The Royal Society of Victoria is our State’s scientific society, founded in 1854. The Society convenes an independent community of science practitioners, educators, industrialists and enthusiasts to promote the understanding and utilisation of scientific knowledge for the benefit of the State of Victoria. Membership is open to any individuals or organisations keen to be involved.
We broker engagement between practitioners of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Medicine (STEMM) and the broader Victorian community, seeking to improve general scientific literacy, evidence-based decision making and the translation of scientific knowledge into purposeful actions in our State.
Headquartered on Wurundjeri land in a heritage-listed building at 8 La Trobe Street, Melbourne, the Society provides a statewide program of outreach, partnerships, lectures, forums, programs and projects. A further overview of who we are and what we do is available at our About Us page.
- In the coming years, plant species in botanic gardens and urban landscapes will likely confront conditions they have never experienced before. The lessons learned in the context of a botanic garden are applicable to landscapes beyond their own garden gate. Collaboration between botanic gardens across the globe is essential in understanding how plants will grow and survive in a warming climate.
- While Bogong Moth numbers have increased since the collapse of 2017 and 2018 due to the devastating drought across south-eastern Australia, their numbers remain dangerously low. They have failed to return to some long-term survey sites. While the La Niña weather pattern assisted numbers in 2022-2023, numbers in 2023-2024 were lower and grave concerns are held for future years under a changing climate.
- Despite the advances made in modelling, translating ‘climate change’ into weather change remains a major challenge for Earth System sciences. How can we build new wind farms if we don’t know where strong, consistent winds will be in the future? How can we make informed decisions about new water catchment and storage infrastructure without more accurate and precise data about future rainfall frequency and intensity?
- Future careers will rely heavily on ‘21st century skills.’ To aim higher for science education, we require a multifaceted approach that addresses the diverse needs of students, integrates relevant content, and provides robust support for teachers. STEM can too often be perceived as “too difficult” or not interesting by students throughout their education if they become disengaged or cannot see its relevance.
- Australia is in a STEM crisis. The low uptake of science and mathematics subjects by school students, and dwindling interest in STEM-related tertiary courses, has led to chronic shortages of skilled STEM professionals at a time when these subjects are playing greater roles in our lives, and economies. So what reforms are needed to build scientific competency at a tertiary level?
- On 15 June, 2024 we mark 17 decades of promoting and advancing science in Victoria. From our first days we have worked to develop the knowledge base of communities, governments and industries, and to understand the unique nature of Victoria's climate, coastlines, landscapes, plants and animals by sharing and exploring expertise in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM).
- Of all the world's oceans, the Southern Ocean absorbs the majority of human-generated heat and carbon, helping to slow the pace of climate change and keep our planet liveable. Meanwhile, the vast ice sheets of Antarctica act as an 'air conditioner' for our planet, reflecting 50-70% of incoming solar radiation. The Southern Ocean is a 'natural laboratory' for vital scientific research, impossible to achieve anywhere else on the planet.
- Although economists work to better understand and model the interactions between climate change and the economy, many do not factor in all the latest scientific evidence, disregarding sensitive 'tipping points' in the climate system, and overlooking the market impacts of climate-induced hazards such as flooding, wildfires, and extreme heat. We must urgently create bridges between science and finance.
- Climate change is a growing threat to human wellbeing, environmental ecosystems, and the entire planet. The alarming warming trends continue and the evidence for human activity driving global change is only becoming stronger. But, while warning of the damage that lies in our future, climate expert Professor David Karoly assures us "we can limit it to avoid complete catastrophe.”
