Events Calendar for 2026

Please check this page regularly, as the Society’s event program is continually under development.

Most recently updated: 3 June 2026


Follow 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.

Sydney Meetings

Wednesday, 11 February, 6.30–8.00 pm AEDT1338th OGM and Open Lecture

Venue: Michael Crouch Room, Mitchell Building, State Library of NSW, Shakespeare Place, Sydney

How many Australians should there be?
Dr Abul Rizvi PSM FRSN (1) and Scientia Professor Richard Holden FRSN FASSA
(1) Former Deputy Secretary, Department of Immigration
(2) Professor of Economics, UNSW Sydney Business School

Friday, 27 February, 5.30–10.00 pm AEDTRSNSW Annual Dinner and Presentation of Awards

Venue: Strangers’ Room, Parliament House, 6 Macquarie Street, Sydney

After Dinner Speaker
Professor Tony Haymet FTSE
Australia’s Chief Scientist

Monday, 9 March, 6.00–8.30 pm AEDTRSNSW Student Award and Early Career Citation Presentations 2025

Venue: University of Sydney (Camperdown Campus), Michael Crouch Building (TBA)

Ms Eilish McMaster (Sydney), Ms Isabelle Nicolas (Macquarie), Mr Amir Tourani (Western Sydney), Mr Christopher Whyte (Sydney), Mr Yunlong Qiang (Sydney)
Dr Adrian Lee (Westmead Institute of Medical Research, Sydney), Dr Jiayan Liao (UTS), Dr Brandon Munn (Sydney)

Thursday, 12 March, 6.30–8.00 pm AEDTIdeas@theHouse: March 2026

Venue: Government House, Sydney (by formal invitation) and live-streaming

Navigating Strategic Uncertainty: Space, Cyber and National Support in a Fractured World
Lieutenant General Susan Coyle AM CSC DSM
Chief of Joint Capabilities
Australian Defence Force

Tuesday, 24 March, 12.30 – 2.00 pm AESTLunchtime series: Provocations and Inspirations (March 2026)

Venue: Union, University and Schools Club, 25 Bent Street, Sydney

Hydrogen: Cost and technology challenges
Alex Dronoff
Chair, Hunter Hydrogen Taskforce

Wednesday, 8 April, 6.00 – 7.30 pm AEST1339th OGM and Open Lecture

Venue: Michael Crouch Room, Mitchell Building, State Library of NSW, Shakespeare Place, Sydney

A Drone by any other name
Dr Catherine Ball (1) and Simon Masters (2)
(1) Scientific Futurist, Tech Influencer, Robotics Expert, Adjunct Professor
(2) Deputy Director, Future Flight, Innovate UK

Thursday, 9 April, Time: 6.30–8.30 pmRSNSW Visits Program 2026-1

Venue: Sydney Observatory

 Sydney Observatory (incl. Carte du Ciel exhibition)

Wednesday, 6 May, 6.00 – 7.30 pm AEST1340th OGM and Open Lecture

Venue: Zoom Webinar

Household Electricity Use and Investment
Professor Jeffrey Reimers FRSN FAA FRACI
Director, International Centre for Quantum and Molecular Structures, Shanghai University
Honorary Associate, School of Mathematical and Physical Science, University of Technology Sydney

Tuesday, 19 May, 12.30 – 2.00 pm AESTLunchtime series: Provocations and Inspirations (May 2026)

Venue: Union, University and Schools Club, 25 Bent Street, Sydney

Energy: Cost and enabling technologies
Tim Buckley
Clean Energy Finance Corporation

Wednesday, 10 June, 6.00 – 7.30 pm AEST1341st OGM and Open Lecture

Venue: Gallery Room, Mitchell Building, State Library of NSW, Shakespeare Place, Sydney

The Circular Economy: A pathway to environmental sustainability
Professor Sami Kara FRSN FFCIRP FACATECH (1) and Professor Michael Hauschild (2)
(1) School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, UNSW Sydney
(2) Department of Environmental and Resource Engineering, Technical University of Denmark

Tuesday, 16 June, 6.30–8.00 pm AESTIdeas@theHouse: June 2026

Venue: Government House, Sydney (by formal invitation) and live-streaming

City Futures: from challenge to opportunity – by design
Leone Lorrimer LFRAIA
Architect

Wednesday, 1 July, 6.00 – 7.30 pm AEST1342nd OGM and Open Lecture

Venue: Gallery Room, Mitchell Building, State Library of NSW, Shakespeare Place, Sydney

Thin-Film Photovoltaics — the enabling engine for next-generation tandem solar cells
Scientia Professor Xiaojing Hao FAA FTSE
ARC Laureate Fellow and
Deputy Director, ARC Research Hub for Photovoltaic Solar Panel Recycling and Sustainability
School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering
UNSW Sydney

Tuesday, 14 July, 12.30 – 2.00 pm AESTLunchtime series: Provocations and Inspirations (July 2026)

Venue: Union, University and Schools Club, 25 Bent Street, Sydney

Green aluminium, iron, and steel: the realities

Wednesday, 5 August, 6.00 – 7.30 pm AEST1343rd OGM and Open Lecture

Venue: Michael Crouch Room, Mitchell Building, State Library of NSW, Shakespeare Place, Sydney

The Cultural Value of Water and the Importance of Understanding Water Quality and Climate Change for Aboriginal People
Professor Bradley Moggridge FRSN FTSE
Associate Dean (Indigenous Leadership and Engagement)
Faculty of Science
University of Technology Sydney

Tuesday, 1 September, 6.30–8.00 pm AESTIdeas@theHouse: September 2026

Venue: Government House, Sydney (by formal invitation) and live-streaming

Topic: TBA
Matt Allen AM
Vice President, Australian Olympic Committee and
Chair, Oceanic and Offshore Committee, World Sailing

Wednesday, 2 September, 6.00 – 7.30 pm AEST1344th OGM and Open Lecture

Venue: Michael Crouch Room, Mitchell Building, State Library of NSW, Shakespeare Place, Sydney

Ecosystem restoration at scale, reintroducing native species and managing threats – nearly a decade of the Wild Deserts project
Scientia Professor Richard Kingsford AO FRSN
Director, Centre for Ecosystem Research
UNSW Sydney

Tuesday, 15 September, 12.30 – 2.00 pm AESTLunchtime series: Provocations and Inspirations (September 2026)

Venue: Union, University and Schools Club, 25 Bent Street, Sydney

Critical minerals: Technology and Challenges

Wednesday, 7 October, 6.00 – 7.30 pm AEST1345th OGM and Open Lecture

Venue:  Gallery/Dixson Room, Mitchell Building, State Library of NSW, Shakespeare Place, Sydney

Topic: TBA
Scientia Professor Dennis Del Favero FAHA
Professor of Digital Innovation and
Executive Director, iCinema Research Centre
UNSW Sydney

Thursday, 5 November, 9.00 am – 5.00 pm AEDTRoyal Society of NSW and Learned Societies Annual Forum 2026

Venue: Government House, Sydney (by formal invitation) and Live Streaming

Topic: The Hinge of History

Wednesday, 11 November, 6.00 – 7.30 pm AEDT1336th OGM and Open Lecture

Venue: Zoom webinar

Topic: TBA
Presenter: TBA

Tuesday, 17 November, 12.30 – 2.00 pm AESTLunchtime series: Provocations and Inspirations (November 2026)

Venue: Union, University and Schools Club, 25 Bent Street, Sydney

Green fuels: Ammonia

Wednesday, 2 December, 6.00 – 7.30 pm AEDT1347th OGM and Open Lecture

Venue: Gallery/Dixson Room, Mitchell Building, State Library of NSW, Shakespeare Place, Sydney

Topic: TBA
Professor Michelle Haber AM FAA FAHMS
Director, Children’s Cancer Institute
UNSW Sydney

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Hunter Branch Meetings

Thursday, 19 March, 6.00–7.00 pm AEDTHunter Branch Meeting 2026-1

Venue: NEX, Newcastle Exhibition and Conference Centre, 309 King Street, Newcastle West

The Faint Universe with the Legacy Survey of Space and Time
Professor Sarah Brough FRSN FASA
School of Physics
UNSW Sydney

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New England North West Branch Meetings

Wednesday, 27 May, 5.00–7.30 pm AESTNew England North West Branch Meeting 2026-1

Venue: NOVA, 122 Faulkner Street, Armidale NSW 2350

One Health for a Changing World: Forests, Farms and Families
Profess David Durrheim
Director of Health Protection, Hunter New England Health, NSW, Australia
and
UNE Panellists Prof. Susan Wilson, Assoc. Prof. Gal Winter, and Assoc. Prof. Jacqueline Epps and Prof. Natkunam Keetheesan (Moderator)

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Southern Highlands Branch Meetings

Thursday, 19 February, 6.30 – 7.30 pm AEDTSouthern Highlands Branch Meeting 2026-1

Venue: RSL Mittagong, Carrington Room

The age of RNA and how it is transforming biology and medicine
Professor Pall Thordarson FRSN
Director, UNSW RNA Institute
UNSW Sydney

Thursday, 19 March, 6.30 – 7.30 pm AEDTSouthern Highlands Branch Meeting 2026-2

Venue: RSL Mittagong, Carrington Room

PFAS per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances in drinking water
Associate Professor Ian Wright
School of Science
Western Sydney University

Thursday, 16 April, 6.30 – 7.30 pm AESTSouthern Highlands Branch Meeting 2026-3

Venue: RSL Mittagong, Carrington Room

A tale of two sites: Excavating at Pella in Jordan and Zagora in Greece
Dr Paul Donnelly
Deputy Director
Chau Chak Wing Museum
University of Sydney

Thursday, 21 May, 6.30 – 7.30 pm AESTSouthern Highlands Branch Meeting 2026-4

Venue: Moss Vale Services Club

Literary France- Susannah’s Top Ten Places to Visit
Susannah Fullerton OAM FRSN
Literary Historian

Thursday, 18 June, 6.30 – 7.30 pm AESTSouthern Highlands Branch Meeting 2026-5

Venue: RSL Mittagong, Carrington Room

Roaming Reptiles of the Eocene
Dr Michael Stein
Palaeoscientist, Archer Palaeontology Laboratory
UNSW Sydney

Thursday, 16 July, 6.30 — 7.30 pm AESTSouthern Highlands Branch Meeting 2026-6

Venue: RSL Mittagong, Carrington Room

In Defence of our Humanity: Real Life as a United Nations Ambassador in a Troubled World
Professor Steven Hill AM FRSN FTSE

Emeritus Professor
University of Wollongong

Thursday, 20 August, 6.30 – 7.30 pm AESTSouthern Highlands Branch Meeting 2026-7

Venue: RSL Mittagong, Carrington Room

The weather underwater: Investigations of ocean dynamics from sea, space, lab and laptop
Associate Professor Shane Keating
School of Mathematics and Statistics
UNSW Sydney

Thursday, 17 September, 6.30 – 7.30 pm AESTSouthern Highlands Branch Meeting 2025-8

Venue: RSL Mittagong, Carrington

Latest News in Astronomy
Professor Geraint Lewis FRSN FLSW
Sydney Institute of Astrophysics
School of Physics
University of Sydney

Thursday, 15 October, 6.30 – 7.30  pm AEDTSouthern Highlands Branch Meeting 2026-9

Venue: RSL Mittagong, Carrington Room

What colonial history can tell us about contemporary justice
Dr Meg Foster FRHistS

Chancellor’s Research Fellow
School of Social and Political Sciences
University of Technology Sydney

Thursday, 19 November, 6.30 – 7.30 pm AEDTSouthern Highlands Branch Meeting 2026-10

Venue: RSL Mittagong, Carrington Room

Topic: TBA
Dr Joseph Bevitt
Instrument Group Manager (Neutron  Imaging)
ANSTO

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Western NSW Branch Meetings

 

 

Wednesday, 25 March, 12.30 – 1.30 pm AEDTWestern NSW Branch Meeting 2026-1

Venue: Live-streaming

The illusion of friendship: Why generative AI demands unprecedented ethical vigilance
Professor Zahid Islam FRSN
Associate Dean (Research)
Faculty of Business, Justice, and Behavioural Sciences
Charles Sturt University

Wednesday, 29 July, 12.30 – 1.30 pm AESTWestern NSW Branch Meeting 2026-2

Venue: Live-streaming

Topic: TBA
Matthew Muller
Director, Cool Soil Initiative
Charles Sturt University

Wednesday, 30 September,
12.30 – 1.30 pm AEST
Western NSW Branch Meeting 2026-3

Venue: Live-streaming

Topic: TBA
Professor Julian Grant
Executive Director
Rural Health Research Institute
Charles Sturt University

To be advisedWestern NSW Branch Meeting 2026-4

Venue: Live-streaming

Staying ahead of viral threats — host interactions shape pandemic preparedness
Professor Jade Forwood
Professor of Biochemistry
Gulbali Institute
Charles Sturt University

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Royal Society of New South Wales
Date: Thursday, 31 December 2026, 06:00 PM
Venue: Various face-to-face and online venues
Entry: N/A

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