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Royal Society of South Australia

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The Royal Society of South Australia (RSSA) is a Learned Society whose interest is in Science, particularly, but not only, of South Australia. The major aim of the Society is the promotion and diffusion of scientific knowledge, particularly in relation to Natural Sciences.

Contents

The Society stems directly from the Adelaide Philosophical Society founded on 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.

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 Clark, Davy, Doswell, Charles Gregory Feinaigle, Gilbert, Gosse, Hamilton, Hammond, W. B. Hays, Jones, Kay, Mann, W. W. 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. T. D. Smeaton has also been credited with helping found the Society.

It became the Royal Society of South Australia late in 1880, to follow the terminology adopted by the other Australian colonies, and perhaps hoping to emulate their success.

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. Andrewartha Medal

    • List of presidents

    Royal Society of South Australia Presidents:

    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 in 1929.

    Previous winners include:

    Notable members

    Notable members of the Royal Society of South Australia have included:

  • Prof. William Henry Bragg,
  • Prof. Sir Robert William Chapman,
  • Thomas Charles Cloud (died 1918),
  • Alexander William Dobbie (born 1843),
  • John William Hall Hullett (born 1847),
  • Prof. Horace Lamb
  • Dr. Cecil Thomas Madigan (1889–1947),
  • James McGeorge,
  • Thomas Parker,
  • Walter Rutt (1842–1925),
  • Prof. Ralph Tate
  • Sir Charles Todd,
  • Carl Albert Unbehaun (1851–1924) and
  • Robert Archibald White.

    • References

    Royal Society of South Australia Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA


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