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DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Sydney:20260714T123000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Sydney:20260714T140000
DTSTAMP:20260703T223247
CREATED:20260521T214221Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260626T032430Z
UID:26693-1784032200-1784037600@www.royalsoc.org.au
SUMMARY:Lunchtime series: Australia's energy security: Technology options in an uncertain world (July 2026)
DESCRIPTION:“Australia’s energy security: Technology options in an uncertain world”\n\nTim Buckley\nFounder of the public interest think tank\, Climate Energy Finance \nDate: Tuesday\, 14 July 2026\, 12.15 for 12.30 – 2.00 pm AEST\nVenue: Union University and Schools Club\, 25 Bent Street\, Sydney (corner of Bent and Philip Streets)\nEnquiries: by email to RSNSW Events \n Registration: Registration is required  before 2.00 pm AEST on Thursday\, 9 July 2026\nCost: $75 (RSNSW or UUSC members); $85 (non-members/guests). A warm meal and wine will be served.\nUUSC dress code: Business Dress. To avoid embarrassment\, please note that a jacket and tie are required. Denim\, trainers and shoes with white soles are not permitted. Attendees not dressed appropriately may be refused entry by the Club.\nFlyer: Downloadable from this link \n Click here to register before\n2.00 pm AEST on Thursday\, 9 July 2026  \nAustralia’s energy security: Technology options in an uncertain world\nThe war in the Middle East has brought the dependence on fossil fuels into very sharp focus.  Despite the seemingly endless optimism of financial markets\, the global economy is likely to be substantially disrupted over the next several months\, regardless of what peace terms can be negotiated between the US\, Iran and Israel.  The uncertainty about ship movements through the Strait of Hormuz\, depletion of international reserves and the damage and disruption to refining capacity in the Persian Gulf will almost certainly cause sharp fluctuations in the cost and availability of liquid fuels\, particularly diesel. \nDiesel accounts for around 70% of Australia’s total liquid fuel demand.  If our supply chain for diesel were to be seriously disrupted for a long period\, there would be major economic consequences to both the domestic economy and to agricultural and mineral exports. \nThis series started as an exploration of the Future Made in Australia (FMiA) program that will see investment of $22.7 billion over the next decade focused on two major streams: Net zero transformation\, and Economic security and resilience.  Nothing could have greater relevance in the current geopolitical circumstances. \nTim Buckley will explore the accelerating global energy system transformation options\, with a focus on China’s growing leadership role\, particularly in light of these energy security challenges and the other trade headwinds caused by the Trump administration’s policies. \nTim Buckley is the founder of the public interest think tank\, Climate Energy Finance. \nClimate Energy Finance (CEF) is an independent\, non-partisan\, and philanthropically funded Australian think tank established in 2022 that works pro bono in the public interest to accelerate the transition in Australia to net zero in line with climate science. \nCEF conducts research and analyses of the current strategic\, financial and geopolitical issues that are shaping the global energy transition and their implications for the Australian economy\, with a focus on the challenges and opportunities for Australian investments\, industry and exports.  This involves tracking and providing independent commentary on developments in China and other key trading partners in the Asia-Pacific region\, as well as advocating for stronger mutually beneficial collaboration with these partners.  CEF also examines the convergence of global technology trends in power\, transport\, mining and industry in accelerating decarbonisation. \nTim has 35 years of financial market experience covering the Australian\, Asian and global equity markets and is a highly influential energy finance commentator.  He has written more than 100 reports on the global energy transition and the roles of finance and policy in accelerating critical decarbonisation trends. \nTim was previously the Australasian Director of the global Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis\, 2013-2021.  Prior to this\, he was a top-rated equity research analyst\, including Head of Equity Research in Singapore at Deutsche Bank\, Managing Director\, Head of Equity Research at Citigroup for 17 years\, Head of Institutional Equities at Shaw & Partners and co-Managing Director of Arkx Investment Management Pty Ltd\, a global\, listed clean energy investment start-up\, jointly owned with Westpac.
URL:https://www.royalsoc.org.au/events/lunchtime-series-provocations-and-inspirations-july-2026/
LOCATION:Union University and Schools Club\, 25 Bent Street\, Sydney (corner of Bent and Philip Streets)\, 25 Bent Street\, Sydney\, NSW\, 2000\, Australia
CATEGORIES:2026 Events,Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.royalsoc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Tim_Buckley-300px.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Sydney:20260716T183000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Sydney:20260716T193000
DTSTAMP:20260703T223247
CREATED:20251124T092518Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260408T221021Z
UID:22412-1784226600-1784230200@www.royalsoc.org.au
SUMMARY:Southern Highlands Branch Meeting: 2026-6. Not just a gentleman's club — origins and singificance of the Royal Society of NSW
DESCRIPTION:“Not just a gentleman’s club: The origins and significance of the Royal Society of NSW”\n  \nDr Anne Coote\nAuthor and Historian \nDate: Thursday\, 16 July\, 6.30–7.30 pm AEST\nVenue: RSL Mittagong\, Carrington Room\nEntry: Members\, $5; Non-members\, $10 (cashless payments only)\n All are welcome \nSummary: The Royal Society of NSW is a twenty-first-century organisation with a long history in the intellectual culture of Sydney and beyond. In this talk\, Anne Coote will discuss the origins of this learned society\, its character and social position in nineteenth-century NSW\, and the significant contribution it made to the development of an active colonial research community. \nHistorian Dr Anne Coote works in the areas of public history and cultural history\, including the cultural history of science in colonial Australia. For many years\, she held an adjunct position at the University of New England. More recently\, as an associate of the Centre for Applied History at Macquarie University\, she contributed to a research project investigating the history of shale-mining settlements in the Blue Mountains\, New South Wales. She has written entries for the Dictionary of Sydney and published academically on the influence of literate culture on popular perceptions of community and sovereignty in mid nineteenth-century New South Wales\, popular science journalism\, notable collectors of natural history specimens\, the intersection of specimen collection with ideas about class\, and the trade in specimens at a local and global level. Dr Coote is a graduate of the University of Sydney and the University of New England\, Armidale.
URL:https://www.royalsoc.org.au/events/southern-highlands-branch-meeting-2026-6/
LOCATION:RSL Mittagong\, Carrington Room
CATEGORIES:2026 Events,Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.royalsoc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Anne_Coote_2024v2-300px.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Sydney:20260805T180000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Sydney:20260805T193000
DTSTAMP:20260703T223247
CREATED:20260430T005803Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260622T083125Z
UID:25824-1785952800-1785958200@www.royalsoc.org.au
SUMMARY:1343rd OGM and Open Lecture. The Importance of Understanding Water Quality and Climate Change for Aboriginal People
DESCRIPTION:“The Cultural Value of Water and the Importance of Understanding Water Quality and Climate Change for Aboriginal People”\n\nProfessor Bradley Moggridge FRSN FTSE\nAssociate Dean (Indigenous Leadership and Engagement)\nFaculty of Science\nUniversity of Technology Sydney \nDate and Time: Wednesday\, 5 August 2026\, 6.00–7.30 pm AEST\nVenue: Michael Crouch Room\, Mitchell Building\, State Library of NSW\nPre-meeting drinks: A cash bar will operate from 5.30 pm\nRegistration: Please register before 2.00 pm AEST on Wednesday\, 5 August 2026\n Entry: OGM: Members\, $20; Non-members\, $30; Students\, $0\nEnquiries: via email to RSNSW Events\n All are welcome \n Please click here to register before\n2.00 pm AEST on Wednesday\, 5 August 2026  \nBusiness of the Meeting \nThe Agenda for the Ordinary General Meeting will be made available on the Meetings page of the website. \nSummary: Australia is the driest inhabited continent on Earth\, yet it has been the traditional land of its original inhabitants\, Australia’s First Peoples (its Indigenous people)\, for thousands of generations—65\,000 years\, plus. Protecting water landscapes (surface and groundwater) in a dry place like Australia\, along with the protection of cultural values\, has always been a high priority for Aboriginal people\, and protecting water remains a cultural obligation. Water connects people to Country\, carries songs\, dances and language through the generations. This connection and understanding of climate are no different; observations\, adaptation and lived experience (already having survived sea level rise) put First Peoples of Australia in a place to provide solutions for a modern issue like climate change. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are adapting now to a changed climate. Seasonal changes\, culturally significant species are also adapting and evolving. Through my research and experience\, I am very privileged to work towards solutions combining both my ancestral Traditional Knowledge and qualifications in Western science for water and climate. \nBradley Moggridge is a proud Murri from the Kamilaroi Nation living on Ngunnawal Country in Canberra and a Professor of Science and Associate Dean (Indigenous Leadership and Engagement) at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). He has a PhD in Science from the University of Canberra\, an MSc in Hydrogeology from UTS\, and a BSc in Environmental Science from the Australian Catholic University. \nProfessor Moggridge is the Immediate Past President of the Australian Freshwater Science Society (President\, 2022–2024)\, a current Board member with the NSW Environmental Protection Authority\, and previously was a member of the Biodiversity Council and the National Youth Science Forum (NYSF). He was appointed as Lead Author for IPCC AR7 Chapter 10\, and was accepted as a Fellow of the Academy of Technological Science and Engineering (ATSE) in 2025 and a Fellow of the Royal Society of NSW (FRSN) in 2026. He is a member of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists and is a Governor of WWF Australia. He is an alumnus of the International Water Centre. \nProfessor Moggridge has won several awards\, including the 2026 RSNSW Aboriginal Scholar Medal\, and has presented widely\, including at the 2023 UN Water Conference (New York) and at the 2022\, 2023 and 2025 SIWI World Water Week (Stockholm)\, and COP29 in Baku. He has published in his area of expertise in  Indigenous Water Knowledge and Climate Change\, also finding himself on many committees (local\, national to international)\, adding to his 25 years in water and environmental science\, cultural knowledge\, regulation\, water planning and management. He hopes to encourage Indigenous generations to pursue interests in science and promote his ancestors’ knowledge.
URL:https://www.royalsoc.org.au/events/1343rd-ogm-and-open-lecture/
LOCATION:Michael Crouch Room\, Mitchell Building\, State Library of NSW
CATEGORIES:2026 Events,Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.royalsoc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Bradley_Moggridge_2024-300px.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Sydney:20260820T183000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Sydney:20260820T193000
DTSTAMP:20260703T223247
CREATED:20260623T040930Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260623T055906Z
UID:27128-1787250600-1787254200@www.royalsoc.org.au
SUMMARY:Southern Highlands Meeting: 2026-7. The Weather Underwater\, and Why it Matters
DESCRIPTION:“The Weather Underwater\, and Why it Matters”\n  \nAssociate Professor Shane Keating\nSchool of Mathematics and Statistics\nUNSW Sydney \nDate: Thursday\, 20 August 2026\, 6.30–7.30 pm AEST\nVenue: RSL Mittagong\, Carrington Room\nEntry: Members\, $5; Non-members\, $10 (please note: cashless payments only)\n All are welcome \nSummary: Earth’s oceans are the engine of the global climate system and the source of food and prosperity for over 3 billion people worldwide. At the same time\, the global economy relies on the ocean to transport 90% of all traded goods. It is no exaggeration to say that the ocean plays a vital role in humanity’s well-being and prosperity. \nIn this talk\, oceanographer Shane Keating will discuss the importance of the dynamic ocean environment — the ‘weather underwater’ — to the global economy and Earth’s climate system. Travelling from the shores of Loch Long\, Scotland\, to ‘Eddy Avenue’ off the coast of NSW\, Shane will review how our knowledge of Earth’s oceans has been methodically built from observational\, experimental\, numerical and theoretical studies. Finally\, Shane will explore some of the ways that artificial intelligence (AI) and data science are enabling new insights and innovations that are changing the way we understand and use the ocean\, and how he is creating a ‘Google Maps for the Sea’ to help the shipping industry save fuel and cut emissions. \nDr Shane Keating is an Associate Professor of Physical Oceanography in the School of Mathematics and Statistics at UNSW Sydney. His research uses powerful mathematical and data science tools to study our oceans from land\, sea\, and space. Shane is the founder and CEO of CounterCurrent\, a UNSW AI spinout company delivering localised ocean forecasts and intelligent routing for ships. CounterCurrent’s generative AI ocean forecasting system provides crews with customised forecasts 10\,000x faster and cheaper than National Weather Centres\, helping the maritime industry optimise routes to cut fuel and emissions. Founded in 2025\, CounterCurrent was the first Australian startup to be awarded an AWS Compute for Climate fellowship and was named a ‘breakout star’ in the Australian Financial Review. Shane is also a passionate science communicator\, and his popular articles about science and mathematics have reached over a million readers.
URL:https://www.royalsoc.org.au/events/southern-highlands-meeting-2026-7/
LOCATION:RSL Mittagong\, Carrington Room
CATEGORIES:2026 Events,Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.royalsoc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Shane_Keating_v1-300px.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Sydney:20260901T183000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Sydney:20260901T200000
DTSTAMP:20260703T223247
CREATED:20260628T001920Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260703T064057Z
UID:27190-1788287400-1788292800@www.royalsoc.org.au
SUMMARY:Ideas@theHouse: September 2026. The importance of sport in today's world
DESCRIPTION:Ideas@theHouse\n  \npresented by \nHis Excellency the Honourable Andrew Bell AC KC\nLieutenant-Governor of NSW \n\n“The increasing importance of sport in today’s world”\n\nMatthew Allen AM\nVice President\nAustralian Olympic Committee \nDate:  Tuesday\, 1 September 2026\, 6.30–8.00 pm AEST\nVenue: Face-to-face (by invitation for Society members and guests) and live streaming from Government House\, Sydney\nRegistration: Society members and guests will receive their formal invitation from Government House before the event.  You must RSVP to this invitation to confirm your place.\nRegistration is not required for the live stream.\nEntry: No charge\nVideo presentation: YouTube video\nAll are welcome to the live stream\n\nSummary: Sport has long been central to Australian identity\, but its importance is growing as work patterns and social lifestyles evolve. With more sedentary jobs and increased screen time\, participation in sport offers essential physical activity that supports cardiovascular health\, strength\, and overall well-being. Beyond physical benefits\, sport plays a vital role in improving mental health by reducing stress and social isolation. As communities become more digitally connected yet socially fragmented\, sporting environments provide meaningful opportunities for connection\, teamwork\, and belonging. In this changing landscape\, sport is not only recreation but a crucial contributor to healthier\, more balanced modern Australian lifestyles. \nWe are less than 6 years away from hosting Australia’s third Olympic Games. There are opportunities to change the landscape of our society through sport and provide an opportunity for the whole country to unite behind one team on our home ground. \nMatt Allen has been a member of the Australian Olympic Committee Executive since 2017 and Vice President since 2021. He was involved in the bid for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games in 2021. He chairs the Australian Olympic Community Foundation\, which is focused on providing scholarships to emerging indigenous sporting talent. \nHe was the second-longest serving President of Australian Sailing\, from 2013 to 2019 and the inaugural Vice-President 2011–2013. Whilst President of Sailing\, he was the architect of the ‘One Management’ Structure for the National Sport Federations; this virtual merger of the State Federations of Sailing became the blueprint for National Federations of Sport by the Federal Sports Commission. Since 2020\, Matt has been a World Sailing Council member and Chair of the Oceanic and Offshore Committee\, the only Australian to chair this Committee. \nHe is one of Australia’s most decorated offshore sailors\, being a four-time overall winner\, three times as skipper\, of the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and the line honours winner in 2025. He has competed in 33 Sydney Hobart Races. He is a former world champion in the 11 Metre Class\, a silver medallist in the Farr 40 Class\, a four-time Kings Cup Winner\, and was a member of the Arbitration Tribunal for the 35th Americas Cup. \nHe was the Commodore of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia from 2007 to 2010. \nIn his past working life\, he was President and CEO of UBS Japan and Regional Treasurer of UBS Asia Pacific—with UBS Japan\, at the time\, being the largest foreign bank in Japan. He is also a former Managing Director of the Swiss Bank Corporation. \nHe was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia in 2019 for his services to sailing.
URL:https://www.royalsoc.org.au/events/ideasthehouse-september-2026/
LOCATION:Face-to-face (by invitation for Society members) and live streaming from Government House Sydney\, Government House Sydney\, NSW\, 2000\, Australia
CATEGORIES:2026 Events,Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.royalsoc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Matthew_Allen-300px.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Sydney:20260902T180000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Sydney:20260902T193000
DTSTAMP:20260703T223247
CREATED:20260330T202955Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260430T010148Z
UID:24291-1788372000-1788377400@www.royalsoc.org.au
SUMMARY:1344th OGM and Open Lecture. Ecosystem restoration a scale—nearly a decade of the Wild Deserts project
DESCRIPTION:“Ecosystem restoration at scale\, reintroducing native species and managing threats – nearly a decade of the Wild Deserts project ”\n\nScientia Professor Richard Kingsford AO FRSN\nDirector\, Centre for Ecosystem Science\nSchool of Biological\, Earth & Environmental Sciences\nUNSW Sydney \nDate and Time: Wednesday\, 2 September 2026\, 6.00–7.30 pm AEST\nVenue: Michael Crouch Room\, Mitchell Building\, State Library of NSW\nPre-meeting drinks: A cash bar will operate from 5.30 pm\nRegistration: Registration information will follow\n Entry: OGM: Members\, $20; Non-members\, $30; Students\, $0\nEnquiries: via email to RSNSW Events\n All are welcome\n\nBusiness of the Meeting \nThe Agenda for the Ordinary General Meeting will be made available on the Meetings page of the website. \nSummary:  Australia has the world’s most notorious extinction record for mammals\, driving widespread functional loss in our desert ecosystems. The Wild Deserts project is a nationally significant ecological restoration initiative in the Strzelecki Desert of Sturt National Park in far‑northwestern New South Wales. Established in 2016\, this project is led by UNSW’s Centre for Ecosystem Science and Ecological Horizons\, collaborating with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and Taronga Conservation Society. The Wild Deserts Program represents one of the most ambitious attempts to restore arid ecosystems in Australia. It was designed not only to reintroduce seven locally extinct species\, but to restore ecosystem function at a landscape scale\, through integrating species’ reintroductions\, threat management\, particularly feral cats\, and adaptive data-driven decision-making. This presentation focuses on the successes and failures of ecosystem restoration at large scales\, reflecting the vision of the Wild Deserts Project. \nRichard Kingsford is a Scientia Professor at UNSW Sydney and the Director of the Centre for Ecosystem Science. He is a conservation biologist who has worked extensively on ecosystem restoration and threatening processes in Australia. He has led projects in aerial surveys of waterbirds\, informing river management\, reintroduction of platypuses and reintroductions of locally extinct mammal species. He has expertise in the conservation of ecosystems\, particularly freshwater aquatic ecology. He has worked with many different communities and governments across Australia on the conservation management of ecosystems. His research has influenced conservation policy and management\, including through involvement on state and federal advisory committees. He leads the Wild Deserts Partnership\, focusing on restoring seven locally extinct mammal species to Sturt National Park in far western New South Wales and monitoring\, evaluation and research for water for the environment in the Macquarie River and Lower Balonne. \nRichard has been a Fellow of the Royal Society of NSW since 2020. His work has been acknowledged by numerous awards\, including three Eureka Awards in 2001\, 2008\, 2015\, the Hoffman medal in 2007 for contributions to global wetland science\, and in 2025 he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for ‘distinguished service to conservation biology\, to environmental sustainability research\, and to freshwater biodiversity and ecosystems governance.’ Richard is also the inaugural winner of the Royal Society of NSW Life Sciences Award in 2025.
URL:https://www.royalsoc.org.au/events/1337th-ogm-and-open-lecture-2/
LOCATION:Michael Crouch Room\, Mitchell Building\, State Library of NSW\, Shakespeare Place\, Sydney
CATEGORIES:2026 Events,Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.royalsoc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Richard_Kingsford_2026-300px.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Sydney:20261007T180000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Sydney:20261007T193000
DTSTAMP:20260703T223247
CREATED:20260130T030250Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260622T083012Z
UID:23697-1791396000-1791401400@www.royalsoc.org.au
SUMMARY:1345th OGM and Open Lecture. Reformulating the visualisation of climate disasters
DESCRIPTION:“Reformulating the visualisation of climate disasters”\nScientia Professor Dennis Del Favero FRSN FAHA \nProfessor of Digital Innovation andExecutive Director\, iCinema Research CentreUNSW Sydney \nDate and Time: Wednesday\, 7 October 2026\, 6.00–7.30 pm AESTVenue:  Gallery or Dixson Room (TBC)\, Mitchell Building\, State Library of NSW\, Shakespeare Place\, SydneyPre-meeting drinks: A cash bar will operate from 5.30 pmRegistration:  Information to followEntry: OGM: Members\, $20; Non-members\, $30; Students\, $0All are welcome \n \n  \n \nSummary: Climate disasters have doubled in frequency and scale since 2000 and are expected to double again by 2035. As seen in Australia 2019/2020 and in Los Angeles 2025\, climate disasters such as extreme and catastrophic wildfires are new singular events whose unforeseen and ferocious life-threatening behaviour challenge picturing. Their singularity\, such as unpredictable creation of new weather events\, such as firestorms\, resists the patterns and repetitions that make coherent aesthetic depiction and safe engagement possible. As they pose an unprecedented threat\, we need to ask: “How do we aesthetically picture such singular events so that we can meaningfully understand and safely prepare?”  \nArtistic picturing imagines powerful engagement with known scenarios\, while technological picturing\, such as WRF-SFIRE simulations\, abstractly maps the data patterns of typical fires. On their own\, neither form of picturing can perceptually and sensorially depict the unpredictable dynamics of climate disasters and experientially engage artistic research and first response stakeholders with their uncertainty so they can safely interpret and interact. To address this gap\, recent reports outline the urgent need for a form of picturing that leverages advances in art and technology.  \nThis demands the modelling of complex processes imperceptible to human cognition\, requiring the speed and scale of AI to learn patterns and render behaviours\, integrated with the power of art to experientially engage stakeholders in compelling and dynamic scenarios. Professor Del Favero’s research addresses this problem through an aesthetic that fuses art and AI and enables the experiential picturing of unforeseen scenarios. By converting scientific simulations into dynamically evolving\, immersive aesthetic experiences\, it will allow stakeholders to generate possible ‘what if’ scenarios that rehearse unexpected threats to build anticipatory understanding and situational deliberation. This research demonstrates that an immersive visual aesthetic—where users feel pro-actively present in unanticipated settings as they interactively rehearse their engagement with threats in advance can provide open-ended experiences that enhance risk apprehension and response. \nDennis Del Favero is a research artist\, Scientia Professor and ARC Laureate Fellow\, Director of the iCinema Research Centre at the University of New South Wales\, Sydney\, Honorary Professor\, University of Melbourne (Australia)\, Visiting Professor Royal College of Art (UK) and Editorial Board Member of Quodlibet Studio Corpi (Italy). He is the former Executive Director of the Australian Research Council | Humanities and Creative Arts and inaugural Visiting Professorial Fellow\, ZKM Centre for Art and Media (Germany). His work explores the use of AI aesthetics and immersive visualisation to picture and engage with uncertain scenarios\, such as extreme fires\, to enhance preparedness and response. His AUD $31M in funding has delivered a range of cutting-edge projects\, including: iCASTS\, an immersive training system for the Australian and Chinese mine industries\, educating 30\,000 miners\, reducing injury by 65% with no fatalities; iDesign\, a 3D stage design prototyping system for Sydney Theatre Company; iFire\, a 3D immersive simulation system for the international emergency sectors\, for training 7\,000 firefighters; netARCHIVE\, a networked display system for multi-located museum collection experience for Powerhouse Museum\, Sydney; and memorySCAPE\, an intelligent memorialisation database VR system for the Australian War Memorial\, Canberra. These outputs form part of significant commercialisations of immersive visualisation technologies\, such as with Shenyang Design & Research Institute of the China Technology & Engineering Group. His work has been exhibited in over 140 major exhibitions\, including Sprengel Museum Hannover and the Smithsonian. He is represented by Galerie Schenkweitzdoerfer\, Cologne and Gallery Mais Wright\, Sydney. \n 
URL:https://www.royalsoc.org.au/events/1345th-ogm-and-open-lecture/
LOCATION:Michael Crouch Room\, Mitchell Building\, State Library of NSW\, Shakespeare Place\, Sydney
CATEGORIES:2026 Events,Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.royalsoc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Dennis_Del_Favero_2026-300px.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Sydney:20261231T180000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Sydney:20261231T200000
DTSTAMP:20260703T223247
CREATED:20251209T073631Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260625T003442Z
UID:22598-1798740000-1798747200@www.royalsoc.org.au
SUMMARY:Calendar of Meetings 2026
DESCRIPTION:Events Calendar for 2026\nPlease check this page regularly\, as the Society’s event program is continually under development. \nMost recently updated: 25 June 2026 \n\nFollow the links below for meetings held by the Society in Sydney\, in Newcastle by the Hunter Branch\, in Armidale by the New England North West Branch\, in Mittagong by the Southern Highlands Branch\, and in western NSW by the Western NSW Branch. \n\n Sydney Meetings \nHunter Branch Meetings\nNew England and North West Branch Meetings\nSouthern Highlands Branch Meetings\nWestern NSW Branch Meetings\n\nSydney Meetings\n\n\n\n \n\n\nWednesday\, 11 February\, 6.30–8.00 pm AEDT\n1338th OGM and Open Lecture \nVenue: Michael Crouch Room\, Mitchell Building\, State Library of NSW\, Shakespeare Place\, Sydney \nHow many Australians should there be?\nDr Abul Rizvi PSM FRSN (1) and Scientia Professor Richard Holden FRSN FASSA\n(1) Former Deputy Secretary\, Department of Immigration\n(2) Professor of Economics\, UNSW Sydney Business School\n\n\nFriday\, 27 February\, 5.30–10.00 pm AEDT\nRSNSW Annual Dinner and Presentation of Awards \nVenue: Strangers’ Room\, Parliament House\, 6 Macquarie Street\, Sydney \nAfter Dinner Speaker\nProfessor Tony Haymet FTSE\nAustralia’s Chief Scientist\n\n\nMonday\, 9 March\, 6.00–8.30 pm AEDT\nRSNSW Student Award and Early Career Citation Presentations 2025 \nVenue: University of Sydney (Camperdown Campus)\, Michael Crouch Building (TBA) \nMs Eilish McMaster (Sydney)\, Ms Isabelle Nicolas (Macquarie)\, Mr Amir Tourani (Western Sydney)\, Mr Christopher Whyte (Sydney)\, Mr Yunlong Qiang (Sydney)\nDr Adrian Lee (Westmead Institute of Medical Research\, Sydney)\, Dr Jiayan Liao (UTS)\, Dr Brandon Munn (Sydney)\n\n\nThursday\, 12 March\, 6.30–8.00 pm AEDT\nIdeas@theHouse: March 2026 \nVenue: Government House\, Sydney (by formal invitation) and live-streaming \nNavigating Strategic Uncertainty: Space\, Cyber and National Support in a Fractured World\nLieutenant General Susan Coyle AM CSC DSM\nChief of Joint Capabilities\nAustralian Defence Force\n\n\n\nTuesday\, 24 March\, 12.30 – 2.00 pm AEST\nLunchtime series: Provocations and Inspirations (March 2026) \nVenue: Union\, University and Schools Club\, 25 Bent Street\, Sydney \nHydrogen: Cost and technology challenges\nAlex Dronoff\nChair\, Hunter Hydrogen Taskforce\n\n\nWednesday\, 8 April\, 6.00 – 7.30 pm AEST\n1339th OGM and Open Lecture \nVenue: Michael Crouch Room\, Mitchell Building\, State Library of NSW\, Shakespeare Place\, Sydney \nA Drone by any other name\nDr Catherine Ball (1) and Simon Masters (2)\n(1) Scientific Futurist\, Tech Influencer\, Robotics Expert\, Adjunct Professor\n(2) Deputy Director\, Future Flight\, Innovate UK\n\n\nThursday\, 9 April\, Time: 6.30–8.30 pm\nRSNSW Visits Program 2026-1 \nVenue: Sydney Observatory \n Sydney Observatory (incl. Carte du Ciel exhibition)\n\n\nWednesday\, 6 May\, 6.00 – 7.30 pm AEST\n1340th OGM and Open Lecture \nVenue: Zoom Webinar \nHousehold Electricity Use and Investment\nProfessor Jeffrey Reimers FRSN FAA FRACI\nDirector\, International Centre for Quantum and Molecular Structures\, Shanghai University\nHonorary Associate\, School of Mathematical and Physical Science\, University of Technology Sydney\n\n\nTuesday\, 19 May\, 12.30 – 2.00 pm AEST\nLunchtime series: Provocations and Inspirations (May 2026) \nVenue: Union\, University and Schools Club\, 25 Bent Street\, Sydney \nEnergy: Cost and enabling technologies — POSTPONED\nTim Buckley\nClean Energy Finance Corporation\n\n\nWednesday\, 10 June\, 6.00 – 7.30 pm AEST\n1341st OGM and Open Lecture \nVenue: Gallery Room\, Mitchell Building\, State Library of NSW\, Shakespeare Place\, Sydney \nThe Circular Economy: A pathway to environmental sustainability\nProfessor Sami Kara FRSN FFCIRP FACATECH (1) and Professor Michael Hauschild (2)\n(1) School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering\, UNSW Sydney\n(2) Department of Environmental and Resource Engineering\, Technical University of Denmark\n\n\nTuesday\, 16 June\, 6.30–8.00 pm AEST\nIdeas@theHouse: June 2026 \nVenue: Government House\, Sydney (by formal invitation) and live-streaming \nCity Futures: from challenge to opportunity – by design\nLeone Lorrimer LFRAIA\nArchitect\n\n\nWednesday\, 1 July\, 6.00 – 7.30 pm AEST\n1342nd OGM and Open Lecture \nVenue: Gallery Room\, Mitchell Building\, State Library of NSW\, Shakespeare Place\, Sydney \nThin-Film Photovoltaics — the enabling engine for next-generation tandem solar cells\nScientia Professor Xiaojing Hao FAA FTSE\nARC Laureate Fellow and\nDeputy Director\, ARC Research Hub for Photovoltaic Solar Panel Recycling and Sustainability\nSchool of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering\nUNSW Sydney\n\n\nTuesday\, 14 July\, 12.30 – 2.00 pm AEST\nLunchtime series: Provocations and Inspirations (July 2026) \nVenue: Union\, University and Schools Club\, 25 Bent Street\, Sydney \nEnergy: Cost and Enabling Technologies — RESCHEDULED\nTim Buckley\nFounder of the public interest think tank\, Climate Energy Finance\n\n\nWednesday\, 5 August\, 6.00 – 7.30 pm AEST\n1343rd OGM and Open Lecture \nVenue: Michael Crouch Room\, Mitchell Building\, State Library of NSW\, Shakespeare Place\, Sydney \nThe Cultural Value of Water and the Importance of Understanding Water Quality and Climate Change for Aboriginal People\nProfessor Bradley Moggridge FRSN FTSE\nAssociate Dean (Indigenous Leadership and Engagement)\nFaculty of Science\nUniversity of Technology Sydney\n\n\nTuesday\, 1 September\, 6.30–8.00 pm AEST\nIdeas@theHouse: September 2026 \nVenue: Government House\, Sydney (by formal invitation) and live-streaming \nThe increasing importance of sport in today’s world\nMatt Allen AM\nVice President\, Australian Olympic Committee and\nChair\, Oceanic and Offshore Committee\, World Sailing\n\n\nWednesday\, 2 September\, 6.00 – 7.30 pm AEST\n1344th OGM and Open Lecture \nVenue: Michael Crouch Room\, Mitchell Building\, State Library of NSW\, Shakespeare Place\, Sydney \nEcosystem restoration at scale\, reintroducing native species and managing threats – nearly a decade of the Wild Deserts project\nScientia Professor Richard Kingsford AO FRSN\nDirector\, Centre for Ecosystem Research\nUNSW Sydney\n\n\nTuesday\, 15 September\, 12.30 – 2.00 pm AEST\nLunchtime series: Provocations and Inspirations (September 2026) \nVenue: Union\, University and Schools Club\, 25 Bent Street\, Sydney \nCritical minerals: Technology and Challenges\n\n\n\nWednesday\, 7 October\, 6.00 – 7.30 pm AEST\n1345th OGM and Open Lecture \nVenue:  Gallery/Dixson Room\, Mitchell Building\, State Library of NSW\, Shakespeare Place\, Sydney \nTopic: TBA\nScientia Professor Dennis Del Favero FAHA\nProfessor of Digital Innovation and\nExecutive Director\, iCinema Research Centre\nUNSW Sydney\n\n\nThursday\, 5 November\, 9.00 am – 5.00 pm AEDT\nRoyal Society of NSW and Learned Societies Annual Forum 2026 \nVenue: Government House\, Sydney (by formal invitation) and Live Streaming \nTopic: The Hinge of History\n\n\nWednesday\, 11 November\, 6.00 – 7.30 pm AEDT\n1336th OGM and Open Lecture \nVenue: Zoom webinar \nTopic: TBA\nPresenter: TBA\n\n\nTuesday\, 17 November\, 12.30 – 2.00 pm AEST\nLunchtime series: Provocations and Inspirations (November 2026) \nVenue: Union\, University and Schools Club\, 25 Bent Street\, Sydney \nGreen fuels: Ammonia\n\n\nWednesday\, 2 December\, 6.00 – 7.30 pm AEDT\n1347th OGM and Open Lecture \nVenue: Gallery/Dixson Room\, Mitchell Building\, State Library of NSW\, Shakespeare Place\, Sydney \nTopic: TBA\nProfessor Michelle Haber AM FAA FAHMS\nDirector\, Children’s Cancer Institute\nUNSW Sydney\n\n\n\nReturn to the top of the page \nHunter Branch Meetings\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\nThursday\, 19 March\, 6.00–7.00 pm AEDT\nHunter Branch Meeting 2026-1 \nVenue: NEX\, Newcastle Exhibition and Conference Centre\, 309 King Street\, Newcastle West \nThe Faint Universe with the Legacy Survey of Space and Time\nProfessor Sarah Brough FRSN FASA\nSchool of Physics\nUNSW Sydney\n\n\nThursday\, 25 June\, 6.00–7.00 pm AEST\nHunter Branch Meeting 2026-2 \nVenue: NEX\, Newcastle Exhibition and Conference Centre\, 309 King Street\, Newcastle West \nForever Chemicals\, Future Generations: What Environmental Pollution Means for Reproductive Health\nDr Jacinta Martin\nReproductive Biologist and Lecturer\nUniversity of Newcastle and\nHunter Medical Research Institute\n\n\n\nReturn to the top of the page \nNew England North West Branch Meetings\n\n\n\n \n\n\nWednesday\, 27 May\, 5.00–7.30 pm AEST\nNew England North West Branch Meeting 2026-1 \nVenue: NOVA\, 122 Faulkner Street\, Armidale NSW 2350 \nOne Health for a Changing World: Forests\, Farms and Families\nProfess David Durrheim\nDirector of Health Protection\, Hunter New England Health\, NSW\, Australia\nand\nUNE Panellists Prof. Susan Wilson\, Assoc. Prof. Gal Winter\, and Assoc. Prof. Jacqueline Epps and Prof. Natkunam Keetheesan (Moderator)\n\n\n\nReturn to the top of the page \nSouthern Highlands Branch Meetings\n\n\n\n \n\n\nThursday\, 19 February\, 6.30 – 7.30 pm AEDT\nSouthern Highlands Branch Meeting 2026-1 \nVenue: RSL Mittagong\, Carrington Room \nThe age of RNA and how it is transforming biology and medicine\nProfessor Pall Thordarson FRSN\nDirector\, UNSW RNA Institute\nUNSW Sydney\n\n\nThursday\, 19 March\, 6.30 – 7.30 pm AEDT\nSouthern Highlands Branch Meeting 2026-2 \nVenue: RSL Mittagong\, Carrington Room \nPFAS per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances in drinking water\nAssociate Professor Ian Wright\nSchool of Science\nWestern Sydney University\n\n\nThursday\, 16 April\, 6.30 – 7.30 pm AEST\nSouthern Highlands Branch Meeting 2026-3 \nVenue: RSL Mittagong\, Carrington Room \nA tale of two sites: Excavating at Pella in Jordan and Zagora in Greece\nDr Paul Donnelly\nDeputy Director\nChau Chak Wing Museum\nUniversity of Sydney\n\n\nThursday\, 21 May\, 6.30 – 7.30 pm AEST\nSouthern Highlands Branch Meeting 2026-4 \nVenue: Moss Vale Services Club \nLiterary France- Susannah’s Top Ten Places to Visit\nSusannah Fullerton OAM FRSN\nLiterary Historian\n\n\nThursday\, 18 June\, 6.30 – 7.30 pm AEST\nSouthern Highlands Branch Meeting 2026-5 \nVenue: RSL Mittagong\, Carrington Room \nRoaming Reptiles of the Eocene\nDr Michael Stein\nPalaeoscientist\, Archer Palaeontology Laboratory\nUNSW Sydney\n\n\nThursday\, 16 July\, 6.30 — 7.30 pm AEST\nSouthern Highlands Branch Meeting 2026-6 \nVenue: RSL Mittagong\, Carrington Room \nIn Defence of our Humanity: Real Life as a United Nations Ambassador in a Troubled World\nProfessor Steven Hill AM FRSN FTSE\nEmeritus Professor\nUniversity of Wollongong\n\n\n\nThursday\, 20 August\, 6.30 – 7.30 pm AEST\nSouthern Highlands Branch Meeting 2026-7 \nVenue: RSL Mittagong\, Carrington Room \nThe weather underwater\, and why it matters\nAssociate Professor Shane Keating\nSchool of Mathematics and Statistics\nUNSW Sydney\n\n\nThursday\, 17 September\, 6.30 – 7.30 pm AEST\nSouthern Highlands Branch Meeting 2025-8 \nVenue: RSL Mittagong\, Carrington \nLatest News in Astronomy\nProfessor Geraint Lewis FRSN FLSW\nSydney Institute of Astrophysics\nSchool of Physics\nUniversity of Sydney\n\n\n\nThursday\, 15 October\, 6.30 – 7.30  pm AEDT\nSouthern Highlands Branch Meeting 2026-9 \nVenue: RSL Mittagong\, Carrington Room \nWhat colonial history can tell us about contemporary justice\nDr Meg Foster FRHistS\nChancellor’s Research Fellow\nSchool of Social and Political Sciences\nUniversity of Technology Sydney\n\n\nThursday\, 19 November\, 6.30 – 7.30 pm AEDT\nSouthern Highlands Branch Meeting 2026-10 \nVenue: RSL Mittagong\, Carrington Room \nTopic: TBA\nDr Joseph Bevitt\nInstrument Group Manager (Neutron  Imaging)\nANSTO\n\n\n\nReturn to the top of the page \nWestern NSW Branch Meetings\n  \n  \n\n\n\n \n \n\nWednesday\, 25 March\, 12.30 – 1.30 pm AEDT\nWestern NSW Branch Meeting 2026-1 \nVenue: Live-streaming \nThe illusion of friendship: Why generative AI demands unprecedented ethical vigilance\nProfessor Zahid Islam FRSN\nAssociate Dean (Research)\nFaculty of Business\, Justice\, and Behavioural Sciences\nCharles Sturt University\n\n\nWednesday\, 29 July\, 12.30 – 1.30 pm AEST\nWestern NSW Branch Meeting 2026-2 \nVenue: Live-streaming \nTopic: TBA\nMatthew Muller\nDirector\, Cool Soil Initiative\nCharles Sturt University\n\n\nWednesday\, 30 September\,\n12.30 – 1.30 pm AEST\nWestern NSW Branch Meeting 2026-3 \nVenue: Live-streaming \nTopic: TBA\nProfessor Julian Grant\nExecutive Director\nRural Health Research Institute\nCharles Sturt University\n\n\nTo be advised\nWestern NSW Branch Meeting 2026-4 \nVenue: Live-streaming \nStaying ahead of viral threats — host interactions shape pandemic preparedness\nProfessor Jade Forwood\nProfessor of Biochemistry\nGulbali Institute\nCharles Sturt University\n\n\n\nReturn to the top of the page
URL:https://www.royalsoc.org.au/events/calendar-of-meetings-2026/
LOCATION:Various face-to-face and online venues
CATEGORIES:2026 Events,Events
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