Royal Society of New South Wales
Encyclopedia
The Royal Society of New South Wales is a learned society based in Sydney
, Australia
. It was established as the Philosophical Society of Australasia on 27 June 1821. It is the oldest learned society in Australia and one of the oldest learned societies in the southern hemisphere.
After a period of inactivity, the title was changed to the Australian Philosophical Society (19 January 1850). The present title of the society was given by Royal Assent on 12 December 1866.
Membership is open to any person interested in the promotion of studies in Science, Art, Literature and Philosophy. The society publishes the Journal and Proceedings of The Royal Society of New South Wales. Regular monthly meetings are held in Sydney and a branch in the Southern Highlands is very active. The Governor-General of Australia
and the Governor of New South Wales are joint patrons of the society.
This list is incomplete
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It was established as the Philosophical Society of Australasia on 27 June 1821. It is the oldest learned society in Australia and one of the oldest learned societies in the southern hemisphere.
After a period of inactivity, the title was changed to the Australian Philosophical Society (19 January 1850). The present title of the society was given by Royal Assent on 12 December 1866.
Membership is open to any person interested in the promotion of studies in Science, Art, Literature and Philosophy. The society publishes the Journal and Proceedings of The Royal Society of New South Wales. Regular monthly meetings are held in Sydney and a branch in the Southern Highlands is very active. The Governor-General of Australia
Governor-General of Australia
The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia at federal/national level of the Australian monarch . He or she exercises the supreme executive power of the Commonwealth...
and the Governor of New South Wales are joint patrons of the society.
Notable members
- Edward WollstonecraftEdward WollstonecraftEdward Wollstonecraft was a successful businessman in early colonial Australia. He was the nephew of the early feminist Mary Wollstonecraft and cousin to Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, the author of Frankenstein....
, a founding member of the original Philosophical Society of Australasia - William Branwhite ClarkeWilliam Branwhite ClarkeWilliam Branwhite Clarke, FRS was an English geologist and clergyman, active in Australia.-Early life and England:...
, geologist and long-time vice-president - Philip Sydney JonesPhilip Sydney JonesSir Phillip Sydney Jones was an Australian medical practitioner and University of Sydney vice-chancellor 1904–1906.-Early life:...
, surgeon. A member for 51 years - James Charles CoxJames Charles CoxJames Charles Cox was an Australian physician and conchologist.Cox was born at Mulgoa, southwest of Sydney where he played with Aboriginal children and leared from them about native birds and animals. He was educated at the local parish school and the King's School, Parramatta...
, conchologist - William Scott (astronomer and clergyman)William Scott (astronomer and clergyman)William Scott , was a Church of England clergyman and became the colonial astronomer for New South Wales.-Background:...
- Robert Hamilton Mathews, (anthropologist and surveyor)
Presidents
- Thomas BrisbaneThomas BrisbaneMajor-General Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane, 1st Baronet GCH, GCB, FRS, FRSE was a British soldier, colonial Governor and astronomer.-Early life:...
, 1821 - George Handley KnibbsGeorge Handley KnibbsSir George Handley "The Knibb" Knibbs CMG was an Australian scientist, the first Commonwealth Statistician and the first director of the Commonwealth Institute of Science and Industry, predecessor to the CSIRO....
, 1881 http://austehc.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/biogs/P001075b.htm - Archibald LiversidgeArchibald LiversidgeArchibald Liversidge, FRS, was an English-born Australian chemist and founder of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science.-Early life:...
, 1885, 1889 and 1900 - Charles Smith WilkinsonCharles Smith WilkinsonCharles Smith Wilkinson was an Australian geologist. He became geological surveyor in charge in New South Wales in 1875 and was president of the Royal Society of New South Wales in 1887.-Early life:...
, 1887 - William Henry WarrenWilliam Henry WarrenWilliam Henry Warren was an Australian engineer and twice president of the Royal Society of New South Wales.-Early life:...
, 1892 and 1902 http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A060382b.htm - Henry Chamberlain RussellHenry Chamberlain RussellHenry Chamberlain Russell, CMG, FRS, was an Australian astronomer and meteorologist.-Early life:Russell was born at West Maitland, New South Wales, the fourth son of the Hon. Bourn Russell and his wife Jane, née Mackreth...
(four times) - Frederick Bickell GuthrieFrederick Bickell GuthrieFrederick Bickell Guthrie . was an Australian agricultural chemist and a president of the Royal Society of New South Wales.-Early life:...
, 1903 - Richard Hind CambageRichard Hind CambageRichard Hind Cambage was an Australian surveyor and botanist who made important contributions to the description of the genera Acacia and Eucalyptus.-Early life:...
, 1912 and 1923 - Henry George SmithHenry George SmithHenry George Smith was an Australian chemist whose pioneering work on the chemistry of the essential oils of the Australian flora achieved worldwide recognition....
, 1913 http://www.raci.org.au/national/awards/hgsmith.html - Ernest Clayton AndrewsErnest Clayton AndrewsErnest Clayton Andrews was an Australian geologist and botanist.Andrews was born in Balmain, New South Wales, second chid of Fearleigh Leonard Montague, artist, and Alice Maud, née Smith. At three years of age, he and his sister were unofficially adopted by John Andrews and his wife Mary Ann, née...
, 1921 http://austehc.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/biogs/P000016b.htm - Carl SüssmilchCarl SüssmilchAdolph Carl von de Heyde Süssmilch , also known as Adolph Carl Süssmilch, was an Australian geologist and educationist.Süssmilch was born in Sydney, New South Wales, to German immigrants...
, 1922 - Sir Tannatt William Edgeworth DavidEdgeworth DavidSir Tannatt William Edgeworth David KBE, DSO, FRS, was a Welsh Australian geologist and Antarctic explorer. A household name in his lifetime, David's most significant achievements were discovering the major Hunter Valley coalfield in New South Wales and leading the first expedition to reach the...
(twice) - James Douglas Stewart, 1927–1928 http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/biogs/P000794b.htm
- William Rowan BrowneWilliam Rowan BrowneWilliam Rowan Browne was an Australian geologist, author of The Geology of the Commonwealth of Australia.-Early life:Browne was born in Lislea, County Londonderry, Ireland, both parents were school teachers...
, 1932-33 http://www.science.org.au/academy/memoirs/browne.htm - Arthur Bache WalkomArthur Bache WalkomArthur Bache Walkom was an Australian palaeobotanist and museum director.Walkom was born in Grafton, New South Wales and moved with his family to Sydney where he was educated at Petersham Public and Fort Street Model schools and the University of Sydney graduating with a D.Sc. in 1918...
, 1943 - Sir Ronald Sydney Nyholm, 1954 http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A150585b.htm
- Howard McKernHoward McKernHoward Hamlet George McKern was an Australian analytical and organic chemist, museum administrator who was Deputy Director of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences and President of the Royal Society of New South Wales....
c.1970? - Professor Peter A. Williams, 2001 http://nsw.royalsoc.org.au/news.html
- Prof. J.C Kelly http://nsw.royalsoc.org.au/society/officers.html
This list is incomplete