in medicine — and where the evidence is finally leading us.

Professor David Adams will present the Northern Branch monthly lecture for July entitled “What Counts as Valuable Knowledge Nowadays, and Who Counts It?” at 1.30pm on Sunday 26 July at QVMAG Inveresk.

Join us as Dr Jarrod Hodgson and Dr Julie McInnes, Heard Island expeditioners, share their experiences of conducting science in the extraordinary World Heritage wilderness of Heard Island.

Professor Toby Walsh will present the Northern Branch monthly lecture for August with a focus on aspects of Artificial Intelligence at 1.30pm on Sunday 23 August in Launceston at Scotch Oakburn College – in conjunction with National Science Week.

Join us to celebrate outstanding Tasmanian research as the 2025 Peter Smith Medal winner, Associate Professor Jacqueline Halpin, and 2025 Doctoral Medal recipient, Dr Katie Marx, present lectures on their award-winning work.

Dr Tony Webster will present a lecture entitled “History and Influence of Geology in the Growth and Building of the Yorktown-George Town Region” at the Northern Branch’s annual joint meeting with the Geological Society at 1.30pm on Sunday 27 September at QVMAG Inveresk.

Thomas Rimes will present at a mid-winter dinner meeting entitled “The Art and Science of Conducting” at St David’s Cathedral (Hobart). Join Tasmanian conductor and composer Thomas Rimes for an engaging and insightful exploration of the art and science behind orchestral and choral conducting. Drawing on extensive experience in symphony orchestras, opera houses, musical theatre, and church […]

The Society will celebrate Louise Anne Meredith over the weekend of 3-4 October. On Saturday a day tour of the East Coast of Tasmania will visit Louisa’s houses and areas of interest. And on Sunday attendees will be treated to informative and entertaining lectures and panel discussions.

Tony Cox and Denise Cox will present the Northern Branch monthly lecture for October entitled “The Journey of Ancient Botanicals Into Modern Chemistry” at 1.30pm on Sunday 25 October at QVMAG Inveresk.

Tom Cotton and Bob Cotton will jointly present a lecture entitled “New Perspectives on the Geological Origins of the Tamar Valley and the Cataract Gorge” in Hobart.

Join us for Christmas Dinner and a lecture by John Williamson entitled “Science and Mount Everest”.