The Royal Society of Tasmania

The advancement of knowledge

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View the recording of the lecture by Prof Kate Warner and David Owen – March 2022

The lecture “Government House Tasmania — A Remarkable Story” is now available on the RST YouTube channel.

This lecture highlights content from Professor Warner and David Owen’s two-volume book, relating to the history of Government House, covering architecture, art, gardening and landscape ideals, pioneering scientific endeavour, colonial administration, vice-regal families and staff, and the evolving use of the House and Grounds. The story is supported by historical paintings and drawings, maps, plans and early photographs.

Professor Kate Warner AC is a barrister and solicitor whose career began as an Associate to the Chief Justice of Tasmania. Professor Warner then took an academic position at the University of Tasmania where she was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Law, Head of the School of Law and Director of the Tasmania Law Reform Institute. In 2014, she became Governor of Tasmania, and held that position until 2019.

David Owen is the Official Secretary, Office of the Governor, Government House, in Hobart. He has wide responsibilities relating to events that involve the Governor and particularly those events held at Government House. David is also a much published writer of fiction and non-fiction, including the highly successful “Pufferfish” detective fiction series set in Tasmania.

The Lost Thylacines

The Royal Society of Tasmania, Northern Branch, invites you to a public lecture on Sunday 24 April 2022 at 1.30 pm, by Kathryn Medlock, in the Meeting Room of QVMAG (Inveresk). Full COVID vaccination and the wearing of face masks are highly desirable for anyone attending in person. Admission is free for members of the Royal Society of Tasmania. The charge is $4 for students, QVMAG Friends, TMAG Friends, and members of Launceston Historical Society. For all others, admission is $6.

Kathryn Medlock

You may if you wish view the lecture remotely via ZOOM. In this case you must register in advance to ensure that you receive an email containing instructions for joining the webinar on the day of the talk. Click here to register for ZOOM.

Click here to view the latest flyer for the event and print if necessary.

The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery has a large and significant collection of thylacine specimens, however many more came into the museum than currently exist in the collection. This presentation will explain the fate of some of the ‘missing’ specimens and review the display history of thylacines at TMAG.

Patrick Hall 1998 (TMAG exhibition poster)

Kathryn Medlock worked in vertebrate zoology at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery for 35 years. Her many tasks included specimen preparation, collection management, research, education and exhibition curation. An exhibition on the thylacine in 1998 sparked her interest in the multiple facets of museum thylacine specimens and how the specimens themselves can reveal aspects of human culture, history and science.

Generously supported by  

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Jellyfish Blooms and the Future of the Ocean

The Royal Society of Tasmania invites all members and supporters to a lecture at 3 pm on 3 April 2022 by Dr Lisa Gershwin. The lecture will be presented in person at the RST Lecture Room in TMAG (Hobart) and as a Zoom webinar. This lecture is free for members of the Royal Society of Tasmania.  Non-members are welcome to attend and donations are appreciated through our website or at the door. Suggested donation is $6; $4 for students and Friends of TMAG.

Attendance in person: Please register for the in-person lecture using this link. The password is RST. Eventbrite registrations close at 4 pm on Saturday 2 April.

Attendance via ZOOM: Follow this link to register for the Zoom webinar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Our oceans are becoming increasingly inhospitable to life—growing toxicity and rising temperatures coupled with overfishing have led many marine species to the brink of collapse. And yet there is one creature that is thriving in this seasick environment: the beautiful, dangerous, and now incredibly numerous jellyfish. The jellyfish population bloom is highly indicative of the tragic state of the world’s ocean waters, while also revealing the incredible tenacity of these remarkable creatures.

Lisa Gershwin is a marine ecologist and scientific communicator. Her research skills include nearly all aspects of pelagic invertebrates with particular focus on gelatinous species, including jellyfish bloom dynamics, taxonomy, stinger management, toxinology, paleontology, evolutionary biology, and field guide construction. She communicates via local, national, and international media, high profile feature stories and documentaries, blogs, social media, a science show on the radio, and authorship of the best-selling books “Stung! On Jellyfish Blooms and the Future of the Ocean” and “Jellyfish: A Natural History”. She has more than 70 peer reviewed papers published, a half million dollars in competitive research funding, a Fulbright Fellowship, and more than 200 new jellyfish species and one dolphin discovered.

Doctor Lisa Gershwin

The peril of naming things: taxonomy, nosology and the identification of style

Her Excellency the Honourable Barbara Baker AC, Governor of Tasmania, and Emeritus Professor Don Chalmers AO invite RST members to a Medal Presentation, Lecture and Reception at Government House on Wednesday 30 March 2022 commencing at 6 pm. Dr Eric Ratcliff, winner of the 2021 Royal Society of Tasmania Medal, will speak on “the Peril of Naming Things”.

PLEASE NOTE THIS EVENT IS FOR RST MEMBERS ONLY.

Registration in advance is required. Detailed instructions for registration are given here. Please observe COVID-19 requirements for attendees at Government House. Attendees must wear masks and adhere to physical distancing provisions.

Bookings for this event will close at 9.00 p.m. on Thursday 24th March 2022.

Government House, Hobart

About this lecture

Taxonomy is broadly understood to refer to the science of classification of organisms, both living and extinct, whereas nosology is a branch of medical science that deals with the classification of diseases. Classification in general can be perilous because the process requires decisions about what is in and what is not in any particular class. In this lecture, Dr Ratcliff will explore the perils and pitfalls of naming and classifying.

About Dr Eric Ratcliff

The Royal Society of Tasmania Medal is reserved for a distinguished scholar who is also an active member of the Royal Society of Tasmania. Dr Eric Ratcliff fully satisfies, and indeed exceeds, the selection criteria for this medal. Dr Ratcliff has been a leading figure in the Psychiatric profession in Tasmania and nationally over some 55 years. Over six decades Dr Ratcliff has taught, lectured, written and published on psychiatry and medical history, and has taught, lectured, written, published, illustrated, exhibited and designed on architecture, building conservation, art and history. During the same period, he has been an active member of the Royal Society of Tasmania Northern Branch, a Member of the Northern Branch Management Committee for 13 years, President of the Northern Branch on four separate occasions, and a member of the Royal Society of Tasmania Foundation from 2015 to 2020.

Royal Society of Tasmania medal

A Book Review: “The Royal Society and the Invention of Modern Science”

A Book Review for The Royal Society of Tasmania by John Williamson

Adrian Tinniswood, The Royal Society and the Invention of Modern Science, New York: Basic Books, 2019, pp. 129

This small gem of a book (129 pp.) provides an approachable examination of how the Royal Society came to exist during the 17th century and what factors allowed it to continue. Tinniswood makes it clear that two factors – the storm of fascination at this time in science and experimentation in Europe and the UK, as well as the patronage of King Charles II – were both vital in the foundation of the Society. The author is both an academic historian and a writer of general and popular history works who has a gift for making clear what, in the hands of others, could become confusing.

The early chapters show how the 1600s were a period during which medieval ideas of science and reality were being overthrown. Developments in Mathematics, Astronomy, Biology and Physics changed the way in which society viewed nature and how new experimental methods challenged earlier concepts and ideas. The Society, Tinniswood explains, grew out of two separate movements – the first was the ‘Great Club’ at Wadham College, Oxford which developed into a haven for ‘experimental philosophy’. A club was set up there that would attract some of the great minds of the age: members from Oxford University included Robert Hooke (microscopist, architect), Christopher Wren (architect, astronomer), Seth Ward (astronomer), Robert Wood (mathematician), and John Wallis.

The second movement that initiated the Society, as outlined by Tinniswood, was a series of informal weekly meetings of academics from both Cambridge and Oxford in the unsettled years before and during the English Civil War. With the revival of monarchy in 1660, these meetings began to take on a more formal structure: held at Gresham College, London, their discussions centred on the newest ideas in science and reviewed the most recent experiments. This revolution in science – ‘advancement through experimentation and ocular inspection’ – was all the more remarkable as most people in Europe at that time, believed in witchcraft and magic. According to Tinniswood, the Royal Society actually created the Scientific Revolution. Although this may be too large a claim, it is true that these scientists were absolutely vital in that 17th century revolution of ideas.

The author explains that the new King, Charles II, a supporter, provided them with a Royal Charter in 1662. John Evelyn, another early member, provided the now, ‘Royal’, Society’s motto Nullius in verba — ‘Take no-one’s word for it’. This was an indication that the Society’s Fellows were determined to withstand the domination of (ecclesiastical) authority and to ‘verify all statements by an appeal to facts determined by experiment’.

What did the Royal Society do? Tinniswood is at pains to answer this. Initially suggestions of possible experiments were made by members, many of which were actually carried out and then they were written up formally and accurately so that they became a permanent record. By 1665 this record had developed into the Philosophical Transactions, the world’s first and longest continuously published scientific journal. Of this in 1870, the English biologist, T.H. Huxley said, “if all the books in the world, except the [Royal Society’s] Philosophical Transactions were destroyed, it is safe to say that the foundations of the physical science would remain unshaken”.

Later chapters describe the changing location of the Royal Society, the problems that the Society encountered in attempting to choose high quality members and Fellows, and the difficulties the Royal Society faced in dealing with critics at Universities and in the Church. But, Tinniswood assures us, “by the end of the 19th century the Society, after overcoming much opposition and indifference, had realised the aims of its founders, and at last had become an institution for promoting natural science”.

The author objectively outlines the problems faced by the Society over the centuries and how their handling of these issues was not always perfect. There are several references made to the role of foreign members and Fellows, as well as to the women who have been involved in the Society. Although these sections do seem a bit cursory – in a book of this diminutive size this is understandable – they constitute a very affirmative step.

Tinniswood’s explanations of even very complex issues are lucid and enlightening. The end notes for each chapter are accurate and thorough, the index is clear and the bibliography provides an excellent guide to the Scientific Revolution of the 17th century. This small monograph charts the evolution of one of the world’s great institutions for the advancement of knowledge and the development and use of science for the benefit of humanity.

John Williamson

Selected References

Tinniswood, A (2019) The Royal Society and the Invention of Modern Science, New York: Basic Books, pp.129

National Museum of Australia, ‘The Royal Society of London’, https://www.nma.gov.au/exhibitions/exploration-and-endeavour/royal-society-london

Wilton, P (2 February, 2010), ‘Oxford and the Royal Society’s Origins’, https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/science-blog/oxford-and-royal-society%E2%80%99s-origins

John Williamson
February, 2022

Understanding Early Earth Environments

The Royal Society of Tasmania, Northern Branch, invites you to a public lecture on Sunday 27 March 2022 by Doctor Indrani Mukherjee. The lecture will commence at 1.30 pm following the Annual General Meeting which will commence at 1.15 p.m.

Doctor Indrani Mukherjee

You may, if you wish, attend the lecture in person ​at the Meeting Room, QVMAG at Inveresk. For those attending in person, full COVID vaccination is highly desirable and the wearing of face masks is mandatory.

Admission is free for members of the Royal Society of Tasmania. The charge is $4 for students, QVMAG Friends, TMAG Friends, and members of the Launceston Historical Society. For all others, admission is $6.

Alternatively, you may view the lecture remotely via ZOOM. In this case you must register in advance to ensure that you receive an email containing instructions for joining the webinar on the day of the talk. Click here to register for ZOOM.

Click here to view the latest flyer for the event and print if necessary.

The transition of a simple cell into a complex one, billions of years ago, is the reason we share the planet with millions of species today. Indrani Mukherjee’s research focuses on “what drove that biological transition?” The approach involves a nuanced understanding of ancient marine environments, via novel and cutting-edge geochemical techniques.

Indrani earned her BSc Honours and Masters in Geology at the University of Delhi where she was also awarded the university gold medal for securing the highest marks in MSc. She completed her PhD at UTas in 2018 where she is a lecturer and postdoctoral researcher in Earth Sciences, and was awarded the 2021 Vice-Chancellor’s Early Career Award.

Generously supported by  

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Royal Society of Tasmania AGM and Lecture, Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania

“Government House Tasmania — A Remarkable Story”

The Royal Society of Tasmania invites you to this lecture by Professor Kate Warner AC and David Owen following the AGM at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania, commencing at 4 pm on on Monday 7 March 2022.

Click on this link to view the formal notice of the AGM and nomination forms for vacant positions on The Royal Society of Tasmania Council.

This lecture is free for members of the Royal Society of Tasmania.  Non-members are welcome to attend and donations are appreciated through our website or at the door. Suggested donation is $6; $4 for students and Friends of TMAG.

Please register your attendance in advance using this link. The password is RST. Eventbrite registrations close at 6 pm on Sunday 6 March.

The lecture will highlight content from Professor Warner and David Owen’s recently published book “Government House Tasmania — A Remarkable Story”. The two-volume book relates the history of Government House, covering architecture, art, gardening and landscape ideals, pioneering scientific endeavour, colonial administration, vice-regal families and staff, and the evolving use of the House and Grounds. The story is supported by historical paintings and drawings, maps, plans and early photographs.

Professor Kate Warner AC is a barrister and solicitor whose career began as an Associate to the Chief Justice of Tasmania. Professor Warner then took an academic position at the University of Tasmania where she was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Law, Head of the School of Law and Director of the Tasmania Law Reform Institute. In 2014, she became Governor of Tasmania, and held that position until June 2021.

David Owen is the Official Secretary, Office of the Governor, Government House, in Hobart. He has wide responsibilities relating to events that involve the Governor and particularly those events held at Government House. David is also a much published writer of fiction and non-fiction, including the highly successful “Pufferfish” detective fiction series set in Tasmania.

Tasmanian Beetles book launch

Wednesday 23 February 10.30am
Central Gallery, TMAG

We are very pleased to invite you to the launch of the Checklist of Tasmanian Beetles by Dr Simon Grove, Senior Curator, Invertebrate Zoology at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery.

This is a joint event hosted by the Friends of TMAG and the Royal Society of Tasmania.

The book, published by the Royal Society of Tasmania with financial support from the Friends, is a catalogue of all the described species of beetles from Tasmania, including Macquarie Island. It includes a meticulous up-to-date list of 2,864 species, including over 600 endemics, and colour plates featuring at least one representative species from almost every one of the 117 beetle families.

Simon Grove will speak to us about Tasmania’s rich array of beetles, and describe how advances in fieldwork and taxonomic studies have contributed to this comprehensive work, which continues a long tradition of developing insect checklists with relevance to Tasmania going back to 1842.

Dr Simon Grove

This is a FREE EVENT. Be assured that TMAG is working hard to provide a clean, safe environment for your visit, and seating will be socially distanced. The normal check in requirements will apply when you arrive at TMAG, and you will need to wear a mask (unless the rules change between now and then). 

BOOKINGS ARE REQUIRED – please use this link. Any members unable to use the internet registration, please contact the RST at [email protected] .