On foundation, the Royal Society of Victoria was modelled on the Royal Society of London, the world’s oldest research institution under the Western tradition of scientific inquiry, founded in 1660.  We began our journey in 1854, four years after the founding of the Colony of Victoria.

From the outset our purpose has been to share ‘scientific intelligence,’ promoting the understanding and application of scientific knowledge for the benefit of the community.  So for instance, the museum; water supply, stormwater and sewerage systems; crematorium, etc. for Melbourne were all planned here at the Royal Society of Victoria, drawing on the scientific expertise resident in Victoria and the global community of scholars through an extensive journal exchange program that predated the convenience of the internet.

In fact two very similar organisations were founded in 1854: the Philosophical Society of Victoria, led by the Surveyor-General of the Colony, Captain Andrew Clarke and the Victorian Institute for the Advancement of Science whose first president was Sir Redmond Barry, [also the founding Chancellor of the University of Melbourne, founder of the Melbourne Public Library (now the State Library of Victoria), the Melbourne Public Gallery (now the National Gallery of Victoria) and the Museum of Natural History (Museums Victoria) – what a legacy!] and famously the judge who later tried and condemned Ned Kelly. Recognising the duplication of purpose and effort, the two societies sensibly merged in 1855 to form the Philosophical Institute of Victoria.  Late in 1859 royal assent was granted for a name change to the Royal Society of Victoria, in time for the rebranded institution to occupy our freshly constructed building at its current site opposite the Carlton Gardens, at the very corner of the City of Melbourne’s Hoddle Grid.

We are fortunate to be one of the few learned societies in Australia with its own building, built with funds raised by our earliest members on land reserved for our use and later formalised through a Crown Grant in 1883. The building was designed by renowned Melbourne architect Joseph Reed and built in 1859 specifically for the Royal Society of Victoria. It is the focal point for our activities; our place to meet, our place to learn, and our place to debate contemporary scientific and cultural issues.  It is a symbol of the importance of science and technology in our lives and of the Royal Society of Victoria’s continuing role in the promotion of science and scientific endeavour.

The Society recognises and encourages scientific research of the highest calibre through its awards program, recognising scientists across the career spectrum from PhD candidature through to lifetime research achievements.  We appoint Fellows based on their capacity to improve society through their knowledge base. The Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria is one of the oldest Australian scientific journals, having been published continuously in various forms since 1855. We engage people of all ages and backgrounds across Victoria in the scientific process through management of the Inspiring Victoria program, a partnership initiative with the State’s leading public knowledge institutions and networks, which includes the annual delivery of National Science Week.