Royal Society of South Australia
Encyclopedia
The Royal Society of South Australia (RSSA) is a Learned Society whose interest is in Science
, particularly, but not only, of South Australia
.
The Society stems directly from the Adelaide Philosophical Society founded on the 10 January 1853. The title "Royal" was granted by her Majesty Queen Victoria
in 1880 and the Society became known by its present designation. It was incorporated in 1883.
, Davy, Doswell, Charles Gregory Feinaigle, Gilbert, Gosse, Hamilton, Hammond, W. B. Hays, Jones, Kay, Mann, Whitridge, Williams, Wooldridge and John Lorenzo Young. J. Howard Clark was elected secretary. On 15 September rules were adopted and His Excellency the Governor Sir Henry Young
was elected president. At the time of its first Annual General Meeting membership had risen to 35.
The medal is named in honour of Joseph Verco. The first award of the medal was to Prof Walter Howchin
in 1929.
Previous winners include:
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
, particularly, but not only, of South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
.
The Society stems directly from the Adelaide Philosophical Society founded on the 10 January 1853. The title "Royal" was granted by her Majesty Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
in 1880 and the Society became known by its present designation. It was incorporated in 1883.
Adelaide Philosophical Society
The Society had its origins in a meeting at the Stephens Place home of J. L. Young (founder of the Adelaide Educational Institution) on the evening of 10 January 1853. Members inducted were Messrs. John Brown, John Howard ClarkJohn Howard Clark
John Howard Clark was editor of The South Australian Register from 1870 to 1877 and was responsible for its Echoes from the Bush column and closely associated with its Geoffry Crabthorn persona.-Early years:...
, Davy, Doswell, Charles Gregory Feinaigle, Gilbert, Gosse, Hamilton, Hammond, W. B. Hays, Jones, Kay, Mann, Whitridge, Williams, Wooldridge and John Lorenzo Young. J. Howard Clark was elected secretary. On 15 September rules were adopted and His Excellency the Governor Sir Henry Young
Henry Young
Sir Henry Edward Fox Young, KCMG was the fifth Governor of South Australia, serving in that role from 2 August 1848 until 20 December 1854. He was then the first Governor of Tasmania, from 1855 until 1861.-Early life:...
was elected president. At the time of its first Annual General Meeting membership had risen to 35.
Membership
There are five classes of members:- Honorary Fellows,
- Sustaining Fellows,
- Fellows,
- Associate Fellows and
- Student Fellows
Awards and medals
The society awards:- The Verco Medal
- The Publication Medal
- The Royal Society of South Australia Postgraduate Student Prize
- The H. G. AndrewarthaHerbert AndrewarthaProfessor Herbert George Andrewartha, BS , MAgSc , DSc , FAA, was a distinguished Australian research scientist in the fields of entomology, biology, zoology and animal ecology.-Early years:...
Medal
List of presidents
Royal Society of South Australia Presidents:| 1853–1854 | |
| 1855 | |
| 1856–1861 | |
| 1862–1868 | |
| 1869–1872 | |
| 1877 | |
| 1878–1879 | |
| 1880–1881 | |
| 1882 | |
| 1883 | |
| 1884 | |
| 1885 | |
| 1886–1889 | |
| 1889 | |
| 1890–1891 | |
| 1892–1894 | (2nd term) |
| 1895–1896 | |
| 1897–1899 | |
| 1900–1903 | (2nd term) |
| 1903–1921 | |
| 1921 | |
| 1922–1924 | |
| 1925 | |
| 1926 | |
| 1927 | |
| 1927–1928 | |
| 1929–1930 | |
| 1931 | |
| 1932 | |
| 1933 | |
| 1934 | |
| 1935 | |
| 1936 | |
| 1937 | |
| 1938 | |
| 1939 | |
| 1940 | |
| 1941 | (2nd term) |
| 1942 | |
| 1943 | |
| 1944 | |
| 1945 | (2nd term) |
| 1946 | |
| 1947 | |
| 1948 | |
| 1949 | |
| 1950 | |
| 1951 | |
| 1952 | |
| 1953 | |
| 1954 | |
| 1955 | |
| 1956 | |
| 1957 | |
| 1958 | |
| 1959–1960 | |
| 1961 | (2nd term) |
| 1962 | |
| 1963 | |
| 1964 | |
| 1965 | |
| 1966 | |
| 1967 | |
| 1968 | |
| 1969 | |
| 1970 | |
| 1971 | |
| 1972 | |
| 1973 | |
| 1974 | |
| 1975 | |
| 1976 | |
| 1977 | |
| 1978 | |
| 1979 | |
| 1980 | |
| 1981 | |
| 1982–1983 | |
| 1984 | |
| 1985–1986 | |
| 1987 | |
| 1988–1989 | |
| 1990–1992 | |
| 1992–1994 | |
| 1994–1996 | |
| 1996–1998 | |
| 1998–2000 | |
| 2000–2002 | |
| 2002–2004 | |
| 2004–2006 | |
| 2006–2008 | |
| 2008–2010 | |
| 2010–2012 |
Verco Medal recipients
- "The medal shall be awarded for distinguished scientific work published by a Fellow of the Royal Society of South Australia. It is the highest honour that the Society can bestow on one of its Fellows. Only those who have made a significant, outstanding contribution to their field(s) of study receive the award."
The medal is named in honour of Joseph Verco. The first award of the medal was to Prof Walter Howchin
Walter Howchin
Walter Howchin was a geologist who lectured in mineralogy and palaeontology at the former Adelaide School of Mines and Adelaide University; he won the Clarke Medal in 1907.-Early life:...
in 1929.
Previous winners include:
| 1966 | Alderman | |
| 2004 | ||
| 1962 | ||
| 1996 | ||
| 1989 | ||
| 1930 | ||
| 2003 | ||
| 1933 | ||
| 1960 | Finlayson | |
| 1999 | ||
| 1970 | ||
| 1946 | ||
| 1935 | ||
| 1929 | ||
| 1976 | Hutton | |
| 1963 | Ludbrook | |
| 1945 | ||
| 1931 | ||
| 1971 | Mountford | |
| 1972 | Parkin | |
| 1957 | ||
| 1938 | ||
| 1967 | Pryor | |
| 2008 | ||
| 2010 | ||
| 1965 | Southcott | |
| 1961 | Specht | |
| 1968 | ||
| 1959 | Stephens | |
| 1974 | ||
| 1975 | Thomson | |
| 1956 | Tindale | |
| 1955 | ||
| 2007 | ||
| 1990 | ||
| 1943 | ||
| 1969 | ||
| 1944 | ||
| 1973 | Wopfner | |
| 1932 | not awarded | |
| 1934 | not awarded | |
| 1936-7 | not awarded | |
| 1939-1942 | not awarded | |
| 1947-1954 | not awarded | |
| 1958 | not awarded | |
| 1964 | not awarded |
Notable members
Notable members of the Royal Society of South Australia have included:- Prof. William Henry BraggWilliam Henry BraggSir William Henry Bragg OM, KBE, PRS was a British physicist, chemist, mathematician and active sportsman who uniquely shared a Nobel Prize with his son William Lawrence Bragg - the 1915 Nobel Prize in Physics...
, - Prof. Sir Robert William ChapmanRobert William Chapman (engineer)Robert William Chapman was a mathematician and engineer.In 1907, Chapman became the first Professor of Engineering at the University of Adelaide. He then was Professor of Mathematics at Adelaide from 191 to 1919....
, - Thomas Charles Cloud (died 1918),
- Alexander William Dobbie (born 1843),
- John William Hall Hullett (born 1847),
- Dr. Cecil Thomas Madigan (1889–1947),
- James McGeorge,
- Thomas Parker,
- Walter Rutt (1842–1925),
- Sir Charles Todd,
- Carl Albert Unbehaun (1851–1924) and
- Robert Archibald White.
See also
- Australian Academy of ScienceAustralian Academy of ScienceThe Australian Academy of Science was founded in 1954 by a group of distinguished Australians, including Australian Fellows of the Royal Society of London. The first president was Sir Mark Oliphant. The Academy is modelled after the Royal Society and operates under a Royal Charter; as such it is...
- Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of ScienceAustralian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of ScienceThe Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science is an organisation that was founded in 1888 by Archibald Liversidge as the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science to promote science. It was modelled on the British Association for the Advancement of Science...
- Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological SocietiesFederation of Australian Scientific and Technological SocietiesThe Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies represent the interests of about 68,000 Australian scientists and technologists, and promotes their views on a wide range of policy issues to Government, industry and the community....
- Royal Society of New South WalesRoyal Society of New South WalesThe 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...
- Royal Society of QueenslandRoyal Society of QueenslandThe Royal Society of Queensland was formed in Queensland, Australia in 1884, with royal patronage granted in 1885.The aim of the Society is "Increasing awareness of natural sciences in Queensland"....
- Royal Society of TasmaniaRoyal Society of TasmaniaThe Royal Society of Tasmania was formed in 1844.The RST was the first Royal Society outside the United Kingdom. It started as the "Tasmanian Society" formed by Sir John Franklin assisted by Ronald Campbell Gunn....
- Royal Society of VictoriaRoyal Society of VictoriaThe Royal Society of Victoria is the oldest learned society in the state of Victoria in Australia.The Royal Society of Victoria was formed in 1859 from a merger between The Philosophical Society of Victoria and The Victorian Institute for the Advancement of Science , both founded...
- Royal Society of Western AustraliaRoyal Society of Western AustraliaThe Royal Society of Western Australia promotes science in Western Australia.The RSWA was founded in 1914. It publishes the Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia, and has awarded the Medal of the Royal Society of Western Australia on an occasional basis since 1924.-External links:**...
- The Royal SocietyRoyal SocietyThe Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
(The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge) - Royal Society (disambiguation)Royal Society (disambiguation)The Royal Society may refer to :* Royal Society of London for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge, United Kingdom* Royal Society for Asian Affairs, United Kingdom* Royal Society for Protection of Nature, Bhutan...
External links
- Royal Society of South Australia homepage
- Glossy brochure, RSSA
- Logo, RSSA
- The Story of the Royal Scoiety, The Register News-Pictorial (Adelaide, SA), 22 March 1929, p.13
