Emeritus Professor Peter Leggat was a member in good standing Society and prime organiser of 2016 workshop at the Cairns Institute on Community Health that initiated its Preconditions of Well-being project. We re-publish this obituary Vale Emeritus Professor Peter Leggat […]
As a teaser for this workshop, browse through this powerpoint: An Analysis of the Land-New System in Queensland, Multiple Problems and the Benefits of Constructive Reform (pdf version) by Society member David Marlow, sponsor of the workshop. (ppt version)
Member Dr David George presented at a significant community event at “Glendon”, Nangwee, Queensland 4407 on 26 August. He has supplied the attached Executive Summary of the discussion. The paper concludes by calling for federal intervention to protect good quality […]
The Society held a face-to-face (plus online) seminar on Saturday 21 October on the theme: “Are Queensland’s urban and regional planning regimes fit for purpose, given climate change, given the vulnerability of many residential developments to natural disasters, and given […]
“Given climate change, how can Queensland’s planning systems be rendered fit for purpose?” Society member David Marlow has donated a purse of $1000 for the most meritorious original paper on this subject. Submissions will be assessed by a panel of […]
A scientific paper authored by four members of The Royal Society of Queensland has attracted considerable media attention. After peer review, the paper was published in Proceedings of The Royal Society of Queensland volume 131, at the end of 2022. […]
The Society is pleased to announce the successful applicants for grants of >$23,000 for research into microscopic or macroscopic fungi. The grants honour Queenslander Walter Fisher whose career focused on yeasts. Details are on the Research Fund page. Understanding the […]
A paper by Alan Rix entitled The Dunstan Deals: How Some Geological Treasures Left Australia has been published, the first for the new annual volume 132. Congratulations to the author and thanks to Honorary Editor Dr Julien Louys.
The Biodiversity Heritage Library based in the USA in collaboration with CSIRO and the National Museum, Victoria, have reached a milestone in a project to addarticle data to both The Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland and Transactions of the Philosophical […]
Pharmacist Geraldine Hall, educated at the University of Queensland, took a position as Pharmacist at the public hospital on Norfolk Island in 1999. In 2006 she opened her own pharmacy business in the Island’s commercial centre and became a trusted […]
The 131st issue of the Proceedings of The Royal Society of Queensland has been completed and printed. The full text is available free of charge online. The Society has been able to continue to offer free open access without shifting […]
The irreversible damage that mining for coal seam gas can wreak on cropping land through subsidence was a highlight of a scientific paper published by four members of The Royal Society of Queensland in its 2022 annual Proceedings. Lead author […]
Papers are invited for the Proceedings of The Royal Society of Queensland, Volume 132. Details on the Proceedings page. Short communications, student abstracts and opinion pieces are welcome, as well as conventional research articles. The 2022 edition featured an Early […]
On 18 June 2022, Emeritus Professor Angela Arthington accepted Council’s offer of Honorary Life Membership. Life Membership can be conferred either for outstanding service to the Society or for significant eminence in scholarship. Prof. Arthington eminently qualifies on both counts. […]
On 3 May 2022 Council member Col Lynam presented on the current state of seismology in Queensland and introduced a recently-published database covering more than 50 years of seismic events. The database – of seismic events from 1866 to 2007 […]
Archaeologist Eva Martellotta has been investigating the use of hardwood boomerangs to modify the edges of stone tools. An analysis of ethnographic reports over the past 170 years has revealed that Australian Aboriginal communities were using boomerangs to modify the […]
Those who missed the first online symposium showcasing ECR scientific research of significance to Queensland missed a thoroughly interesting session. The event featured some 15 presenters, each followed by a Q&A session. This event was free and open to the […]
At the AGM of the Society on 9 December, two awards were made under the Society’s Research Fund, and two additional awards from a bequest provided by the family of the late Prof Trevor Clifford, Life Member. Ms Alexandria Mattinson, […]
Society member Dr Philippa England has drafted a proposal for a green voucher scheme that would overcome the heavy transaction costs of the market-based carbon trading schemes. Dr England presented her proposal at the Society’s AGM on 9 December 2021. […]
Almost all articles submitted for Volume 129 of the Proceedings of The Royal Society of Queensland have now been published on line at https://www.royalsocietyqld.org/proceedings-129/. We congratulate all authors on their scholarship. Printing is on track to be completed by the […]
The Society is gratified that the incoming Governor of Queensland, Dr Jeannette Young PSM, has granted Royal patronage to the Society, a privilege extended by successive Governors since 1885. We express our thanks to Dr Young and look forward to […]
On 21 October 2021, members discussed the recent advocacy for an Office of Science Quality Assurance by AgForce and other parties. There was general support for the position taken publicly by the President that scientists should oppose the establishment of […]
‘This book is a clarion call for sanity at a time when we can finally get the nuclear monkey off our back – highly recommended.’ Peter Garrett. Australia has been directly involved in the nuclear industry for more than a century, […]
On 3 September a workshop was held both in-person at Griffith Southbank and online to address many issues of contemporary salience around incentivising land restoration. In this one day workshop a panel discussed the role of markets, certification schemes and […]
Desert Channels Queensland and the Australian Rangeland Society hosted the NRM in the Rangelands Conference- shaping our future, 2021. Members of The Royal Society of Queensland were prominent in organising the event. Rangelands cover about 80% of the Australian interior, […]
Sustainable Queensland Forum partnered with the Society and the Central Queensland University to run an interesting seminar in 2016. The proceedings have been rescued from the digital dungeon and are now available on the Events 2016 page of the Society’s […]
Presentations from the three webinars hosted by the Royal Societies of Australia in February-March 2021 have been published as Volume 133(1) of the Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. For other material on the stewardship of rural country see […]
Queensland’s Dr Dana Kelly, an active participant in the Society’s Rangelands Policy Dialogue since July 2019, is President of the International Rangelands Committee, which is responsible for ensuring continuity between the international congresses. After Kenya (see side panel), the next […]
The Queensland Science Network, a collaboration between some 26 scientific and natural history societies, publishes a free online Newsletter on a semi-regular basis. The full set is available on the QSN website. Members of the public are warmly invited to […]
On Tuesday 15 June His Excellency, the Governor of Queensland Paul de Jersey QC officially launched the five volumes of the Society’s Proceedings published in 2020. His Excellency hosted a reception at Government House attended by members, editors and authors […]
Manuscripts are invited for a Special Issue of the Proceedings of The Royal Society of Queensland dedicated to public health. There is no closing date, as manuscripts will be published as they are accepted, until a sufficient number have been […]
On 1 March 2021, our website developers handed over this website, which they developed pro bono in 2016. The website and the publication search engine were developed and designed by Joseph Listo, Paul Listo and Skye Cornell. The site has […]
Manuscripts are invited for annual volume 129 of the Proceedings of The Royal Society of Queensland. Closing date 31 July 2021; see Proceedings page for details.
Emeritus Professor Ray Specht AO died peacefully on the morning of Saturday 13th February after farewelling his family. To have Ray as a member for 53 years was a privilege and a blessing. The Society is proud to have published […]
Three webinars examining the meaning of “stewardship” of Australia’s landscapes were organised by the Royal Societies of Australia with Inspiring Australia on 24 Feb., 10 and 24 March. See Royal Societies of Australia website for details. Also see Facebook .
Society member Dr Russell Reichelt was honoured with Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in the Australia Day honours list. The citation was for “For distinguished service to marine conservation, to ecosystem management of the Great Barrier Reef, and […]
All articles in the second edition of the Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland for 2020, Volume 128, have now been published online. These are available on an open-access basis free of charge, under Creative Commons conditions. Printed copies […]
A Special Issue of the Proceedings of The Royal Society of Queensland has been published. All articles are available free of charge online at www.royalsocietyqld.org/2020-springs-special-issue-vol-126/. This is an outstanding work of scholarship and policy that includes scientific papers and opinion […]
Orders are being taken for several issues of the Proceedings of The Royal Society of Queensland: Volume 125 –The Land of Clouds Revisited: The Biodiversity and Ecology of the Eungella Rainforests – $35 plus $10 postage. Volume 126 – Springs […]
Papers are invited for the next annual volume of the Proceedings of The Royal Society of Queensland. Details on the Proceedings page. Short communications, student abstracts and opinion pieces are welcome, as well as conventional research articles. This venerable journal […]
Some of the early history of the Society was placed on display in a blog post by the State Library of Queensland as part of its National Science Week program in August 2020. Silvester Diggles, one of the founders of […]
Look ahead of the whimsy in this new Special Issue of the Proceedings of The Royal Society of Queensland. There are 26 serious papers – from pastoralists, scientists and policy specialists knowledgeable about the native pastures of Queensland’s inland. These […]
In April 2020 Members Philippa England and Nelson Quinn of Griffith University’s Law School trialled an online survey with a small number of stakeholders interested in the operation of Queensland’s Vegetation Management Act. Respondents were mostly current or previous landholders […]
Members Philippa England and Nelson Quinn of Griffith University’s Law School are undertaking project-driven research on the operation of the Vegetation Management Act in Queensland. The project aims to identify opportunities for incremental improvements to the legislation with a view […]
Member Dr Philippa England has published a new edition of her landmark book Planning in Queensland: Law, Policy and Practice with Amy McInerney. The book takes a fresh look at the operation of planning law in Queensland, incorporating insights based […]
Volume 124 of the Proceedings of The Royal Society of Queensland has been completed and printed. For the first time since the journal was launched in 1884, the annual volume has been published online with open access. Copies are available […]
The curiosity of Member Steve Hutcheon – who has an eclectic interest in Queensland’s early explorers and naturalists – was recently piqued upon learning of a letter by one J.E. Richter in The Sydney Morning Herald of 22 June 1872, […]
The Land of Clouds Revisited – a Special Issue of the Proceedings of The Royal Society of Queensland has been published on the biology and ecology of the rainforests of the Eungella area inland from Mackay. Further details are […]
The Society is delighted that Life Member Prof Ray Specht has been honoured in the Australia Day awards with the title of Order of Australia. The official citation catalogues some of Prof Specht’s achievements during a remarkable career of more […]
Member Prof Dilwyn Griffiths has published a new book, Tropical Ecosystems in Australia: Responses to a Changing World. Copies can be obtained from the publisher. The book draws on a wide range of case studies of tropical Australian ecosystems ranging […]
We are pleased to announce the award of two grants in the second round of the Research Fund. Koala microbiomes by Dr Michaela Blyton of the University of Queensland. We are delighted that the Australian Koala Foundation has agreed to […]
In 2019, for the first time, articles in the Proceedings will be published on line as they are accepted and typeset, without awaiting printing. This new procedure applies to the annual issue, volume 124, and three of the four Special […]
Plants are exceptional chemists and their pharmacy provides us with an enormous number of compounds that are essential to our long-term good health. This is explained in a new book by Dr Williams.
Royal Society Member Ron Turner, former Ranger-in-Charge at Cooloola National Park, has produced a delightful e-book on the lighthouses of Australia. 18 lighthouses in Queensland are featured, each with an impressive photograph and a page of notes. The compilation will […]
Royal Society member Corinne Unger presented at a Mt Coot-tha quarry forum hosted on 8 October by Brisbane City Councillor Michael Berkman and Mt Coot-tha Alliance to kick off the conversation on rehabilitation and closure planning.
Queensland has agreed to join the nascent Royal Societies of Australia, a collaboration between the state-based Royal Societies. This step recognises the national dimension of many policy issues that exercise Queensland’s scientists: water management, stewardship of pastoral lands, mine rehabilitation […]
Member Kate Charters, Principal of Sustainable Economic Growth for Regional Australia (SEGRA), has advised that the presentations from the August 2019 conference are now available. Follow this link. Some presentations are backed up by full articles. Many themes are relevant […]
The Queensland Rangelands Declaration was released on 20 August 2019. This is the first documentary outcome of a two-day discussion with a difference held on 1,2 July 2019. See the Rangelands Declaration webpage for the one-page Declaration and subsequent commentary […]
“Australia has a long and inglorious record of establishment by governments of valuable, valued and successful science-based initiatives … only to later abolish them. The results are loss of focus, loss of group knowledge, loss of expertise, loss of analytical […]
The world of science lost a true scientist and gentleman in the passing of Harold Trevor (Trevor) Clifford PhD DSc FLS FAIBiol OAM, on 4 May 2019. Professor Clifford was invested as an Honorary Life Member of the Society on […]
The Society’s Patron, His Excellency the Governor of Queensland, invested two new Honorary Life Members at an official reception at Government House on Thursday, 13 June 2019. Dr Ben Lawson, former Secretary and Treasurer, and Ms Cate Melzer, Council member […]
The Queensland Science Network was launched by His Excellency the Governor of Queensland the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC at a reception at Government House on Thursday 13 June. Some 50 guests representing the societies who have joined the network […]
Aerospace engineer Phil Andrews is examining whether science possesses tools of inquiry adequate to explore all conceivable explanations of the origin of the universe. Given that it is normal practice to apply ‘Methodological Naturalism’ to ‘Origins Science’, scientists suppress any […]
If anything has become plain through public debate in 2018 and 2019, it has been that it is not sufficient for scientists to publish their knowledge of natural systems in scientific forums. It is also necessary to present that knowledge […]
Crowds of people visited the Society’s stall at the World Science Festival celebration at Southbank on 23 and 24 March 219. Practical demonstrations of gravity, the solar system and a cyclone attracted children while adults took advantage of the “Ask […]
The 2018 edition of the Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland has now been published. Thanks to Dr Barry Pollock, recently retired Honorary Editor for sterling work in producing his fourth edition; and thanks to the authors and reviewers […]
The third limb of the Society’s project to identify the preconditions of human health has been focusing on health in remote and Indigenous communities. How do biophysical factors such as nutrition, exercise and childhood exposure to toxins interact with sociological […]
“We argue for a refocusing of the species debate on criteria rather than concept, thereby highlighting the real with the context of the hypothetical nature of species”, writes Member Stephen Maxwell and co-authors. Their draft paper is available for critical […]
From Arnhem Land Expedition 1948 to 2018 – A life’s work With editorial assistance from member Dr David Doley, Life Member Prof Ray Specht has compiled Ray Specht – A Retrospective including a bibliography of some of his published work […]
At the Society’s AGM on 29 November 2018, the winners of the inaugural awards from the Research Fund were announced by Emeritus Prof. Calvin Rose AM, Life Member: Alex Jiang, University of Queensland, for an investigation of koala-cattle interactions. Chapa […]
Students and others seeking voluntary pre-career experience are invited to contact the Society on rsocqld@gmail.com. Opportunities are potentially available in: website management marketing and public relations scientific inquiry beyond the laboratory bridging science and policy submission-writing journalism writing educational materials […]
If Wales can pass legislation which requires public bodies to consider the long-term social, cultural, environmental and economic well-being of the Welsh people in all of their decision-making, could it work in Queensland? Member David Marlow, systems analyst and futurist, […]
Prof Bill Laurance, Director of the Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science (TESS) based at James Cook University, in an article published in The Conversation, “The world’s forests will collapse if we don’t learn to say ‘no’”, has drawn […]
Member Prof Sean Ulm of James Cook University has just been appointed as Distinguished Professor. The Vice-Chancellor has advised: “James Cook University confers the title of Distinguished Professor upon professors of exceptional distinction. To be eligible … an individual must […]
The Society has a long tradition of publishing special themed issues. The Society intends to publish a Special Issue of its Proceedings on Springs of the Great Artesian Basin in late 2019. This publication is intended to capture articles ranging […]
Emeritus Professor Angela Arthington, a member of the Society’s Council, is the 2018 recipient of the Australian Society for Limnology Medal, its highest award, presented for significant contributions to freshwater science. Prof Arthington has published widely on river and fish […]
To be resilient in the face of drought requires a pastoral enterprise to be both: resilient in financial conditions; resilient in paddock conditions. A producer’s financial circumstances are partly a consequence of their own actions, but are played out upon […]
Can teenagers reasonably be held accountable for their actions? If their mothers drank alcohol during the first trimester, possibly even before they knew they were pregnant, they may be suffering from lifelong, irreversible cognitive impairment. Truly humans are not all […]
Member Dr John Stanisic and co-authors have just released Volume 2 of a three-part catalogue of the land snails of Australia. This 595-page volume in full colour covers 756 species from an area extending from western Queensland across to Western […]
Three members of the Royal Society of Queensland delivered presentations at the forum “Citizen Science: Challenges and Benefits for Biodiversity Conservation” held on 11 August 2018 by western suburbs-based The Hut Environmental and Conservation Association. Keynote speaker was Emeritus Professor […]
Member Corinne Unger was among a list of distinguished contributors to the minerals industry recognised in the 2018 Awards of AusIMM (Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy). Ms Unger won the award for AusIMM Professional Excellence. She was nominated by […]
Society member Robert Whyte has just signed off on the artwork for the third printing of his A Field Guide to Spiders of Australia, CSIRO Publishing 2017, with Greg Anderson co-author. The first printing sold out in under four weeks. […]
A Discussion Paper From Red to Black to Green has been released (20 June 2018) (3MB). All those interested in the management of Queensland’s pastoral zone are invited to turn to our Stewardship page for this report and supporting documents; […]
The 122nd annual edition of this venerable journal is now available for purchase. Articles this year: Frederick Strange, naturalist – Pat Comben Propagation of rock oysters – Ben Diggles Building science into policy – Geoff Edwards Decline of native flora […]
Researchers with scientific knowledge to share are invited to submit papers for forthcoming issues of the Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland. Separate Guides to Authors for each issue are available. Proceedings 124 – the annual issue, published regularly […]
Past President Paul Sattler OAM has updated his memoir. A copy is available on the Members’ Collection page. The memoir is a thoroughly interesting story of the drive to enlarge the National Park State and other initiatives in conservation policy […]
On 29 April 2018, Royal Society member Ariel Marcy launched her free science game design platform, DIY Go Extinct! at the State Library in Brisbane. Over 35 youngsters, parents, teachers, and scientists came and created one-of-a-kind Go Extinct! games featuring […]
The Society congratulates Ms Revel Pointon, a member of the Society’s Council, on being invested with the 2018 Mahla Pearlman Award for the Australian Young Environmental Lawyer of the Year. A citation on the website of the Environmental Defender’s Office […]
The ground-breaking expedition to Arnhem Land in 1948 joined by Prof Ray Specht has been brought to mind by a celebratory article in the newsletter of Jubilee Community Care. We honour Prof Specht, Life Member of the Society, for laying […]
The Queensland Government has announced a review of the electricity legislation. It has published an Issues Paper and has invited public comments until 19 June 2018.
Regrettably federal funding for the innovative and unique Queensland initiative to establish the Queensland STEM Education Network has come to an end. Coordinator Kay Lembo, a Member of the Royal Society, has been unable to identify a source of additional […]
Member Dr Paul Bell has recently co-authored a highly insightful report Inclusive growth and climate change adaptation and mitigation in Australia and China: Removing barriers to solving wicked problems. The work addresses the trajectory of Australia’s economy and the lack […]
Which preconditions of ill health are most ripe for remedial investment? Is smoking, poor diet, parasite load, socio-economic disadvantage, discrimination, poor education or lack of exercise most influential? What is the cost of not applying the remedies? What […]
Papers are invited for issue 123 of the Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland. See Guide to Authors on the Proceedings page. One does not need to be an established scientist to publish in this venerable journal. Also, a […]
Former pastoralist Alan Lauder’s pioneering insights into the management of pastoral landscapes by timing – dynamic management of carbon production – are explained in a series of 37 easy-to-read columns, along with his ground-breaking book of 2008 Carbon Grazing, an […]
The tax deductible Research Fund is open for donations, which are a way of perpetuating donors’ interest in science. More details on the Research Page. Applications for grants will be invited shortly (March 2018).
The Sunday Mail published an opinion piece by the President on 14 January defending the integrity of scientific research and peer-reviewed publication against a criticism in the previous week’s newspaper. See our Press Releases page for more explanation.
PANDORA, Australia’s web archive, stores substantive websites on rotation. This wonderful service, an element of Australia’s information infrastructure, aims to archive valuable information that otherwise might vanish when websites are restructured. Captured versions of the Society’s website from June 2015, […]
Taxonomy is a neglected field in science as it crosses numerous disciplines and no single discipline can speak on its behalf. But it is an field essential for understanding numerous other disciplines. An ‘Exposure Draft’ of a decadal plan for […]
Member Professor Sean Ulm has been awarded the Rhys Jones Medal for Outstanding Contribution to Australian Archaeology by the Australian Archaeological Association. Congratulations! Sean Ulm’s research is at the forefront of human-environmental studies in Australian archaeology. Read the citation and […]
