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.
- Tuesday, 3 September, 2024
- Only in 'dark skies', away from the bright lights of Australian cities, can we see the Milky Way arcing across the sky, humanity's most fundamental connection to the cosmos. Our artificial light also masks day length and other cues used by animals to regulate their daily activity and annual reproduction. Under the relentless glare of urban light pollution, behaviours change and instincts falter.
- Tuesday, 3 September, 2024
- Our oceans are loud places. Whales, dolphins, fish, and even corals produce sounds that shape underwater life. But while some humans love listening to “underwater soundscapes,” the human-made noise that marine animals have to endure is anything but comforting. The noise levels stress over 150 species - not only whales and dolphins, but also invertebrates like jellyfish, octopuses, and coral reefs.
- Tuesday, 3 September, 2024
- Australia’s declining biodiversity is in crisis, with many species at risk of extinction. But whether we’re talking about people, flora and fauna, or entire ecosystems, one thing holds true: we’re stronger together. For National Science Week, scientists from three Inspiring Victoria partner organisations shared their work to ensure that Australian species will Survive and Thrive.
- Tuesday, 3 September, 2024
- As we continue to pollute the environment with petrochemicals, microplastics, pharmacological products, and other chemicals, we need new solutions to keep ahead of the wave. Bioremediation is the process of using specialised biological organisms or systems – most often bacteria, microalgae, fungi or plants – to break down contaminants into non-harmful compounds.
- Djuke Veldhuis works full time at a faculty of science and even she feels overwhelmed by the pace of development in science and technology. But to solve the global challenges facing us, we need to make sure that we don’t leave people behind. So National Science Week, and initiatives by Inspiring Victoria's partner organisations, offer a superb platform for community involvement.
- With teachers and schools possessing limited and uneven resources, it is vital that we support each student to have greater access to quality learning. Two state-based initiatives work to support Victorian STEM education; the ten Tech Schools (with six more coming), and six Science and Mathematics Specialist Centres, each providing programs to support students and teachers across the state.
- A student’s aspirations to engage with higher education are shaped by their access to economic and cultural resources, as well as experiences of success in education. These ‘economic’ resources are self-explanatory: more money, and everything that comes with it. However, the ‘cultural’ resources in the home and in the classroom are more complex.
- Local secondary school students come year after year to participate in a program at Ballarat Tech School, where they design and produce their own local, sustainable, and ethical chocolate. The program has evolved since the Tech School opened in 2018, and more recent iterations combine indigenous bushfoods to create a more uniquely Australian alternative.
- 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.
