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.

Recent News and Articles

Cultural Dissonance and Invasive Deer in Victoria


- Feral deer are capable of increasing 35 to 50 percent each year in population. Peter Jacobs tells us “there is no short-term fix to mitigate deer impacts now that the population has been allowed to grow to over a million animals spread across the state.” But Victorians can still prevent the further spread of destructive invasive deer species to the rest of the Australian continent.

Lighting the Way: The Australian Synchrotron


- The unassuming frontage along Blackburn Road in Clayton, Victoria, masks a hidden gem of Australian research infrastructure. Long gone is 1957's iconic Clayton Metro Twin drive-in theatre. Today, the twin projectors have been replaced with a state-of-the-art light source a million times brighter than the Sun; a particle accelerator the size of a football field, the Australian Synchrotron.

Saving the Bee-cosystem


- Backyard beekeeping has become quite popular, supporting food production and promoting pro-environmental behaviour, meaning people are more likely to take care of the broader environment. But European honeybees can pose risks to wild pollinators in our cities. They are not a replacement for wild, native bees, which are essential for maintaining biodiversity in Australia's urban ecosystems.

Reviving a Ghost of Tasmania: The Ethics and Feasibility of Thylacine De-extinction


- De-extinction is not simply about putting a carbon-copy of an 1800’s thylacine back into the Tasmanian ecosystem. The thylacine co-evolved within that ecosystem over many thousands of years, and its role remains intact. Returning the native apex predator to that environment has the potential to stabilise it, and even save other endangered marsupials.

Securing the Future of the Gippsland Lakes


- This report and its recommendations from the Royal Society of Victoria (RSV) are released in the context of the EGCMA's renewal of the Gippsland Lakes Ramsar Site Management Plan, which aims to revisit and reestablish a framework for the maintenance of the Lakes' unique ecological characteristics through "the promotion of conservation and wise, sustainable use."
Portrait of Anita Goh

Introducing Associate Professor Anita Goh MRSV, RSV Councillor 2024-6


- I have extensive experience in leadership in Australian STEMM, including skills in governance and as a Board Director (most recently Vice President of Science and Technology Australia from 2021-2023 and Co-Chair of its Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion committee). I will bring my unique perspectives, expertise, networks, and energy to RSV.

Reinventing the Chemical Industry with Green Chemistry


- Continuing to invest in sustainable industrial techniques will be extremely important in improving the environment and our relationship with it. "Green chemistry" seeks to minimise or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances. One of the goals of green chemistry is for the term to completely disappear – it should simply become how we practise chemistry, and make things.
A child in a futuristic city playing with holographic art

Reimagining Humanity in the Age of Generative AI


- Despite its amazing advancements, generative AI raises substantial concerns. With its roots deep in Western data, could GAI inadvertently become a tool of digital colonisation? Trained mostly on data that is influenced by Western perspectives, there's a risk of AI systems acting like digital colonisers, spreading a uniform cultural narrative across diverse global landscapes.
A fictional exoplanet created by AI

Using AI in the Classroom – Friend, not Foe


- Many educators see AI as a tool to enhance the teaching and learning processes, not as a replacement for teachers but to complement their skills. With the release of the Australian Framework for GAI in Schools, educators are being equipped with knowledge and frameworks to guide the responsible and ethical use of generative AI to benefit students, schools, and society.