Newsletter August – September 2025

Dear RST members,
The past two months have been a particularly busy and rewarding period for the Royal Society of Tasmania, with several major achievements to celebrate. Foremost among these is the outstanding work undertaken on our new website. Emeritus Professor Richard Coleman led a dedicated team of volunteers in updating content and ensuring accuracy, working closely with our talented web designer, John Anderson. The result is a fresh, functional and informative site that serves our members and the wider community beautifully. See pp. 8–9 for more information.

Our second large project took the Society — and our historic Art Collection — to Oatlands for the Heritage and Bullock Festival. This wonderful two-day event drew around 5,000 visitors, and we estimate that some 2,500 people came through our two exhibition sites. It was a great pleasure to introduce the work of the Society to many who live outside Tasmania’s main cities. Visitors enthusiastically purchased our high-quality digital prints, mugs, and tea towels. This initiative, the brain-child of Distinguished Professor Ross Large AO, was brought to life thanks to his leadership and the tireless efforts of his volunteer team. The exhibitions looked magnificent in their colonial building settings and were warmly received. See p. 14.

We have also continued our work on the RST Art Collection catalogue book, A World Apart. After careful consideration, we decided to extend the publishing schedule to next year to ensure the highest possible quality. Members are encouraged to pre-order now and take advantage of the early-bird special price (see p. 4 below) — not only will you secure a saving, but your advance purchase will help offset production costs and support the editorial team.

Another important project reflects the Society’s deepening commitment to reconciliation. In February 2021, the Royal Society of Tasmania and the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery offered formal apologies to the Tasmanian Aboriginal people, taking responsibility for past unacceptable actions towards Aboriginal people, both living and deceased, and for the attitudes underlying these actions. This historic moment was a turning point in the history of both organisations. To mark its significance, the RST and TMAG are jointly commissioning a permanent, publicly accessible artwork to remind the current generation — and inform future generations — of the apologies and the events that led to them. The project, pumili nayri (meaning “making or doing good”) has a positive, forward looking intent. We will shortly be inviting expressions of interest from Tasmanian Aboriginal artists to create this important work, which will most likely be located in the TMAG precinct.

Meanwhile, our lecture program has continued in both the north and south of the state. If you missed any
sessions, remember that all are available to view at your leisure via the RST website. My sincere thanks go to all members and volunteers who have contributed their time, energy, and expertise to these projects. Your commitment keeps the Society thriving.

I welcome new members to the Society since our last Newsletter: Dianne and John Fowler (south), Liz McQuilkin (south), and Adrian Dickens (Victoria).

With sincere thanks and good wishes,

Julie Rimes,

RST President
President’s Message