List of Presidents - The Royal Society of NSW

Presidents of the Society

The Society was called the “Philosophical Society of Australasia” from 1821–22, “The Australian Philosophical Society” from 1850–55, “The Philosophical Society of New South Wales” from 1855–1865 and, upon receiving Royal Assent, “The Royal Society of New South Wales” from 1866.

Term	Name	Discipline	Notes
2025–	C.M. Slade FRSN	Philosophy and Communication
2021–24	S.M. Pond AM FRSN	Medicine	Vice-President 2020–21
2018–2020	I.H. Sloan AO FRSN	Mathematics	Vice-President & President-elect 2017-18
2016–17	D.B. Hibbert AM FRSN	Chemistry	Vice-President & President-elect 2014-15
2012–15	D.C.A. Hector AM FRSN	Chemical Engineering	Secretary (Editorial) 2010-11
2007–2011	J.R. Hardie AM FRSN	Geology/Education	Second term (non-consecutive)
2005–06	J.C. Kelly DistFRSN	Physics
2003–04	K. Kelly	Science Journalism
2001–02	D.A. Craddock	Aeronautics
2000	P.A. Williams	Geology
1999	A.T. Baker	Chemistry
1998	D.J. O’Connor	Physics
1997	E.C. Potter	Chemistry	Second term
1996	K.L. Grose	Ancient History
1995	D.F. Branagan AM	Geology
1994	J.R. Hardie AM FRSN	Geology/Education	Secretary 1992
1993	R.A.L. Osborne	Geology
1992	F.L. Sutherland	Geology	Second term
1991	E.C. Potter	Chemistry
1990	G.W.K. Ford MBE	Nuclear Science	Secretary 1993-
1989	H.S. Hancock	Geology
1988	D.E. Winch	Mathematics
1987	F.L. Sutherland	Geology
1986	M.A. Stubbs-Race	Engineering
1985	J.H. Loxton	Mathematics
1984	R.S. Bhathal FRSN	Astronomy	Secretary 1989-91
1983	R.S. Vagg	Chemistry
1982	T.W. Cole	Engineering
1981	B.A. Warren OAM DistFRSN	Pathology
1980	G.S. Gibbons	Geology
1979	D.H. Napper	Chemistry
1978	F.C. Beavis	Geology
1977	W.H. Robertson	Astronomy
1976	D.J. Swaine	Chemistry	Secretary 1986-88
1975	E.K. Chaffer	Geology	Secretary 1970-71
1974	J.W. Pickett	Palaeontology
1973	J.P. Pollard	Mathematics/Statistics
1972	J.C. Cameron	Geology	Secretary 1969
1971	M.J. Puttock	Metrologist
1970	W.E. Smith	Mathematics
1969	J.W.G. Neuhaus	Chemistry
1968	A. Keane	Mathematics
1967	A.H. Low	Mathematics	Secretary 1963-65
1966	A.H. Voisey	Geology
1965	A.A. Day	Geology	Joint Secretary 1959-60
1964	J.W. Humphries	Physics
1963	H.H.G. McKern	Chemistry
1962	W.B. Smith-White	Mathematics
1961	R.J.W. LeFevre	Chemistry
1960	H.A.J. Donegan	Chemistry
1959	A.F.A. Harper	Physics
1958	J.L. Griffith	Mathematics	Secretary 1955-57; 1966-68
1957	F.N. Hanlon	Geology	Joint Secretary 1954-56
1956	F.D. McCarthy	Anthropology
1955	M.R. Lemberg FRS	Biochemistry
1954	R.S. Nyholm FRS	Chemistry
1953	Ida A. Browne	Palaeontology	First female President; Joint Secretary 1950-52; 1957-58
1952	C.J. Magee	Agriculture
1951	R.C.L. Bosworth	Chemistry	Secretary 1948-50
1950	F.R. Morrison	Chemistry	Joint Secretary 1946-47
1949	Harley Wood	Astronomy	Joint Secretary 1948; 1951; 1958-60
1948	R.L. Aston	Engineering
1947	J.A. Dulhunty	Geology
1946	F. Lions	Chemistry
1945	A. Bolliger	Medicine
1944	G.D. Osborne	Geology	Joint Secretary 1953
1943	A.B. Walkom	Palaeobotany
1942	Prof. H. Priestley	Biochemistry
1941	D.P. Mellor	Chemistry	Joint Secretary 1943-47
1940	A.P. Elkin CMG	Anthropology	Joint Secretary 1938-39; 1941-45
1939	H.S.H. Wardlaw	Biochemistry
1938	J.C. Earl	Chemistry
1937	W.L. Waterhouse MC	Botany
1936	E.H. Booth MC	Physics	Joint Secretary 1934-36
1935	A.R. Penfold	Chemistry
1934	R.J. Noble	Agriculture	Joint Secretary 1933
1933	R.W. Challiner	Chemistry
1932	W.R. Browne	Geology
1931	Edwin Cheel	Botany
1930	O.U. Vonwiller	Physics	Joint Secretary 1927-28; 1948
1929	L.A. Cotton	Geology
1928	W. Poole	Engineering
1927	Prof. J. Douglas Stewart	Veterinary Medicine
1926	Dr W.G. Woolnough	Geology
1925	Prof. R.D Watt	Agriculture
1924	Dr C. Anderson	Mineralogy	Joint Secretary 1935-42
1923	R.H. Cambage CBE	Surveying	Second term
1922	C.A. Sussmilch	Geology	Joint Secretary 1928-33; 1936-37
1921	E.C. Andrews	Geology
1920	J. Nangle OBE	Astronomy
1919	C.E. Fawsitt	Chemistry
1918	W.S. Dun	Palaeontology
1917	.B. Cleland	Microbiology
1916	T.H. Houghton	Engineering
1915	R. Greig-Smith	Bacteriology	Joint Secretary 1925-26
1914	C. Hedley	Zoology
1913	H.G. Smith	Chemistry
1912	R.H. Cambage CBE	Surveying	Joint Secretary 1914-1922; 1925-27
1911	J.H. Maiden FRS	Botany	Second term
1910	T.W.E. David KBE CMG DSO FRS	Geology	Second term
1909	H.D. Walsh	Engineering
1908	W.H. Hamlet	Chemistry	Second term
1907	Henry Deane	Engineering	Second term
1906	T.P. Anderson Stuart	Physiology	Second term
1905	H.A. Lenehan	Astronomy
1904	C.O. Burge	Engineering
1903	F.B. Guthrie	Chemistry	Joint Secretary1907-1911
1902	W.H. Warren	Engineering	Second term
1901	H.C. Russell CMG FRS	Astronomy	Fourth term
1900	A. Liversidge FRS FRSE	Chemistry	Third term
1899	W.H. Hamlet	Chemistry
1898	G.H. Knibbs CMG	Mathematics	Joint Secretary 1896-97; 1899-1906
1897	Henry Deane	Engineering
1896	J.H. Maiden ISO	Botany	Joint Secretary 1893-5; 1897-1913
1895	T.W.E. David KBE CMG DSO FRS	Geology	Joint Secretary 1893-94
1894	R. Threlfall	Physics
1893	T.P. Anderson Stuart	Physiology	Joint Secretary 1892
1892	W.H. Warren	Engineering	Joint Secretary 1889-1891
1891	H.C. Russell CMG FRS	Astronomy	Third term
1890	A. Leibius	Chemistry	Joint Secretary 1875-1885
1889	Prof. A. Liversidge FRS FRSE	Chemistry	Second term
1888	Sir Alfred Roberts	Medicine
1887	C.S. Wilkinson	Geology
1886	C. Rolleston CMG	Statistics	Second term
1885	A. Liversidge FRS FRSE	Chemistry	Joint Secretary 1875-1884;1886-1888
1884	H.C. Russell CMG FRS	Astronomy	Second term
1883	Prof. J. Smith	Physics	Second elected term
1882	C. Rolleston CMG	Statistics	Auditor-General
1881	H.C. Russell FRS	Astronomy
1880	Hon. J. Smith	Physics	First elected President
	Hon. J. Smith	Physics	Senior Vice-President
1879	Lord Augustus Loftus GCB PC	Diplomat	Governor NSW, Hon. President
	Rev. W.B. Clarke FRS	Geology	Senior Vice-President
1872-78	Sir Hercules Robinson GCMG PC	Public Administration	Governor NSW, Hon. President
	Rev. W.B. Clarke FRS	Geology	Senior Vice-President
1868-71	Lord Somerset R. Lowry-Corry GCMG PC 4th Earl of Belmore	Public Administration	Governor NSW, Hon. President
	Rev. W.B. Clarke FRS	Geology	Senior Vice-President
1866-67	Sir John Young GCMG KCB	Law	Governor NSW, Hon. President
	Rev. W.B. Clarke FRS	Geology	Senior Vice-President
1861-65	Sir John Young GCMG KCB	Law	Governor NSW, Hon. President
	Hon. E. Deas Thomson KCMG CB	Public Administration	Senior Vice-President. Clerk of both the Council of NSW and the Executive & Legislative Council
1858-60	Sir William Denison KCB	Engineering	Governor NSW, Hon. President
	Sir Charles Nicholson	Medicine	Senior Vice-President
1855-57	Sir William Denison KCB	Engineering	Governor NSW, Hon. President
1850-55	Hon. E. Deas-Thomson KCMG CB	Public Administration	Senior Vice-President. Clerk of both the Council of NSW and the Executive & Legislative Council
1821-22	Sir Thomas Brisbane GCB GCH FRS FRSE	Astronomy	Governor NSW, Hon. President

List compiled by Peter Tyler and Marian Haire. Sources used were The Royal Society of NSW, Journal and Proceedings and W.R. Browne, “Scientific Societies in Australia (6)”, Proceedings of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute, March 1961. Recent updates and rearrangement by Brynn Hibbert.

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