Presentation by Professor Pat Quilty

CSIRO Lecture Theatre Castray Esplanade Hobart

Tuesday, 4th December 2012 Commencing 6.00 pm until 10.00 pm

Christmas dinner at 7.30 following the lecture. $35.00 per head. Bookings required.

 

About the Speaker

Due to unforseen circumstances the talk by Eva Meidl originally scheduled for this night has been postponed until a later date.

 

Brief Abstract of the Talk

While the climate change debate is alive and well-known, little publicity is given to the origin of the knowledge about its natural cyclical nature that acts as a baseline against which to compare the modern trends. The lecture will go back to the origins of the concept of cyclicity, and review the basis for the data that support the idea and how patterns have changed with time. The origins are in microfossils, of course: guess which ones!

Presentation by Professor Neil Bose

Meeting Room, QVMAG at Inveresk

Sunday, 25th November 2012 Commencing 2.30 pm until

Free for Members, small charge for general public.

 

About the Speaker

Professor Bose is the Acting Principal of the AMC and Professor of Maritime Hydrodynamics. From 2009 to 2011 he was Director of the AMC National Centre for Maritime Engineering and Hydrodynamics. He gained his B.Sc. in Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering and his Ph.D. from the University of Glasgow. Professor Bose came to the AMC in May 2007 as Manager of the Australian Maritime Hydrodynamics Research Centre. His research interests include marine propulsion, autonomous underwater vehicles, ocean environmental monitoring and ocean renewable energy. He has an international reputation in marine powering performance and his book Marine Propulsion Prediction and Propulsion was published by the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, USA.

 

Brief Abstract of the Talk

Professor Bose will present an overview of ocean wave and tidal energy systems, focussing on tests and analysis being done at the AMC, University of Tasmania. This research in conjunction with several industry groups has culminated in a three-year Australian Research Council Linkage project with Oceanlinx, which is designing and constructing a 1MW power plant for Port MacDonnell, South Australia.

Presentation by Alison Alexander

Clarence Seniors and Citizens Centre

Tuesday, 6th November 2012 Commencing 8.00 pm until 10.00 pm

PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF VENUE

 

About the Speaker

 

Brief Abstract of the Talk

Jane Franklin was the wife of John Franklin, governor of Van Diemen’s Land form 1837 to 1843. Unusually for women of her time, she became internationally famous. Her two ambitions were to live life to the full, and to make her husband a hero. Today her first ambition might bring her fame, but in the nineteenth century it was her second ambition which brought her stardom.

Presentation by 3 x 20 minute papers details below

Royal Society Room

Tuesday, 2nd October 2012 Commencing 8.00 pm until 10.00 pm

Three postgraduates from leading schools in the University of Tasmania

 

About the Speaker

1. Tanya Bailey. Tanya Bailey recently completed a PhD with School of Plant Science UTAS. Her undergraduate degree was a Bachelor of Horticultural Science at the University of Western Sydney. She is currently employed as a Restoration Ecologist on a combined project between the School of Plant Science at UTAS and Greening Australia setting up biodiverse carbon trials in the Midlands. 2. Scott McAdam. Scott completed both his PhD and undergraduate degree with honours, at the School of Plant Science at the University of Tasmania. He has presented results from his PhD thesis at two international conferences and has published six scientific papers in high impact journals including Science and Plant Cell. Scott plans to continue his research, taking up a post-doctoral position at the University of Tasmania. 3. Lisa Cawthen. Lisa grew up in Tasmania and completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Tasmania. As an early career wildlife ecologist she has worked on a number of applied research and monitoring programs with the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program, Forest Practices Authority and as a consultant on wind farm projects. She is also involved in community and school education programs with The Bookend Trust, CSIRO Education and Hobart City Council bush adventures program.

 

Brief Abstract of the Talk

1. Title: Eucalypt regeneration, soil water repellency and ecological restoration in the Tasmanian Midlands. Tanya’s talk will focus on her PhD studies that have defined the regeneration niches needed to ensure regeneration of the dry forests of Tasmania. She will discuss the landscapes involved and how they have changed over the last 50 years. 2. Title: Stomatal evolution and the reason for your existence. About the talk: Stomata are the adjustable pores on the leaves of land plants with a 400 million year old evolutionary history. Research into seed plant stomata has revealed lots about the environmental conditions that trigger stomata to open and close. However not all stomata are the same as seed plant stomata. This talk will describe the evolution of stomatal behaviour over the past 400 million years of land plant evolution. 3. Title: From theory to practice: Are forest management strategies effective for bats? Lisa is currently finishing her PhD which investigated the effectiveness of Tasmania’s forest management strategies in dry sclerophyll forests at providing suitable habitat for bats. This talk will discuss the main findings of her PhD and their implications for our understanding of bats and forest management strategies.

Presentation by Allan Jamieson

Royal Society Room

Tuesday, 4th September 2012 Commencing 8.00 pm until 10.00 pm

 

About the Speaker

Allan Jamieson (B. Eng. Chem. Melbourne University) spent 17 years working in the Pulp and Paper Industry in Canada, Sweden and Japan before filling several managerial roles at APPM Burnie Mill and for North Limited. He is now Director, AOK Innovations P/L consultants in change management.

 

Brief Abstract of the Talk

Three paper mills once operated in Tasmania – one of these remains. By revealing the history of these mills, the author will explain the ways in which papermaking around the world was also changed

Presentation by Dr Nenagh Kemp

Clarence Senior Citizens Centre 17 Alma St Bellerive.

Tuesday, 7th August 2012 Commencing 8.00 pm until 10.00 pm

Please note change of venue due to building works at the Museum

 

About the Speaker

Dr Nenagh Kemp is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology at the University of Tasmania. Her research centres on child and adult spelling, literacy and the nature of Australian English, but has also expanded to investigate the links between text-messaging and literacy skills.

 

Brief Abstract of the Talk

Text-messaging is a ubiquitous form of communication, especially among young people. However, media panic about the potential effects of “textese”-style spelling on literacy skills has not been borne out by research. This lecture discusses the nature of “textese”, its links with literacy, and its future in communication.

Presentation by Various. See detail below

Sir Stanley Burbury Theatre, University of Tasmania.

Tuesday, 17th July 2012 Commencing 7.30 pm until 9.30 pm

Chaired by Professor Peter Rathjen, Vice-Chancellor, University of Tasmania

 

About the Speaker

1. Professor Elissa Cameron, School of Zoology, University of Tasmania. “Sex and social behaviour im mammalian conservation”. 2. Dr Menna Jones, School of Zoology, University of Tasmania. “Will Tasmanian devils follow Tasmanian tigers to extinction?” 3. Mr Mick Mooney, Richmond, Tasmania. “A Tasmania without devils: environmental impacts and implications for feral species”.

 

Presentation by Tony Fleming

Clarence Senior Citizens Centre 17 Alma St Bellerive.

Tuesday, 3rd July 2012 Commencing 8.00 pm until 9.30 pm

Please note change of venue due to building works at the Museum

 

About the Speaker

Tony Fleming has recently been appointed the Director of the Australian Government’s Antarctic Division, with responsibility for Australia’s Antarctic program. Previously, Tony was the National Operations Manager for the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC). AWC is a non-Government organisation that acquires land, and works with other landholders, to establish sanctuaries for the conservation of threatened wildlife and ecosystems. AWC currently has 22 sanctuaries covering more than 2.5 million hectares throughout Australia. Prior to joining AWC, Tony had spent 9 years with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. For the first five years he was Director of the Southern Branch, then spent the last four years as Head of the Service. In that role Tony was also a member of the NSW Marine Parks Authority and Chair of the Lord Howe Island Board. Tony has previously worked in the Federal Environment Department, where he led the development of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. He has also worked as a senior policy adviser to three Federal Environment ministers; Senator Graham Richardson, Ros Kelly and Senator John Faulkner.

 

Brief Abstract of the Talk

Tony will speak about his Grandfather Sir Raymond Priestley and his Antarctic adventures, focussing on Scott’s Northern Party 1911-13.