Published Papers

When Louisa Anne Meredith first arrived in colonial Australia she was already an accomplished author and during the remainder of her life here her talents as a gifted painter and illustrator would receive equally high acclaim. At the heart of her work was her love of nature and through her prolific writings and social commentary, […]

Old field succession is the process of vegetation recolonisation of abandoned sites in a passive method of restoration. Slope aspect could be expected to affect the nature of succession after clearance. We investigated variation in paired cleared and uncleared plots between three aspects in grassy woodland in northeastern Tasmania. PERMANOVA was used to assess relationship […]

This paper builds on our existing knowledge of fluorescence in Tasmanian mammals and birds, with 25 new and updated observations comprising two species not previously reported to fluoresce, 12 species previously only reported from museum specimens, and updated information on 11 species, plus two colour-morphs not previously reported. In most cases, the coverage, intensity and […]

Production and sources of agricultural limestone and dolomite in Tasmania are considered in the context of their geology, the acidity of their surface soils, transport and current patterns of use. The Tasmanian Government paid a rail freight subsidy between 1940 and 1980 to encourage on-farm use of ground lime products. Regulations and registration were adopted […]

The organised acclimatisation of animals from one geographical region to another was a widespread movement from the mid-nineteenth century and was common in the Australasian colonies. Previous studies have underplayed or ignored Tas- mania’s acclimatisation experience as shown by the activities of the Tasmanian Acclimatisation Society, formed in 1862 by a small band of enthusiasts […]

Norman Laird was a pioneering Tasmanian advocate for nature conservation through documentary filmmaking and writing in an era before environmental activism was well known, yet his achievements have since been overlooked. Through the camera and pen, Laird was a seminal influence on public discourse about Tasmanian nature in the mid-twentieth century, and, being in the […]

The nomenclature and typifications of Spyridium parvifolium (Hook.) F.Muell. and S. obcordatum (Hook.f.) W.M.Curtis are reviewed. Spyridium parvifolium var. molle (Hook.f.) Benth., so far recognised as a separate taxon in Tasmania, is not accepted, following a recent molecular analysis of the species complex. Lectotypes are chosen for Cryptandra obcordata Hook.f. (basionym of Spyridium obcordatum) and […]

How we got here, and what we might expect after the referendum Thank you for inviting me to speak about an issue that is topical today. And thank you to the audience, both here in person and those listening in, for your interest. I am not the first of my family to stand before the […]

In 1979 the National Aboriginal Conference (a national body of elected aboriginal people) called for a treaty. The Prime Minister at the time, Mr Malcolm Fraser, indicated he was happy to discuss a treaty with the NAC and although these discussions did not eventuate, at least the topic was raised. In 1996 Sir William Deane, […]

For over 60,000 years the Palawa people practised their sovereignty across this land of lutruwita. All of this changed with the arrival of the white man. The invasion radically changed us in a very short amount of time. Our culture was interrupted; our language, freedoms and country were taken from us, by force. Since British […]

In February 2021, The Royal Society of Tasmania offered a formal Apology to Tasmanian Aboriginal people (Palawa) and committed to building a respectful and supportive relationship. As part of honouring that commitment, the Society has invited Tasmanian Aboriginal scholars and leaders to present lectures in the RST lecture program. The three lecture transcripts published in […]

A resplendence of poets could not conceive of something so exquisite as the kaleidoscope of nature’s nocturnal glow. For the first time, this paper presents an overview of Tasmania’s luminous phenomena: the Aurora Australis, or Southern Lights; Sea Sparkles, or marine bioluminescence Noctiluca scintillans; Glow-worms Arachnocampa tasmaniensis; Ghost Mushrooms Omphalotus nidiformis and other fungi; fluorescent […]

An invertebrate fauna survey of the Stony Head Military Training Area in northern Tasmania was conducted over the period November 2020 to March 2021 as part of Australia’s Bush Blitz program. The survey focused on insects, spiders and molluscs, with other taxa sampled opportunistically, and identified numerous species that are noteworthy for their apparent rarity, […]

This paper examines some aspects of the growth of Hobart as an Antarctic gateway. Indigenous Tasmanians used the sheltered waterways of the Derwent Estuary as a base for maritime journeys into Storm Bay and beyond. After European colonisation of Tasmania (1803), the creation of Hobart as a major port for Antarctic and Southern Ocean exploration […]

This paper contains a species checklist of the ants of Tasmania and an overview of their discovery including contributions of visiting and resident biologists since the earliest records from 1777 during Cook’s third expedition to the Pacific. Tasmania has about 10% of the described ant fauna of Australia including almost half the genera and nine […]

The patterns and correlates of native tree loss after suburbs are built in forest and woodland are poorly known yet can be important for nature conservation and scenic amenity. We use Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, to determine the rate of such tree loss and the factors that relate to this. Twenty suburbs in Hobart that had […]

Although the nature and correlates of variability in perceptions of the visual aesthetics of rural and natural landscapes have been well-studied, more work is needed on suburban landscapes, particularly to establish the desirable visual aesthetic qualities of new suburban developments. Visual elicitation was used to determine the aesthetic responses of adults of varying place of […]

The Vale of Belvoir is a large open grassy valley of striking appearance located northwest of Cradle Mountain. At 800 m altitude, it is Tasmania’s only subalpine limestone valley. The unusual geology and human history have combined to give the valley its unique character. The three main geological elements are: the folded Ordovician limestone bedrock, […]

It is argued the term Williamane, as applied to an architectural style that emerged in the time of transition between the Georgian and Victorian periods in Britain and its colonies commonly referred to as the Regency, has particular validity and usefulness in the historiography of colonial architecture in Australia, notably when applied to some Italianate […]

Although glaciation of the Tasmanian highlands was recognised by early explorers, it was in the 1890s that Edward Dunn and Thomas B. Moore provided the first formal descriptions and maps the Lake Dora Tyndall Range glaciated area in western Tasmania. The Victorian geologist E.J. Dunn published the first map in 1893 with a description of […]

Three Tasmanian species of leaf beetles, belonging to the nobilitata species-group of Paropsisterna Motschulsky,1860, are identified and redescribed: P. hectica (Boisduval, 1835); P. simsoni (Blackburn, 1899); and P. vittata (Blackburn, 1899). Paropsisterna hectica is a senior synonym of P. aurea (Blackburn, 1899) (new synonym). A neotype is designated for P. hectica, and lectotypes designated for […]

As part of the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery’s (TMAG) ongoing research, collection-building and nature-discovery program, marine-macroalgal surveys were conducted in late 2019 at the disused woodchip loading wharf at Triabunna and at Louisville Point, on the east and west sides respectively of Spring Bay. Seven taxa are either new to science or new records […]

William Lodewyk Crowther (1817-1885), surgeon, naturalist and politician, rose to prominence in Tasmania’s early colonial society, including serving a term as Premier of Tasmania (1878-79). His drive and indomitable character made him a popular figure and four years after his death, a monument was erected in Franklin Square, Hobart, in his honour. The unveiling ceremony […]

On Monday, 15 February 2021, the Royal Society of Tasmania (RST) and the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) delivered paired Apologies to the Aboriginal people of Tasmania. The event was held in the Courtyard of TMAG, Hobart, and attended in person by about one hundred invited guests including members of the Tasmanian Aboriginal community, […]

The date 27 June 1921 holds special significance for those in the north dedicated to the advancement of knowledge as it marks the inaugural lecture of the newly formed Northern Branch of the Royal Society of Tasmania. Yet, as will be demonstrated, this organisation was not undergoing creation but a reincarnation from its earlier counterpart. […]

Tasmania has been the site of much astronomical activity over the past century. While most of the scientific research has taken place in the south of the state, this paper documents the significant activities that have been a focus in northern Tasmania, tracing the history of key events and people involved. The scene is set […]

Despite being more prevalent in Tasmania than elsewhere, dolerite found relatively limited use by early European settlers. Dolerite was used in foundations, basements and retaining walls, but was difficult to shape and at least in the first half of the colonial century, highly unfashionable both in colour and texture, although acceptable for industrial buildings and […]

This paper provides a brief history of the Central North Field Naturalists since its foundation in 1987 as the Deloraine Field Naturalists and lists the many contributions this community group has made to improving nature conservation and education in Tasmania.   Keywords: Central North Field Naturalists, Tasmania, Disjunct Naturalists, giant freshwater lobster

The endemic Tasmanian Digger Wasp Williamsita tasmanica is only known from 13 registered museum specimens, with little recorded on its life history. A nesting aggregation of females was observed over a 25-day period, enabling the first detailed observations of host log, nest design, prey and egg deposition, and behavioural patterns to be made. Cells were […]

The Tamar Valley occupies the Tamar Graben, a geological structure defined by a series of parallel NW-trending faults which have lowered the dolerite basement to below sea level. The resulting narrow trough, some 50 km long and 5 km wide, has been partially infilled with soft sands, clays and gravels, with intercalated basalt flows in […]