The Royal Society of Queensland, founded in 1884, is the senior learned society in the State. The Society seeks to increase respect for intellectual inquiry and evidence-led policy analysis. The Society provides a forum for scientists and lay people to involve themselves in the progress of science in society, with ‘science’ defined broadly. The Society networks between disciplinary specialists, government and the community; holds events crossing jurisdictional and sectoral silos; and publishes the annual Proceedings, the pre-eminent journal of Queensland-focused general science, now in its 132st volume. More information on the About page. There are no educational or professional barriers to membership.
The Queensland Science Network is a collaboration between ~26 not-for-profit scientific and naturalists’ societies. Its website is a portal to each group and to general science. It includes a portal into the Queensland STEM Education Network, a compendium of educational materials.
The Queensland Policy Network is a nascent forum to foster discourse in Queensland’s policy community. It will aim to counter ‘fake news’ and policy-making based upon preconceived ideology or single-disciplinary enthusiasms.
The Rangelands Queensland website was established to accommodate materials generated after September 2020 in the course of the Rangelands Policy Dialogue, otherwise recorded on this website.
Recent News
Research Director of The Royal Society of Queensland, Dr Nelson Quinn, has announced the successful applicants for grants from Round 8 of the Society’s Research Fund.
Zijun Li (Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane) will be assessing the impact on our healthcare system and costs due to bushfire-related very small particles in the air in Queensland, an increasing problem if bushfires continue to increase. This knowledge can help inform targeted policies to mitigate the adverse effect of these particles.
Emily Smith (University of Queensland, Brisbane) is researching when, how and where ticks produce alpha-gal in their saliva, the cause of life-threatening allergic reactions to products of non-human mammals and some cancer treatment drugs, and of adverse effects on the cardio-vascular system. The prevalence of alpha-gal syndrome has been increasing, likely driven by rapid land use changes in peri-urban areas.
Ji Zhang (University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba) aims to develop an AI-enhanced data integration platform in collaboration with Indigenous communities to enhance preventative health measures for Indigenous communities on the Darling Downs.
Cecilia Villacorta-Rath (James Cook University, Townsville) is studying how to improve methods for aiding eradication efforts of invasive ant species, such as yellow crazy ants. More cost-effective and simpler ways of processing DNA collected from the environment will assist in determining the success of eradication efforts, particularly in remote areas.
Bridget Nolan (James Cook University, Townsville) will examine predator-prey dynamics involving great hammerhead sharks, the predators, and white spotted eagle rays and cowtail rays, the prey, in intertidal ecosystems. This research will provide knowledge necessary to formulate effective management strategies for intertidal flat habitats and the species that depend upon them.
Christina Birnbaum (University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba) aims to increase understanding of how knowledge of mycorrhizal fungal communities can facilitate the conservation and restoration of eucalypt forests, the most widely distributed forest ecosystems in Australia.
Viviana Gonzalez-Astudillo (University of Queensland, Gatton) is investigating the cause of skin and facial tumours in tree frogs from North Queensland. The work will contribute to ecosystem health monitoring and effective conservation strategies, as well as revealing the extent and role of toxicants and cancer-causing viruses in the environment.
Dr Quinn added that “There were more than 20 other worthy applicants that we could not support this time.” This number is a sad commentary on the state of funding of Australian science.
“The Research Fund is supported by donations. There are continuing calls for greater investment in research supporting our natural environment and how we interact with it. Queensland has unique needs and many eager and talented researchers. We want to increase the numbers of researchers we can help. Donations are tax deductible.”
For more information about the Research Fund, see https://www.royalsocietyqld.org/research/
The Society has received a manuscript entitled The Evolution Line in Diet and Health. With the agreement of the author, this is being made available for critical feedback prior to submission to formal peer-review in the traditional manner.
All feedback please to health AT SYMBOL royalsocietyqld.org.au.
Dr Geoff Monteith, an international giant in entomology and member of the Society for 60 years, has succumbed to illness.
The ABC recently ran an article showcasing the taxonomic work of Dr Monteit. He has been included in the list of the top 10 most commemorated scientists in history.
- Entomologist Dr Geoff Monteith has had 225 species and 15 genera named after him
- Dr Monteith has collected more than 200,000 specimens, as well as significant numbers of arachnids, myriapods and molluscs
- Despite retiring in 2006, Dr Monteith continues to collect and classify new insect species.
Dr Monteith worked for 16 years as Curator of Insects at the University of Queensland, then 28 years as Curator of Insects at Queensland Museum, a total of 44 years’ paid employment, then has been an active research fellow at the Museum from 2006 until the present.
The list of the world’s top 10 most commemorated scientists was published in 2020 in a book by Canadian biologist Stephen Heard titled Charles Darwin’s Barnacle and David Bowie’s Spider: How Scientific Names Celebrate Adventurers, Heroes and Even a Few Scoundrels.
Ten most commemorated scientists
- Charles Darwin, Geologist, England
- Alfred Russel Wallace, Biologist, England
- Joseph Dalton Hooker, Botanist, England
- William Jackson Hooker, Botanist, England
- Alexander von Humboldt, Polymath, Germany
- Augusto Weberbauer, Botanist, Germany
- Julian Steyermark, Botanist, USA
- Cyrus Guernsey Pringle, Botanist, USA
- Willy Kuschel, Entomologist, New Zealand
- Geoffrey Monteith, Entomologist, Queensland, Australia, Queensland Museum.
Until his passing in October, he was the only one still alive! Vale Geoff Monteith.
The President has announced that Society member John Brisbin had won the David Marlow Prize for an essay entitled Planning for purpose: How Queenslanders might flourish in the challenging times ahead. The author picks up a theme that in an earlier era would have been called ‘decentralisation’, a concept that has dropped off the public policy agenda in recent decades.
More details about the Research Fund can be found on https://www.royalsocietyqld.org/research/.
The Royal Geographical Society of Queensland and The Royal Society of Queensland held a public forum in September on the management of fire in the Australian landscape with an excellent panel of speakers.
The paper submitted by Dr Wendy Laupu and awarded the Geraldine Hall Memorial Prize has been edited and is now available as the first article in Volume 133 of the Proceedings of The Royal Society of Queensland.
Dr Laupu delivered the paper at the launch event of the Knowledge and Learning Centre on Norfolk Island on 1 May 2024. David Hall, son of the late Geraldine Hall, Pharmacist, announced the prize. Her powerpoint is here.
The first paper in the Society’s series of Occasional Papers has now been published online.
As explained on the landing page for Occasional Papers, establishment of this line of documents was approved by the Council of the Society to accommodate papers that are too long for its annual journal, or in some other way are not in a suitable format. At nearly 20,000 words, a review paper called Coal Seam Gas Mining: Potential to Induce Seismic and Aseismic Events and Aquifer Discontinuity is twice as long as the word limit indicated for articles for its annual Proceedings.
The paper reviews local and international experience in the propensity of fracking coal seam gas seams to trigger seismic events, with a tangible risk of earthquakes. The paper notes the loss of seismographic recording capacity in the University of Queensland and the lack of interest by the Queensland Government in knowing how serious is this risk. The President has issued a press release summarising the findings.
The paper has been typeset but not printed. No date has been set for print-publishing.
The first article in our series on the preconditions of well-being has been published in The Mandarin online newsletter, on 28 February 2024. Read the article here. Consult our community health page for more details, including the context.
By mid-July 2024, 28 articles had been published. Click here for a running list of them.
In November 2023, the Royal Societies of Australia resolved to take this project national. It has a dedicated page on its own website.