The Royal Society of Tasmania

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.

14/06/2026

Great to see a lively program for this August's Beaker Street Festival, with lots to interest RST members.

13/06/2026

Did you know that every volume of the RST Journal of Papers and Proceedings, since it was first published in 1849, is now easily and freely accessible online via the Biodiversity Heritage Library Australia website: https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/45488
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/9494
This amazing resource, accessible globally, is testament to the Society’s mission of advancing and sharing knowledge about Tasmania and signifies a legacy few organisations can match.

11/06/2026

Obesity rates continue to climb around the world and on Sunday 5 July 2026 (4pm, UTas Sandy Bay campus) Clinical Associate Professor Roland McCallum will speak to RST members about 'The Weight of History: How We Came to Misunderstand Obesity.'
Professor McCallum will invite us to look beyond the headlines and explore how our understanding of body weight has evolved over time—and why some long-held assumptions may be getting in the way of effective solutions.
Whether you have a professional interest in health or are simply curious about one of the most significant public health challenges of our time, this promises to be an engaging and enlightening lecture. Book your place here https://tinyurl.com/m5js85m4.

Drawing on decades of research and practice, Professor McCallum will explore the biological, genetic and environmental factors that contribute to obesity.

10/06/2026

This Sunday, you can hear from Professor Greg Lehman about the stories which lie beneath the surface of Australian colonial paintings. There is so much more to discover than the image itself when you know what to look for.
Join us for this very special joint RST ArtsNational lecture on Sunday 14 June 2026 at 2pm, at the Stanley Burbury Theatre, UTas Sandy Bay campus. Book now to secure your place.

This engaging presentation explores how early Australian colonial art drew heavily on visual traditions developed in French and British North...