The Royal Society of Tasmania invites you to its June 2025 Public Lecture by guest speakers Drs Jan Herrmann and Sara Morawetz. All RST members, their guests, and the public are welcome.
Where: Geology Lecture Theatre, UTAS, Sandy Bay Campus on Sunday 1 June, 2025.
Time: 3.30pm for pre-lecture drinks, 4pm for the lecture.
Measurements are everywhere around us. People have measured things since times immemorial to help make sense of the world. Measurements can be powerful tools for driving scientific discoveries and technological innovation. Their results inform decisions in almost every sphere of human endeavour, and quantum theory tells us that the very act of measurement is changing the world.
Join metrologist Dr Jan Herrmann and artist Dr Sara Morawetz for a reflection on the history and future of measurement as we commemorate the signing of the Metre Convention (more information here) 150 years ago that established the foundations for how we take the world’s measure today – ‘for all times, for all people’.
Dr Jan Herrmann (L) and artist Dr Sara Morawetz (R).
Dr Jan Herrmann is responsible for the physical measurement capabilities at Australia’s National Measurement Institute (NMI). From atomic clocks to quantum electrical standards, from ultra-precision microscopes exploring the nanoscale to lightning generators testing high-voltage transmission components, the Institute’s scientists and engineers help ensure that measurements in Australia are accurate, fit-for-purpose and internationally recognised.
Dr Sara Morawetz is a conceptual artist whose research-based, interdisciplinary practice reflects critically and poetically on the matter and methods of science. Interested in the systems and structures that shape how we see and what we know, her work interrogates scientific and cultural apparatus that convey precision, accuracy and determinacy, yet remain slippery, speculative and whimsical when ‘tested in the field.’ Her projects involve collaborations with scientists from MIT, NASA and NIST, and her work has been exhibited throughout Australia and internationally.
The Royal Society of Tasmania invites you to its Annual Tasmanian Aboriginal Lecture by Mr Rob Anders on 25 May 2025, in the Meeting Room, Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery (QVMAG) at Inveresk, Launceston.
All RST members, their guests, and the public are welcome.
Admission is: ● free for RST members and children under 12. ● $7 for the general public, QVMAG or TMAG Friends, and members of the Launceston Historical Society. ● $5 for students, .
When: 1:30 pm Sunday 25 May 2025. Where: Meeting Room, QVMAG at Inveresk.
What is an Aboriginal cultural landscape and how are they being managed? Tasmanian Aboriginal people sustainably managed our environments through their relationship with Country. The imposed settler-colonial framework has seen changes to these environments. Pest species are spreading uncontrollably, and wildfire is rising. It’s time to re-think how these landscapes are managed. This talk discusses how empowering regional Aboriginal communities to manage these places can lead to better environmental and social outcomes.
Rob Anders 2025.
Rob is an Indigenous Fellow and PhD candidate in the School of Geography, Planning and Spatial Sciences at UTAS. With a spatial sciences background, he’s authored maps on Tasmania’s Aboriginal discourse, e.g. in books by Aunty Patsy Cameron (AO) and Lyndall Ryan. Rob has a long involvement at the regional Aboriginal community level and served 5 years on Tasmania’s Aboriginal Heritage Council. His interests are in strength-based approaches to Aboriginal empowerment, sustainability, and cultural land management.
The Royal Society of Tasmania invites you to its southern May 2025 Public Lecture by guest speakers Dr Sally Bryant AM and Dr Eric Woehler OAM. All RST members, their guests, and the public are welcome.
Where: Geology Lecture Theatre, UTAS, Sandy Bay Campus on Sunday 4 May, 2025.
Time: 3.30pm for pre-lecture drinks, 4pm for the lecture.
Forty-spotted pardalote. Image: Nomdeploom at English Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons.
Globally, few animal species are more visible or cherished than birds and Tasmania is internationally recognised for its high endemicity and as a refugia for rare species. However, few people realise that for a small island Tasmania has an alarming number of threatened bird species showing rapid trajectories of widespread decreases. Tasmania’s threatened birds occur in a variety of habitats from mountain to coast, but many are habitat specialists reliant on forest or sandy beaches. In this joint lecture, you will hear why Tasmania’s bird fauna is at risk, why these declines are happening and how, collectively, we can reverse these before it’s too late.
Dr Sally Bryant.
Dr. Sally Bryant AM is an Honorary Research Fellow with the Tasmanian Land Conservancy and Adjunct Lecturer at UTas. As a wildlife scientist, Sally has undertaken foundational research on many of Tasmania’s threatened species especially birds and has published prolifically on the conservation importance of island ecosystems. For decades Sally has pioneered recovery efforts for the Nationally Endangered Forty-spotted Pardalote and is currently involved with developing acoustic monitoring relying on her expert field skills in call detection.
Dr Eric Woehler OAM.
Dr. Eric Woehler OAM is a seabird and shorebird ecologist with more than 40 years of field research around the world. His current research efforts are directed at assessing population trends of resident shorebirds and seabirds around Tasmania, based on data sets that span 30 – 45 years. He was an Adjunct with UTas for 25 years, supervising more than 40 higher-degree students. Eric has published more than 200 peer-reviewed papers, almost 200 technical papers and recently authored five indicators for the 2024 Tasmania State of the Environment Report.
The Northern Branch of The Royal Society of Tasmania invites you to our public lecture by Lynette Ross on 27 April 2025, in the Meeting Room, Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery (QVMAG) at Inveresk, Launceston.
All RST members, their guests, and the public are welcome.
Admission:
free for RST members and children under 12.
$7 for the general public, QVMAG or TMAG Friends, and members of the Launceston Historical Society
Northern Tasmania’s attempts to house vice-regal personages ranged from Paterson’s early prefabricated buildings at Outer Cove and York Town to the modest cottage in Launceston. By 1885 this building was so dilapidated it was demolished and the land incorporated into today’s City Park. This lecture not only reveals the history of the official Government residence, but also throws light on such facets as its symbolism and cultural significance.
Lynette undertook a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in History and Archaeology at UTas in conjunction with University of New England. Her Honours degree featured a thesis on convict death at Port Arthur which led to a re-interpretation of the Isle of the Dead.
Past employment includes working as Heritage Officer at the Port Arthur Historic Site, positions at UTas, coordinator of operations at the historic Saumarez Homestead in NSW and operating as a private contractor. Her special interest is the history and archaeology of Australia’s colonial period. She has recently had her book on the history of Launceston’s Government Cottage published.
The Royal Society of Tasmania invites you to its April 2025 Public Lecture by guest speaker Dr Robert Johnson. All RST members, their guests, and the public are welcome.
Where: Geology Lecture Theatre, UTAS, Sandy Bay Campus on Sunday 6 April, 2024.
Time: 3.30pm for pre-lecture drinks, 4pm for the lecture.
A reminder that this will be the first Sunday following the time change to mark the end of Daylight Savings. I know it threw a few attendees last year.
Can artificial intelligence outsmart Mother Nature? From supercomputers crunching vast climate data to neural networks refining forecasts in real time, AI is transforming the way we predict the weather. But how does it work, and can it really make forecasts more reliable? Join us for a fascinating dive into the future of meteorology, where machine learning meets the atmosphere to shape tomorrow’s forecasts.
Every day, weather forecasts shape our decisions – from what we wear to how we prepare for extreme weather events. But where do these forecasts come from? This talk will take you behind the scenes of modern weather prediction, showing how we combine multiple global weather models into a single, more accurate national forecast for Australia. We’ll explore how AI and machine learning are quietly improving the forecasts you rely on – especially for rainfall predictions – and why uncertainty is an essential part of predicting the future.
Dr. Rob Johnson is a senior research scientist at the Bureau of Meteorology, where he leads the Forecast Improvement Research Team. His work focuses on improving weather forecast accuracy through model post-processing, nowcasting, and integrating advanced AI and machine learning techniques into operational meteorology. He recently led the implementation of Australia’s first AI-driven public weather forecasting system, replacing traditional statistical methods and enhancing the way forecasts are produced and communicated to millions of Australians.
The Northern Branch of The Royal Society of Tasmania invites you to our next public lecture by Mrs Rachelle Hawkins on 23 March 2025, in the Meeting Room, Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery (QVMAG) at Inveresk, Launceston.
All RST members, their guests, and the public are welcome.
Admission is free for RST members. Admission is $6 for the general public, admission is $4 for students, QVMAG or TMAG Friends, and members of the Launceston Historical Society.
When: 1:30 pm Sunday 23 March 2025, following the AGM being held at 1:15 pm.
Where: Meeting Room, QVMAG at Inveresk.
From humble beginnings in an empty warehouse on a wharf, Seahorse Australia began as a controversial pilot project, aiming to commercialise the pioneering research carried out at Launceston’s Key Centre for Aquaculture. 27 years later, the business has grown to become not only a respected supplier of seahorses, but also a popular tourist attraction. The jewel in the crown, however, is the exciting work being conducted in partnership with CSIRO and UTAS to breed and research the critically endangered handfish and release them into the wild.
Rachelle Hawkins at Seahorse World. Image:examiner.com.au.
Rachelle Hawkins grew up in rural NSW where she completed a BSc at Newcastle University before getting married. Rachelle and Craig moved to Launceston where Rachelle studied a graduate diploma in Aquaculture. On graduating, she was fortunate to become the first senior biologist at the new seahorse farm under the tutelage of Em Prof Nigel Forteath when the farm opened in 1998. Rachelle and Craig purchased the seahorse farm when it came up for sale in 2002, and purchased Seahorse World in 2010.
Detective Inspector Franz Heineken and the mysterious Danish connection
The Royal Society of Tasmania invites you to its March 2025 public lecture in Hobart by guest speaker and Tasmanian author David Owen. All RST members, their guests, and the public are welcome.
This event is hosted by The Royal Society of Tasmania to celebrate Tasmania Reads 2025.
Where: Royal Society of Tasmania Lecture Room, Customs House, 19 Davey St, Hobart on Wednesday 26 March, 2025, for the talk.
David will speak about three forthcoming novels in this popular Fullers Publishing detective series. Set in Tasmania, this is Australia’s longest-running police procedural series: cunning island crimes which ultimately are no match for the unhurried but razor-sharp Detective Inspector, Tassie’s longtime Dutch import. The Pufferfish novels are fast-paced with a literary touch, taking the reader all over the Island State and often beyond.
David Owen
David is the author of 19 books of fiction and nonfiction, including updated new editions in the Allen & Unwin natural history series – Tasmanian Tiger: The tragic story of the thylacine, and Tasmanian Devil: A deadly tale of survival, both co-authored with David Pemberton. In 2021 he co-authored with Kate Warner AC, former Governor of Tasmania, the two-volume Government House Tasmania: A Remarkable Story.
Nominations for positions on The Royal Society of Tasmania Council are now open for election at the Annual General Meeting on 6 March.
The following positions are open for nomination:
Three Council members (3-year terms)
Early Career Researcher (3 years)
Honorary Secretary (1 year; may be re-elected)
Honorary Treasurer (1 year; may be re-elected)
President (1 year; may be re-elected for 2 years maximum)
Vice President (1 year; may be re-elected for 2 years maximum)
Nominations must be received by the Returning Officer, Professor Jocelyn McPhie, by midnight Thursday 27 February 2025.
The nomination form can be downloaded using this link and is also available in person from the RST Office which is open Thursdays from 9:00 am to 12 noon.
The completed and signed form may be returned by mail to:
The Returning Officer c/- The Royal Society of Tasmania GPO Box 1166 Hobart TAS 7001
Or delivered to the RST office at 19 Davey Street Or a signed and scanned copy may be emailed to admin@rst.org.au.
For further information, please contact the Honorary Secretary at secretary@rst.org.au.
The Annual General meeting of The Royal Society of Tasmania will be held on Thursday 6 March 2025, at 4:00 pm, at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania, Marieville Esplanade, Sandy Bay, Hobart.
All RST members and guests are welcome. Admission is free.
Please join us for a complimentary drink before the formalities begin.
The RST Council recently approved the two winners of the 2024 Doctoral (PhD) Award. This award is intended to recognise recent PhD graduates who have made significant advances during their doctoral research. The value of the award is $1,000 (AUD).
The winners of the 2024 RST Doctoral (PhD) Award were Dr Ingrid Cox and Dr Manon Simon.
Dr Cox’s PhD project was undertaken at the Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania. Her thesis sought to understand the health burden and economic impact of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) in Australia by: (1) deriving incidence, prevalence, and mortality estimates; (2) assessing health-related quality of life (HRQoL), the best ways to measure it and factors affecting HRQoL; (3) assessing trends in resource use and costs related to IPF and providing a comprehensive cost analysis for the disease in Australia.
Dr Ingrid Cox (2024)
Dr Ingrid Cox is now a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Physician and Health Economist at Menzies Institute for Medical Research. Ingrid’s current research matches her passion for health equity and equality and aims to understand the population, their environment, influences on their health and access to healthcare resources. The ultimate aim of her work being to improve access to health services for Tasmanians and the broader Australian population by improving efficiencies in the use of resources. Her research spans over various disease areas with a focus on respiratory diseases.
Dr Simon’s PhD project was undertaken at the School of Law, University of Tasmania. Her thesis assessed the relevance of a legal analogy between cloud seeding and regional solar radiation management (SRM) through the analytical and normative lens of adaptive governance. Using adaptive governance principles, it examined the governance of cloud seeding in two Australian states and two American states. These case studies showed that regional SRM regimes require: (1) legal arrangements to facilitate greater interactions between institutions across scales of governance, to account both for the scale of deployment and the scale of impacts; (2) broader participation of relevant stakeholders at an early stage of research; (3) flexible legal mechanisms built-in the decision making to foster iterative learning; and (4) mechanisms to prevent and resolve potential conflicts.
Dr Manon Simon is now a lecturer in the School of Law, UTAS and she is interested in the transferability of lessons from the governance of weather modification techniques to the governance of solar radiation management.
