The Royal Society of Tasmania

The advancement of knowledge

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Australian Mineral Discoverers 1950-2010

Published 1st December 2020
Editors: John Hill, Tony Hope, Ross Large, David Royle

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Mineral discoveries in the 1950 to 2010 period have been the backbone of wealth creation for all Australians and helped to maintain Australia’s economic position as the “Lucky Country”. However, discovery of buried minerals is an extremely complex science that requires knowledge, innovation, disciplined application of geological principles, teamwork, persistence and an ounce of luck.

In this book you will read 65 exciting and sometimes unbelievable stories of the life and achievements of a cross-section of Australian mineral explorers and educators who have advanced the science of discovery and contributed to the wealth of Australia for all Australians. Without these mineral discoveries, most in remote and inhospitable parts of Australia, many of us would not enjoy the high standards of living achieved in this country.

The stories told in these pages include the discovery of 150 mineral deposits, from the very largest (Olympic Dam of over 6 billion tonnes of copper, gold and uranium ore) to the smallest (the gold-rich Juno deposit in Tennant Creek). Collectively these mineral discoveries amount to many hundreds of billions of in-ground value, that have supported many mines, towns and communities in outback Australia for 50 years and beyond.

Antarctic krill: What do the Southern Ocean’s charismatic “omega-fauna” eat, and how might they fare in a future high CO2 world?

The Royal Society of Tasmania invites you to a Zoom webinar by Dr Jessica Ericson on November 8, 2020, at 3pm.

To participate in this webinar, you must register in advance; click here to do that. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) are fascinating invertebrates with an important role in the Southern Ocean, as the primary prey of Antarctic whales, seals, penguins, fish, squid and seabirds. Krill are lipid rich, making them a particularly nutritious food for their predators.

Many of us know what animals eat krill, but what do krill eat and what makes them so nutritious? This PhD research used fatty acids as dietary biomarkers to investigate the diet of krill over consecutive years and seasons, filling knowledge gaps on krill diet, especially in winter. Because krill are so important in the food web, any decreases in krill biomass could result in a major ecological regime shift.

Little is known about how climate change will affect krill. As part of this PhD research, the first long-term study (one-year) was carried out to investigate the effects of ocean acidification on the physiology and biochemistry of krill. These novel results, and those from other recent studies will be discussed.

About the speaker

Dr Jessica Ericson — Post-doctoral Research Scientist (Shellfish Ecophysiology and Aquaculture) at Cawthron Aquaculture Park, New Zealand — specialises in the study of ecologically and economically important marine invertebrates from temperate and polar regions.

Her research primarily focuses on how climate change stressors (e.g. ocean acidification and warming) affect the physiology, biochemistry, immunology and behaviour of different invertebrate species. She has studied a wide range of ‘charismatic micro-fauna’ including limpets, mussels, oysters, sea urchins and krill. The unique responses of these organisms to their environment always provide opportunities to learn something new.

Her studies have taken her to remote locations including Antarctica and she has spent many weeks at sea on research voyages. Jessica was born in New Zealand and comes from a long line of lighthouse keepers and scientists, so believes it is no coincidence that she chose marine science as a career path. She is also a keen mountain biker, ocean swimmer and printmaker. She lives in Nelson, New Zealand, but considers Tasmania to be her second home.

Update on the work of the Council’s Aboriginal Engagement Committee

The committee (AEC) has continued to work on two areas of activity in recent weeks, and regular interaction with Council is occurring given the importance of these activities to the Society.

First, the suggested wording for Acknowledgement of Country has been drafted and discussed with the Council, with variations proposed for the Papers and Proceedings and meetings.

Second, we have advanced the discussions with Council on the apology to Tasmanian Aboriginal people, including planning for the apology event.

On Tuesday 22nd September, the Council hosted an extraordinary meeting to discuss the wording of the apology. The Council agreed the wording pending confirmation of the preamble. This historic decision was a result of substantial work by several members of the AEC, particularly in fact-checking the text so that all mentions of “Society” or “Member” activities in the past are traceable to the Society’s minutes, correspondence or other historical documents. We will continue to update members as plans progress.

Prof Matt King, Chair of AEC

Butterfly Brilliance: The Lambkin-Knight Butterfly Collection

The Royal Society of Tasmania invites you to a public lecture by Trevor Lambkin, David Maynard and Simon Fearn.

Where: On your computer via Zoom
When: 1.30 pm Sunday 25th October 2020

To participate in this webinar, you must register in advance; click here to do that. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

To download a flyer for printing, click here.

A collection of around 12000 butterflies compiled by Trevor Lambkin and Ian Knight over the last 50 years has most generously been donated to QVMAG. Including many hundreds of species, some extremely rare and some that are now extinct, it is an important part of Australia’s national research infrastructure.

Hear from one of the donors, lepidopterist Trevor Lambkin about building the collection, and from QVMAG staff David Maynard (Senior Curator of Natural Sciences) and Simon Fearn (Museum Collections Officer) on its research potential and housing such a large collection.

Generously supported by  

Progress Toward an Apology

By Professor Matt King
Chair, RST Aboriginal Engagement Committee

The RST Aboriginal Engagement Committee (AEC) has continued to assist Council in working toward an apology to Tasmanian Aboriginal people. The wording of the apology has received further attention from Council and it is expected to be finalised in the coming weeks.

We have had positive and constructive discussions with senior staff members of the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) regarding their own apology. We are continuing discussions with the plan of offering paired apologies at a shared event. We will inform members further as details are agreed and finalised by TMAG and RST Council.

The AEC has also briefed the incoming members of Council regarding the history of the work of the AEC dating back to 2016 and, especially, the recent proposal that the RST enter into a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) or RAP-like arrangement. Council are currently considering this matter.

Finally, Professor Greg Lehman has stepped down from his role as Co-Chair of the AEC while remaining an active member. The AEC thanks Greg very much for his insight and co-leadership of the AEC and looks forward to ongoing partnership with him.

September 2020.

An account of Earth’s Middle Ages – Life and Resources

You are invited to a Zoom webinar presented by Dr Indrani Mukherjee at 3pm on October 4, 2020, in Hobart. 
 
Register in advance for this webinar using this link. 
 
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
 

Indrani’s PhD involved understanding pyrite trace element and sulphur isotope geochemistry of Proterozoic marine black shales using LA-ICP-MS and SHRIMP-SI techniques. The research focussed on nutrient-productivity cycles in past oceans and atmosphere-ocean redox state in the context of biological evolution in the Proterozoic era. Pyrite chemostratigraphy was also used for assessing mineralisation potential of black shales. This presentation will expand on the research foundations built over the course of Indrani’s PhD targeting both fundamental and applied aspects of geochemistry. The former involves advancing our knowledge of Precambrian atmosphere-ocean dynamics in shaping the course of early evolution. The latter involves utilisation of the geochemical data combined with statistical tools, for applications such as biogenicity tools, predictive modelling, and mineral exploration.

Our speaker, Dr Indrani Mukherjee, is a Postdoctoral Researcher in Geochemistry at CODES, University of Tasmania. She completed her PhD in 2018 from the University of Tasmania under the supervision of Professor Ross Large. Indrani acquired her B.Sc. (Honours) and M.Sc. in Geology degrees from the University of Delhi, India. She was awarded a RST Doctoral Award in 2019.

Indrani’s main focus has been on understanding pyrite trace element and sulphur isotope geochemistry in Precambrian marine black shales. Her research ties past geochemical conditions of the atmosphere-ocean system to evolution of early complex life and secular distribution of ore deposits through time. Indrani aims to apply the pyrite LA-ICP-MS technique towards developing a deep time model for evolution of complex life and devising vectors to SEDEX Zn-Pb and sedimentary Cu mineralisation.

Chemical Answers Now: protecting us and our environment

Where: On your computer via Zoom
When: 1.30 pm Sunday 27th September 2020

To participate in this webinar, you must register in advance; click here to do that. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Professor Breadmore is pioneering the development of portable and transportable technology to provide chemical information when and where the sample is collected. Applications include the detection of home-made explosives at airports, the continuous monitoring of nutrients in our rivers, and more recently, whether we can use these to detect viruses.

After public education in northern Tasmania, our speaker graduated from University of Tasmania with BSc (Hons); PhD; DSc. He has made a continued and sustained contribution towards miniaturized analytical technology for clinical, forensic, environmental and food applications at UTAS. He was one of three finalists in the Eureka Outstanding Young Researcher Award (2011), has been listed in the Analytical Scientist’s power list of the top 100 analytical chemists in the world (2014, 2017, 2019), and is the Director of the Australian Centre for Research on Separation Science.

Generously supported by