The Society’s 2025 Annual Dinner and Awards Presentation was held in the Strangers’ Room of Parliament House Sydney on the evening of Friday, 7 March 2024.

It was a wonderful occasion attended by 250 members and friends of the Society, including the 2024 Award winners (shown in the adjacent image) who were presented with their awards by Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC, Governor of New South Wales and the Patron of the Society.

Professor Georgina Long AO FAHMS FAA, the 2024 joint Australian of the Year, who is recognised for her ground-breaking therapies for melanoma, delivered a thought-provoking after-dinner lecture titled Advancing Science through Innovation and Equity. The summary of her talk is shown below.

I believe in the power of scientific innovation, especially in cancer research, where groundbreaking advancements I have helped pioneer—like the ABC (brain) trial and the neoadjuvant NADINA trial—have transformed treatment approaches. By challenging conventional methods and embracing bold new strategies, my colleagues and I have worked alongside talented colleagues in my specialty to significantly improve survival rates for melanoma patients. Continuous learning and pushing boundaries are central to my work, and I firmly believe that courage drives innovation in medicine.

As a passionate advocate for melanoma prevention, I emphasise the urgent need for cultural change around sun safety, particularly among young people. Social media continues to glamourise tanning, and I call out its dangerous influence—because the reality is that over 90% of melanoma cases in Australia are preventable. My goal is to make sun safety as instinctive as wearing a seatbelt, ultimately striving to drive melanoma rates to near zero.

Beyond science, I speak openly about the persistent gender inequalities in medicine, research, and leadership. As a parent of three, I’ve navigated career challenges while also witnessing unconscious bias that undermines women’s contributions. I urge workplaces to create environments where women feel empowered to share ideas, take risks, and lead with confidence—rather than being sidelined or doubted.

My message is one of courage—the courage to question the status quo, to embrace failure as a step toward progress, and to amplify women’s voices in every field. I leave you with a call to action: recognise and challenge bias, create space for a broad range of perspectives, and ensure that progress toward equality is not delayed another 30 years. True impact comes not just from individual achievements but from the legacy we leave for future generations.

Some images from that occasion are available at this link for viewing and downloading. A separate folder of images of the Award winners is also available.