Statements from Candidates

Nominees for Office-bearer and Councillor positions were requested to provide brief statements (approx. 250 words) outlining how their expertise and experience would fit them for these roles and would benefit the Society.

Where candidates provided their statements by the close of nominations at 5.00 pm AEDT on Friday, 28 February 2025, they are listed below in alphabetic order, accessible from the links shown.

• Lindsay Botten FRSN — candidate for Vice-President
• Trevor Brown FRSN — candidate for Secretary
• Rosalind Croucher AM FRSN — candidate for Councillor
• Stephen Garton AM FRSN — candidate for Librarian
• Davina Jackson FRSN — candidate for Councillor
• Sarah Jones FRSN — candidate for Councillor
• Christina Slade FRSN — candidate for President
• Toner Stevenson MRSN — candidate for Councillor
• Graham Town FRSN — candidate for Webmaster
• Zile Yu MRSN — candidate for Councillor

Lindsay Botten FRSN — candidate for Vice-President

Since joining RSNSW in 2019, I have served on Council as Webmaster, and on the Executive, Program, and Publishing Committees since 2020. From 2023, I have led and sustained the Society’s operations—online communications (website management/content, all email, editing/generating content for the Bulletin/newsletters), social media oversight (incl. editing all video content for our YouTube channel), registrar functions (incl. membership analytics for Council) and logistics for all Sydney-based (incl. the Forum and Ideas@theHouse) and some branch events. Operational costs have been significantly reduced costs while the quality, agility and range of services have increased. Highlights of my current term have been the implementation of the new website, strong growth in outreach through our YouTube channel (>1,370 subscribers, >160,000 views), and tangible operational savings.

I am honoured to be nominated as Vice-President to continue this work in support of the Council’s Master Plan and the incoming President, with a focus on increasing the quality, efficiency, and resilience of operations.

Professionally, I am an applied mathematician/physicist with an international reputation in optics/photonics. During 30+ years at UTS, I was a Professor of Applied Mathematics and variously Head of School, Associate Dean, and Acting Dean. The final decade of my academic career was at ANU where I was the foundation Director of National Computational Infrastructure, Australia’s national supercomputing and research data service. I am a Fellow of the Australian Mathematical Society, Australian Institute of Physics, Optical Society of America, and Royal Society of NSW. Now retired, I am an Emeritus Professor at both UTS and ANU.

Trevor Brown FRSN — candidate for Secretary

I am an Emeritus Professor of Chemistry at the University of New England (UNE) and a Fellow of the Royal Society of NSW and the Royal Australian Chemical Institute. I was a key driver behind the re-establishment of the New England North West Branch of the Society, serving as Branch Secretary and leading the organisation of Society events in the lead-up to its official launch in November 2024.

I have extensive experience in committee leadership and governance, having served as Chair and Secretary of numerous higher education committees, including most recently the UNE Professoriate, a Chapter of the Australian Association of University Professors (2022–2025). Through these roles, I have developed strong skills in strategic planning, event coordination, fostering academic and industry engagement, and ensuring effective committee operations.

If elected, I will contribute by strengthening regional engagement, expanding the Society’s networks and impact in rural and regional NSW, and supporting initiatives that promote interdisciplinary collaboration, research excellence, and public outreach. I am committed to advancing the Society’s mission of fostering knowledge exchange and building meaningful connections between researchers, professionals, and the wider community.

Rosalind Croucher AM FRSN — candidate for Councillor

Since my election as a Fellow (2023), I have been hugely impressed with the range and quality of events conducted by RSNSW and see the potential to contribute to the Society’s rich history by serving on the Council. I bring over 40 years of experience in the academic and government worlds and a range of contributions in music. In 2015, I was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for ‘significant service to the law as an academic, to legal reform and education, to professional development, and to the arts’.

My first career was in music, playing in the Australian Youth Orchestra, the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, and the Renaissance Players. I was admitted as a lawyer in 1980, followed by legal academic appointments from 1982. After serving as Dean of two Australian law schools, including over 7 years as Dean of Macquarie Law School, of which I am an Emeritus Professor, I was appointed to the Australian Law Reform Commission in 2007, including as President for over seven years. From 2017 – 2024, I was President of the Australian Human Rights Commission. I have received many accolades for contributions to public policy and the legal profession: e.g., as a Foundation Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law (2007); Honorary Fellow of the Australian College of Legal Medicine (2004); and Life Fellow of the Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (2015). Both Macquarie University and UNSW have awarded me honorary LLDs (2018/2020).

Stephen Garton AM FRSN — candidate for Librarian

I am a historian by training and was appointed Professor of History at the University of Sydney in 2000. I am the author or co-author of 7 monographs and nearly 100 refereed journal articles, chapters and encyclopaedia entries. I have also held a number of senior management positions at the University of Sydney including Dean of Arts (2001-2009), Provost (2009-2019), Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor (2019-2021, and Interim Vice-Chancellor (2020-21). I am currently Principal Advisor to the Vice-Chancellor and President of the Australian Academy of the Humanities.

I was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of NSW in 2020 and have served on the Society’s Council for the last two years, in the role of Librarian, contributing to the general operations of the Council and overseeing the transfer of the Society’s archives and library to the State Library. There is still much to do in finalising the arrangements with the State Library and I hope to continue to contribute to the work of the Council.

Davina Jackson FRSN — candidate for Councillor

Dr Davina Jackson [MArch (UNSW), PhD by Publications (Kent)] FRSN FRGS FRSA LMISDE, joined the RSNSW in 2020 and has served on the Council for two two-year terms. As chair of the publishing committee, she catalysed the society’s recent branding and website updates, wrote content for the NEXUS exhibition at the State Library, and edited and supervised publication of Dr Anne Coote’s recent book on the society’s history: Knowledge for a Nation: Origins of the Royal Society of New South Wales. She has also compiled a bibliography and biographical dictionary to help researchers clarify details of the society’s important contributions to Australian culture, and she continues to develop various society publications, including a possible quarterly magazine.

Davina is a Sydney-based writer/editor of books and websites on architecture, technology, urban geography and history themes. She edited Architecture Australia from 1992 to 2000 and was a founder of annual city light festivals in Sydney (Vivid) and Singapore. After a multi-disciplinary design professorship at the University of New South Wales, she guest-lectured at MIT, Cambridge, TU Munich, NU Singapore and other international universities, and held visiting research fellowships at Cambridge (Architecture) and Goldsmiths (Computing) in Britain. Her latest book is Australian Architecture: A History (Allen & Unwin, 2022, 2024).

Sarah Jones FRSN — candidate for Councillor

I am honoured to nominate for a position on the Council of the Royal Society of New South Wales, bringing extensive experience in education, governance, and cross-sector collaboration.

With almost 15 years in senior leadership and academic roles at the University of Sydney, followed by six years as CEO of the Sydney School of Entrepreneurship, I have championed intellectual inquiry, ethical leadership, and innovation—driving impact at the intersection of knowledge, industry, and society.

As a recognised leader in innovation, education, and skills development, I have successfully led large-scale initiatives that bridge academia, government, and the private sector, ensuring that knowledge remains accessible, relevant, and transformative. My academic background, combined with governance and advisory expertise, and a professional practice of coaching and leadership development, positions me to contribute strategic insight, evidence-based decision-making, and effective implementation—aligning with the Society’s mission and delivering tangible value to all Members.

Christina Slade FRSN — candidate for President

I am honoured to be nominated for President of the Royal Society of New South Wales.  Since joining the Council in 2020 as Chair of the Events Committee, the number of advertised events annually has tripled. During COVID-19, under the leadership of the Webmaster, Lindsay Botten, we transitioned to online delivery, with our YouTube channel now exceeding 160,000 individual views, including a significant international audience.

In 2021, I established the Society’s Western Branch at Charles Sturt University and led the 2024 Government House Forum on ‘Threats to Democracy.’  I proposed a partnership with the Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA London).

As an executive member, I have been engaged in the Master Plan development, leading the ‘Activities with Impact’ stream. As President, I will foster an inclusive, intellectually vibrant community that values evidence-based, reasoned debate on socially significant issues. The revised Fellowship rules allow us to grow membership and fellowship and increase diversity.  Building a community will require engagement, conviviality and strengthening our communication strategies. Organisational sustainability is also critical. We must draw on our members’ expertise while securing long-term financial stability through sponsorships.

My academic background is in the philosophy of logic and the philosophy of communication. I am Professor Emerita at Bath Spa University where I was Vice-Chancellor from 2012–2017. Prior to that, I was Dean of Arts and Social Sciences at the City University of London and Dean of Humanities at Macquarie University.  I held a part-time chair at the University of Utrecht from 2005–2008. 

Toner Stevenson MRSN — candidate for Councillor

Dr Toner Stevenson is an honorary History affiliate in the School of Humanities at The University of Sydney. She has a Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts Management and a Doctorate in Social Sciences from the University of Sydney (USYD). Toner researches the history of astronomy in Australia and actively publishes.  She was co-author of the Eclipse Chasers book (2023) which examines past and upcoming total solar eclipses in Australia.

As an RSNSW councillor Toner would enhance our connections with the humanities and astronomy through initiatives such as a popular podcast series relevant to membership interests to fulfil the 2024-2029 Master Plan priorities of Effective Communication and Member Engagement and build on the success of the Society’s YouTube channel. She would organise for members to visit cultural and scientific organisations and investigate partnership opportunities to create innovative programs and events, addressing the Activities with Impact pillar.

As School of Humanities Manager at USYD (2018–2024), she successfully led the school through the COVID-19 pandemic, launched a program of popular podcasts, revitalised archaeology facilities and established the Vere Gordon Child Centre for the Humanities. Toner’s prior career in museums spanned 35 years and included senior roles at Sydney Observatory, the Powerhouse Museum, Museums of History NSW, and London’s Natural History Museum.

Toner was recently appointed to the editorial board of the RSNSW and is past President of Sydney City Skywatchers (NSW Branch of the British Astronomical Association). She was on the Board of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) Australia (2018–2024).

Graham Town FRSN — candidate for Webmaster

I am a retired academic engineer and Emeritus Professor at Macquarie University, where I remain active in research, student supervision and staff mentoring. Prior employment was as an academic at the University of Sydney, and as an engineer with the Engineering Products Division of AWA Pty Ltd. During my academic career, I was also a Visiting Professor in the UK, Italy, Germany, and Denmark.

I am seeking nomination to the RSNSW Council to actively support the Society by contributing to the planning, organisation, communication and running of events of interest to current and potential members, and to contribute to the dialogue fostered by the RSNSW on important contemporary issues.

The broad background, skills and connections I bring to the Council include:

1. Member of the 2024 Forum Organising Committee on “’Threats to Democracy.
2. Familiarity with the software packages used by the Society to produce its webpages, manage events, and communicate with members.
3. Longstanding connections with engineering societies and their members. I am an Honorary Fellow of Engineers Australia (EA), a Life Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), and hold voluntary positions in both organisations, e.g. coopted member of the Information, Telecommunications and Electronics Engineering (ITEE) College Board of EA, and the STEM Outreach Coordinator for the NSW Section of the IEEE.
4. Extensive expertise and experience in engineering research, teaching, management, and industry engagement spanning a variety of areas critical to modern society (e.g. education, biomedicine, optical and wireless telecommunications, sustainable energy systems, transport electrification, etc.)

Zile Yu MRSN — candidate for Councillor

Qualifications

I hold a B. Com. and LLB from the University of Sydney and a GDLP from ANU.

I am admitted as a Solicitor and Barrister in the Supreme Court of WA and in the High Court of New Zealand, and also appointed a Notary Public in the Supreme Court of NSW.

Experience

I am the Managing Partner of Quantum Law Group, which I founded in 2019. In the last 5 years, the Firm and its lawyers have been recognised in over 100 legal and business awards (over 40 of which I have personally won or been listed in), including being the only law firm listed in the Australian Financial Review’s Fast Starters’ List for the last 2 years.

I am also a Consultant at Meridian Lawyers and at the time of my appointment, I was the youngest person in the history of the firm to hold that title at 28 years of age. Meridian Lawyers is a national law firm with offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Newcastle and Perth. Prior, I served as the Head of Innovation and Special Projects.

Share link:

Share link: