Royal Society of NSW News & Events

Royal Society of NSW News & Events
NOV
21

Women and Science: Lecture 7

     “An Accidental Astronomer”     Emeritus Professor Anne Green Date: Thursday, 21 November 2019, 6.00pm for 6.30pm Venue: Sydney Mechanics' School of Arts, 280 Pitt Street, Sydney An Accidental Astronomer As one of the first women radio astronomers, Anne Green faced unexpected challenges in undertaking panoramic and...

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NOV
06

1278th OGM and Open Lecture

   The Beginning of Weather Forecasting:    Matthew Maury, Robert FitzRoy FRS, and    L. F. Richardson FRS       Professor Herbert Huppert FRS FRSN    University of Cambridge Joint RSNSW OGM and Open Lecture & Australian Academy of Science’s Selby Public Lecture 2019 Date: Wednesday 6 ...

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OCT
17

Women and Science: Lecture 6

     “Women at the Frontiers of Biotech”     Dr Susan Pond Date: Thursday, 17 October 2019, 6.00pm for 6.30pm Venue: Sydney Mechanics' School of Arts, 280 Pitt Street, Sydney Women at the Frontiers of Biotech Susan Pond outlined how biotechnology is being put to use for the good of humanity and the planet, and examined...

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OCT
09

Inaugural Meeting, Hunter Branch of the Royal Society of NSW, and Open Lecture

     “Industries of the Future”      Professor Hugh Durrant-Whyte FRSN      NSW Chief Scientist and Engineer Date: Wednesday, 9 October 2019, 6.00pm Venue: Newcastle Club, 40 Newcomen Street, Newcastle NSW Inaugural Meeting An inaugural meeting to establish the Hunter Branch of the Royal Society of New S...

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OCT
02

1277th OGM and Open Lecture

  Bodies and Minds in Animal Evolution   Professor Peter Godfrey-Smith   The University of Sydney Date: Wednesday 2nd October 2019 Venue: Gallery Room, State Library of NSW (Entrance: Shakespeare Place, Sydney) Charting the evolution of different kinds of animal bodies helps us understand the evolut...

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SEP
23

Women and Science: Lecture 5

     “Electricity, astronomy, and natural history:     from colonial Sydney to Royal Sweden, and     a ladies' academy of science in between”     Anne Harbers Date: Monday 23 September 2019, 6pm for 6.30pm Venue: Sydney Mechanics' School of Arts, 280 Pitt Street, Sydney What did Fanny Macl...

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SEP
04

1276th OGM & open lecture

   “Physicians as public intellectuals: Indonesian  physicians in the Dutch East Indies”   Professor Hans Pols FRSN  Head, School of History  and Philosophy of Science  University of Sydney Date: Wednesday 4 September 2019, 6pm for 6.30Venue: Gallery Room, State Library of NSW Through...

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AUG
14

Poggendorff Lecture 2019

  “Cereal killers: how plant diseases affect food  security”  Professor Robert Park  School of Life and Environmental Sciences  University of Sydney Date: Wednesday, 14 August 2019, 5.30 for 6–7 pmVenue: Level 5 Function Room, Building F23, University of Sydney (new building on left entering from Ci...

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AUG
07

1275th OGM and open lecture

  “Democracy under challenge:  how can we restore a sense of citizenship?”  Professor Peter Shergold AC FRSN  Chancellor, Western Sydney University Wednesday 7 August 2019Gallery Room, State Library of NSW As in many liberal democracies, there is an increasing sense of concern in Australia that representative...

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AUG
15

National Science Week 2019: talk 4

Mikhail Prokopenko

  “Computer modelling of epidemics”  Professor Mikhail Prokopenko Thursday 15 August 2019, 6pm for 6.30Venue: Tom Keneally Centre, Sydney Mechanics’ School of Arts, 280 Pitt St, SydneyCost: $15 for RSNSW Fellows and Members and SMSA members, $20 for othersBooking: here or call 9262 7300 Complex systems – including...

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AUG
15

National Science Week 2019: talk 3

John Harle

  “Machine aesthetics of the human  body”  Dr Josh Harle Thursday 15 August 2019, 12.30pm to 1.30Venue: Mitchell Centre, Sydney Mechanics’ School of Arts, 280 Pitt St., SydneyCost: freeClick here for more information It’s natural for us to see through a human lens. When we look out into the world we see it populated by...

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AUG
13

National Science Week 2019: talk 2

Robert Clancy

  “Unexpected results - Australian  science to 1950”  Emeritus Professor Robert Clancy  AM FRSN Tuesday 13 August 2019, 6pm for 6.30Venue: Tom Keneally Centre, Sydney Mechanics’ School of Arts, 280 Pitt StCost: $15 for RSNSW Fellows and Members and SMSA members, $20 for othersBooking: here or call 9...

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AUG
12

National Science Week 2019: talk 1

Ragbir Bhathal

 “Aboriginal astronomy” Dr Ragbir Bhathal FRSN Monday 12 August 2019, 6pm for 6.30Venue: Tom Keneally Centre, Sydney Mechanics’ School of Arts, 280 Pitt St, SydneyCost: $15 for RSNSW Fellows and Members and SMSA members, $20 for othersBooking: here or call 9262 7300 For over 60,000 years the Aboriginal peoples of Australia have ...

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JUL
18

Women and science: Lecture 4

Barbara Gillam

  “Visual perception in Aboriginal art”  Emeritus Professor Barbara Gillam  FASSA FRSN  School of Psychology, UNSW Thursday, 18 July 2019Sydney Mechanics’ School of Arts, 280 Pitt Street, Sydney Aboriginal painting now has a world-wide reputation.  However it has largely been regarded as conceptual rathe...

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AUG
16

UNSW Centre for Ideas event

  “The telomere effect”   Professor Elizabeth Blackburn   AC FAA FRS DistFRSN   Dept. of Biochemistry and Biophysics   University of California San Francisco Friday 16 August 2019, 6.30pmCity Recital Hall, 2 Angel Place, Sydney Cost: $35 without discount, $25 for RSNSW Members and Fellows, and for U...

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JUL
03

1274th OGM and open lecture

   “Past, present and future of polymers:    is the plastics age over?”   Emeritus Professor Robert Burford FRSN   UNSW Wednesday 3 July 2019Gallery Room, State Library of NSW The search for synthetic alternatives (including polymers) to scarce natural materials is not new, and substitution occurred well befo...

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JUN
20

Women and science: lecture 3

Lesley Hughes

   “Climate change and our    life support system”   Professor Lesley Hughes FRSN   Dept. of Biological Sciences   Macquarie University Thursday, 20 June 2019Sydney Mechanics’ School of Arts, 280 Pitt Street, Sydney Our climate system is changing rapidly as a result of the burning of fossil fuels. I...

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JUL
23

2019 Dirac Medal and lecture

      “Nothing goes faster than light - usually!”   Professor Lene Vestergaard Hau   Harvard University Date and time: Tuesday 23 July 2019, 6–8pm Venue: Tyree Room, John Niland Scientia Building, UNSW Sydney Cost: free Reservations: here This year’s lecture will explore how Lene and her team have slowed, sto...

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SEP
19

Sci-Fi Series - The future is here.




Sci-Fi Series - The future is here.  Date: Thursday, 19 September 2019 Time: 6:00pm – 8:00pm Venue: Australian National Maritime Museum (Tasman Light Gallery and Theatre)             2 Murray Street, Darling Harbour, Sydney This series of lectures, Sci-Fi Series – Future Planet  was presented by a panel of le...

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JUN
05

1273rd OGM and open lecture

   “This talk may cause side effects:      nocebo effects in medicine”   Dr Kate Faasse   School of Psychology   UNSW Wednesday 5 June 2019Gallery Room, State Library of NSW Almost everyone has experienced unpleasant side effects from a medical treatment. But what if I were to tell you tha...

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Royal Society Events

The Royal Society of New South Wales organises events in Sydney and at its Branches throughout the year. 

In Sydney, these include:

  • Ordinary General Meetings (OGMs), normally held at the State Library of NSW normally at 6.00 for 6.30 pm on the first Wednesday of each alternate, even-numbered month (February, April, June, August, October, and December). The OGMs comprise Society business, reports from Council, and the induction of new members and Fellows into the Society.  They are followed by a public lecture presented by an eminent speaker and are preceded by drinks, available from a cash bar in an adjacent room. All OGMs are open to the public. Registration for these events is required and there is a small charge to cover the costs associated with holding these meetings in the State Library. 
  • Online meetings, conducted as Zoom webinars, which are held normally at 6.30 pm on the first Wednesday of each alternate, odd-numbered month (March, May, July, September, and November).  All online meetings are open to the public and there is no charge for attendance.  
  •  The Ideas@theHouse series, conducted in collaboration with our Patron, the Governor of NSW, and held at Government House Sydney.  

A range of events is held in collaboration with other learned societies and academies. These include the:

  • Annual Forum — conducted jointly by the Royal Society of NSW and the Australian Academy of Science, the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering, the Australian Academy of the Humanities, the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, and the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences, and normally held at Government House Sydney
  • Four Societies Lecture — conducted with the Australian Institute of Energy, the Nuclear Panel of Engineers Australia (Sydney Division), and the Australian Nuclear Association
  • Dirac Lecture — with UNSW Sydney and the Australian Institute of Physics
  • Liversidge Medal lecture — with the Royal Australian Chemical Institute.

In addition, there are the named lectures that are associated with the Society's awards.  In some cases, these lectures are conducted jointly with universities, normally the host institution of the winner of that award. 

In all cases, these events are advertised on these pages and registration for events held face-to-face is required.

Each of the Branches runs a regular program of face-to-face events in their local areas.  All branch events are included in the Events listed on these pages and individual Branch pages include just those events being organised by the local branch.  

The bulk of the Society's event program is recorded and made available on our YouTube channel.

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