The Royal Society of Tasmania

24/10/2026

Professor Jocelyn McPhie is the first woman to receive the Royal Society of Tasmania Medal

Professor Jocelyn McPhie, an internationally recognised expert on volcanoes, will become the first woman to receive The Royal Society of Tasmania Medal, following her selection as the 2026 recipient of this major honour. See more at https://rst.org.au/professor-jocelyn-mcphie-first-woman-to-win-the-royal-society-of-tasmania-medal/
and in The Mercury Newspaper of Oct 10 (page 13).

Photo shows her at Kilauea in Hawaii 2014.

18/10/2026

Through a generous donation from the late Prof Peter Smith, the Royal Society of Tasmania can provide travel assistance for Tasmanian Senior Secondary Science students selected to represent Australia in international science competitions of the highest level. Click on this link below for more details - https://rst.org.au/peter-smith-travel-bursary-news-jun2026/

24/09/2026

Our northern branch invites you to their annual Elvin Fist Annual Lecture in Launceston on October 25. This year the focus is on how to reverse the decline in political participation.

Education and democracy are inseparably linked, and for most of the past century the benefits of each proliferated through much of the world. Yet contemporary societies like Australia now face significant democratic decline.

Lachlan Nicolson, a Graduate Teaching Fellow at UTas, will discuss how we educate for democracy in Australia. It examines current approaches, strengths, challenges, young people’s outcomes, and learning materials from key cultural institutions – with a focus on Tasmania – to reinvigorate teaching and learning approaches for democratic renewal.

22/09/2026

Another topical subject from the Royal Society. Open and read this post, sleep on it, then make the decision to be at QVMAG at Inveresk on November 22 to find out from Dr Samantha Bramich what good that sleep may have done for you, and how the way you sleep may hint at your future. Those in the south, consider a free (in cost and stress) bus trip to Launceston to attend.

26/07/2026

I'm in the Mad Apple Cafe in Launceston after leaving QVMAG where I heard a fascinating talk by Prof David Adams on "What Counts as Valuable Knowledge Nowadays, and Who Counts It?". Well worth the bus trip from Hobart.

The slogan of the Society is ... Advancing Knowledge ... so today's topic has a rather existential relationship to the RST. The talk left me wondering what "Advancing" means to the RST, whether "Advancing" is still useful in 2026, and what "Knowledge" we are Advancing. My brain hurts.

25/07/2026

For those who rely on Facebook I can only apologize for forgetting to put up an announcement of tomorrow's event at QVMAG in Launceston. Here it is.
https://rst.org.au/lecture/adams-2026/

Join Prof. David Adams' lecture on 'Valuable Knowledge' QVMAG Free for members

16/07/2026

Heard Island. Active volcanoes. Retreating glaciers. Vast colonies of seals and seabirds. Ever wondered what it's like to live and work on Heard Island, one of the most remote islands on Earth? Meet two scientists who've done it - Dr Julie McInnes and Dr Jarrod Hodgson - conducting science in this extraordinary World Heritage wilderness. Their research and the challenges of working in this sub-Antarctic landscape.

August 2, 2026 4:00 pm at the Geology Lecture Theatre, Utas, Sandy Bay. More info at

Explore recent findings from Heard Island with Fr Jarrod Hodgson & Dr Julie McInnes in Hobart. Panel discussion on Aug 2, 2026.

09/07/2026

You may be interested in this upcoming lecture in Launceston by an internationally renowned expert and speaker on Artificial Intelligence. Registration is now open via this link - https://rst.org.au/lecture/walsh-2026/ - and numbers are limited. There are discounted options for groups.

AI and associated infrastructure is a hot topic at present so we think the lecture is both timely and important. The construction underway of Tasmania's first data centre in Launceston gives the lecture particular local relevance.

Discover AI insights with Professor Walsh on Aug 23 at Horton Auditorium. Free for Royal Society members. Join us for National Science Week!

25/06/2026

Big thanks to MMAPSS for the grant funding. Click on the link below to find out about the Owen Stanley Album project.museum

The Royal Society of Tasmania has owned an album of Owen Stanley's maritime artworks since 1900, but its delicate nature meant it could not be put on display. Now, the society is converting the album into a digital flip book so everyone can see it.

24/06/2026

Exciting news! The RST has received a grant through MMAPSS, the Maritime Museums of Australia Project Support Scheme .museum to bring a piece of history to life.

We are creating a high-quality digital flipbook of the Owen Stanley Album, a major treasure of our Art Collection donated back in 1900.

This album is a visual record of a major surveying expedition in Australasian waters from 1837–1843.

"We’re so lucky the album captures some rare scenes of early Van Diemen’s Land," says RST President Prof Jocelyn McPhie.

This project will transform a fragile historical object into a widely accessible resource for everyone!

Image: Simon Olding in Hobart capturing the album pages.