Royal Society of NSW News & Events

Through its then President, the Royal Society of New South Wales signed the Uluru Statement of the Heart declaration in January 2018. The Society’s Statement of Support, which has been on our website since 2018, included the following paragraph: Our mandate, as the Royal Society of New South Wales, Australia's oldest peak scholarly body, is th...

The Royal Society of NSW warmly welcomes 32 new members to the Society's ranks, effective from 6 September 2023. FellowsProfessor Alaina AmmitProfessor Vicki BitsikaAssociate Professor Amy CainProfessor Ben ColagiuriProfessor Andrew CondonEmeritus Professor Rosalind CroucherProfessor Catherine GreenhillProfessor Steven LangfordAdjunct Professor Kim...

Most face-to-face events and all online events conducted by the Royal Society of New South Wales are recorded and made available for subsequent viewing on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/royalsocnsw. Challenges for Open Enquiry and Scholarship in a Divided Age On the evening of Wednesday, 6 September, an audience of approximately forty people ...

The Society was deeply saddened to learn of the death of Fellow, Professor Emeritus Stephen Gaukroger FRSN FAHA FRHistS FRSA, on 3 September 2023 after a short illness. Stephen Gaukroger was one of the world’s leading historians of science, mathematics, and philosophy, and in each of these fields, he was recognised as one of the most significant fi...

The Royal Society of New South Wales is delighted to announce the appointment of Emeritus Professor Ian Sloan AO DistFRSN FAA as the 19th Distinguished Fellow of the Society. The honour of Distinguished Fellow is awarded to internationally-distinguished contributors to science, art, literature, or philosophy, with the number of Distinguished Fellow...

The Royal Society of New South Wales was delighted to learn of the presentation of the 2022 Centre Francais de L'Anticorrosion (CEFRACOR) Grand Medal to one of its Fellows, Emeritus Professor David Young FRSN FTSE from UNSW Sydney.  The presentation was made at the 2023 Annual Congress of the European Federation of Corrosion (EUROCORR) held in...

Throughout its history, a number of Australia’s most celebrated artists have been members of, or exhibited with, the Australian Watercolour Institute (AWI). The AWI works to ensure the future of watercolour painting as a vital medium and this year is celebrating its centenary with its Centenary Exhibition. Dates: 1–7 September 2023, 10.00 am – 4.00...

The Royal Society of New South Wales is delighted to learn that four of its Fellows, Professor Renae Ryan AM FRSN, a neuroscientist from the University of Sydney,  Professor Richard Kingsford FRSN, an environmental scientist and river ecologist from UNSW Sydney, Professor Toby Walsh FRSN FAA, a computer scientist and artificial intelligen...

On 23 August 2023, the Minister for Industry and Science, the Hon. Ed Husic MP, announced that the Australian Government has appointed  Professor Emma Johnston AO FRSN FAA FTSE, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) of the University of Sydney, as a member of the CSIRO Board for the next four years. Professor Johnston is well known to RSNSW member...

The Society is actively seeking to build its influence and outreach through social media — Facebook, LinkedIn, X (previously known as Twitter), and YouTube.  In the first month of the appointment of the Society’s new Communications Officer, we have seen significantly increased traffic (views and impressions) on these channels, new subscription...

Most face-to-face events and all online events conducted by the Royal Society of New South Wales are recorded and made available for subsequent viewing on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/royalsocnsw. Ideas@theHouse: Ideas for marine stewardship and sustainability in a time of acceleration The eighth in the series of Ideas@theHouse events — jo...

The Society is deeply saddened at the passing of one of its Fellows, Professor Emeritus Mary-Louise McLaws AO FRSN, on 12 August 2023. Mary-Louise McLaws, a renowned epidemiologist and expert in infection control at UNSW Sydney, came to public prominence as a trusted commentator and media adviser during the COVID-19 pandemic, at a time of considera...

The eighth in the series of Ideas@theHouse events — joint presentations of Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC QC, Governor of New South Wales, and the Royal Society of New South Wales — was held on the evening of Thursday 10 August 2023 in the Ballroom of Government House Sydney. Professor Emma Johnston AO FRSN FAA FTSE, Deputy Vice-...

The Australian Universities Accord working group, chaired by Professor Mary O’Kane AC FRSN FTSE and including Western Sydney University Vice-Chancellor Professor Barney Glover AO FRSN FTSE, released its interim report in July.  The interim report’s recommendations in some areas, particularly in relation to research and the idea that a levy be ...

The Society's 1314th Ordinary General Meeting was held in the Gallery Room of the State Library of NSW on 2 August. An audience of approximately forty people enjoyed an outstanding presentation titled "Convergence: the hybridisation of the future", delivered as a conversation between Dr Catherine Ball — Futurist, Author, Researcher, and Rebel,...

The Society is deeply saddened at the passing of one of its Fellows, Emeritus Professor Adrian Lee FRSN, on 21 July 2023. Adrian Lee was a significant and important medical academic.  He was in academe professionally for 54 years, became Professor of Medical Microbiology at the University of New South Wales, was a Pro-Vice-Chancellor at t...

A number of Society Fellows are among the finalists of the 2023 Australian Museum Eureka Awards—the country’s most comprehensive national science awards, honouring excellence across the spectrum of research and innovation, leadership, science engagement, and school science. Presented annually in partnership with some of the nation’s leading scienti...

The June 2023 issue of the Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of NSW is now available online.  This issue of the Journal focuses on the proceedings of the 2022 Royal Society of New South Wales and Learned Academies Forum, Reshaping Australia — Communities in Action. There are 25 contributions, including introductions and summaries, t...

Most face-to-face events and all online events conducted by the Royal Society of NSW are recorded and made available for subsequent viewing on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/royalsocnsw.  On Wednesday, 5 July a strong online audience enjoyed a thought-provoking panel session on “What we need to know about ‘the Voice’ — before we vote”, ...

The Royal Society of New South Wales is delighted to learn that Professor Theo Farrell FRSN FAcSS, currently the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and Student Life) at the University of Wollongong, has been appointed as the next Vice-Chancellor of La Trobe University in Melbourne from February 2024. Professor Farrell joined the University of Wollong...