View recording of Climate challenges and paths to mitigation – June 2021

The RST – ATSE public forum featuring Nathan Bindoff, Mary O’Kane and Andrew Catchpole, on Wednesday 23 June 2021 is now available on the RST YouTube channel. Read more about the lecture here.

View recording of the lecture by Dr Jennifer Lavers – May 2021

The lecture on May 23, 2021, by Dr Jennifer Lavers, is now available on the RST YouTube channel. Read more about the lecture here.

Growing Australia’s Blue Economy

The Royal Society of Tasmania, Northern Branch, invites you to a public lecture on Sunday July 25, 2021, at 1.30pm, by Dr John Whittington.

He will deliver a lecture on “Growing Australia’s Blue Economy“.

You may, if you wish, attend the lecture in person at the Meeting Room, QVMAG at Inveresk, No prior registration or notification is necessary.

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.

In the context of increasing populations and prosperity and a changing climate, global demand for food and energy will increase. Australia, with one of the largest Exclusive Economic Zones in the world, has enormous potential to increase seafood and renewable energy production sustainably. Realising this potential requires moving industries offshore into high quality but remote and exposed high-energy operating environments. This talk will focus on how the Blue Economy CRC is addressing these challenges to facilitate a step change in the value of Australia’s ocean-based aquaculture and renewable energy industries.

John has a PhD from the University of Adelaide and worked at the State University of New York before returning to Australia where he worked for several Universities and CSIRO. He then spent a number of years in the Public Service, most recently as Secretary of the Department of Primary Industries Parks Water and Environment, and is now the CEO of the newly established Blue Economy CRC.

Generously supported by

RST member, Dr John Paull, awarded OAM

The Royal Society of Tasmania congratulates long-standing member Dr John Paull, who was awarded an OAM in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2021. Dr Paull received his award ‘For service to medicine, and to history’.

John’s career as a distinguished anaesthetist spanned more than four decades. In retirement, John delved more deeply into his second passion, history, unearthing the remarkable story of anaesthetist William Pugh, who was in Launceston when he provided the first anaesthetic for a surgery in Australia in 1847. John has published two books on the topic – notably “Not just an Anaesthetist: The remarkable life of Dr William Russ Pugh MD”.

Congratulations, John!

National Reconciliation Week 2021

“More than a word. Reconciliation takes action.”

Find out more here about lectures, exhibitions and other events on during National Reconciliation Week.

Climate challenges and the path to mitigation

Public lecture at Stanley Burbury Theatre, UTAS Sandy Bay, Hobart and via Zoom webinar
Wednesday 23 June 2021, 7 pm

The Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE) and the Royal Society of Tasmania (RST) are bringing together three outstanding speakers who will take the audience on the path from climate crisis to sustainable future.

This event is open to the public. People with an interest in near-future climate and Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) are encouraged to attend.

To attend the lecture in person you must register in advance due to COVID rules. Use this Eventbrite link to register.

To view the event through the Zoom webinar, you must register using this link. You will be sent a confirmation email describing how to join the webinar.

Professor Nathan Bindoff, a three-times lead author on the International Panel of Climate Change (IPCC) assessment report, will provide a snapshot of emerging new climate states, tipping points and extreme weather in our potential future with weather events more frequent and intense than ever before.

Learning from past events is key to mitigating the impact of climate change; ATSE Fellow Professor Mary O’Kane will examine the nature of the 2019-20 bushfires, why they raise some particular challenges for mitigation and how applied scientists can influence policy development effectively.

The energy sector plays a major part in climate change mitigation. Andrew Catchpole has for the last twenty years been involved in Hydro Tasmania’s participation in Australia’s National Electricity Market and will talk about the sector’s current mitigation strategies as they shift to sustainable energy production.

Midwinter Dinner and Lecture by Susannah Fullerton OAM FRSN

Midwinter Dinner and Lecture
by Susannah Fullerton 2021

The President and Council of The Royal Society of Tasmania warmly invite members and friends to the Midwinter Dinner to be held on Monday 12 July, 5:30 pm for 6, at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania, Marieville Esplanade, Sandy Bay, to enjoy an engaging talk by Susannah Fullerton OAM FRSN entitled:

“The Importance of Being Oscar: The Life and Works of Oscar Wilde”

followed by a two-course meal.

For COVID safety reasons, we need the acceptance form (found here) to be completed and returned to the office giving the name and address of each person attending. The form contains full details of the event.

Susannah Fullerton, OAM, FRS(N), has been president of the Jane Austen Society of Australia, this country’s largest literary society, for the past 22 years. She is the author of several books on Jane Austen and gives many talks around the world about her favourite novelist.

Susannah also gives talks at libraries, schools, the Art Gallery of NSW and State Library of NSW on many other famous writers, such as Pepys, Oscar Wilde, the Brontës, Dickens, Trollope and many more. She has written Brief Encounters: Literary Travellers in Australia about famous authors visiting Australia, and has also written and recorded two audio CDs, Finding Katherine Mansfield and Poetry to Fill a Room. Susannah also leads literary tours to the UK, France, Italy, Scandinavia, NZ and America for Australians Studying Abroad.

New RST Office Manager position

We are calling for applications from suitably qualified persons for a new part-time Office Manager position with the RST.

The Royal Society of Tasmania (RST) is the oldest scientific society in Australia. Its mission is the advancement of knowledge mainly through monthly lectures, publication of the Papers and Proceedings of the RST and books, awarding RST medals to outstanding scholars, and sponsoring or promoting educational and scholarly activities. The Society currently has 350 members and is based in the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Davey Street, Hobart. Further information about the Society is available from our website: rst.org.au

A new part-time casual position of up to 8 hours per week has been created. The Office Manager will be responsible for the smooth running of our office where professionalism, initiative and wide experience in office management tasks will be required.

DUTIES

You will perform a full range of office management duties including:

Day to day running of the office
Manage telephone and email contacts and correspondence
Administrative support to the Executive and Council
Assist with the maintenance of membership and financial records
Promotion and marketing of RST merchandise
Arrange meetings and associated bookings
Record and circulate Society minutes and reports
Other tasks as required

SELECTION CRITERIA

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

Demonstrated effective interpersonal, oral and written communication skills
Competent computing skills especially in the use of Microsoft Word and Excel
Excellent organisational and problem-solving skills
Demonstrable ability to manage the day to day running of an office and to work independently

DESIRABLE

Experience in an accounting package would be an advantage.

Please submit applications outlining qualifications and demonstrating how your experience and skills match the selection criteria by cob Friday June 4, 2021. Please include the names and contact details of two referees.

A full position description is available from secretary@rst.org.au

Send your resume and cover letter by email to: secretary@rst.org.au

What made Tasmania?

A public lecture to celebrate the centenary of the Northern Branch of the Royal Society of Tasmania

The Royal Society of Tasmania, Northern Branch, invites you to a public lecture on Sunday 27th June 2021 at 1.15pm by geologist and mineralogist, Ralph Bottrill.

He will deliver a lecture entitled “What made Tasmania?“.

If you wish to attend the lecture in person at the Meeting Room, QVMAG at Inveresk, you must register in advance due to COVID rules. You can do so by sending an email to apcachris@gmail.com or by phone on 0417 330 118. Do so early to guarantee a seat.

Alternatively you may view the lecture remotely via ZOOM. In this case you must also register in advance in ZOOM. This has nothing to do with COVID. It simply ensures 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.

To commemorate the inaugural meeting of the Northern Branch on 27 June 1921 delivered by the Government Geologist, Loftus-Hills, this lecture will revisit the subject of geology but with the focus on developments in Tasmanian geology.

The geology of Tasmania is very ancient, complex, highly mineralised and controversial, and most of the west was poorly understood, until in recent decades the mapping, dating and information compilation coordinated by the Tasmanian Geological Survey (Mineral Resources Tasmania) has enabled us to get much greater understanding, and produce detailed maps of most of it, despite the largely difficult terrain and complexity.

Ralph Bottrill has an MSc in geology, and is a geologist and mineralogist, living near Hobart. He has worked for 36 years at Mineral Resources Tasmania where he manages the labs and rock collections and studies various Tasmanian mineral deposits, rocks and minerals. He is also an associate curator for minerals with the Tasmanian Museum and the Queen Victoria Museum.