Royal Society of South Australia (1880 - )

Summary

The Royal Society of South Australia (RSSA) succeeded the Adelaide Philosophical Society (APS) in 1880 when the latter received its Royal warrant. The objects of the RSSA were broadly the same as its predecessor: the advancement and promotion of knowledge of science, particularly the natural sciences, as they related to South Australia. Interests of members include botany, zoology, geology, geomorphology, palaeontology, anthropology and soil science. Some of these interests found expression in the foundation of sections. The most enduring was the Field Naturalists' Section, founded 1883, which in 1959 separated from the Society as the Field Naturalists Club of South Australia. Other Sections were: the Microscopical Section (1887 - 1913); the Malacological Section (1895 - 1917), which became the Shell Collectors Committee of the Field Naturalists Section; and the Astronomical Section, founded 1892 and becoming the Astronomical Society of South Australia after eight years. Awards presented by the Society include: the Sir Joseph Verco Medal, awarded to a member of the Society for distinguished scientific investigations; and the H. G. Andrewartha Medal, inaugurated in 2003 and awarded occasionally for outstanding published research by a scientist in an early stage of their scientific career. The Society has published (under slightly variant titles) its Transactions in continuation of those of the APS.

Related entries

Timeline

 1853 - 1880 Adelaide Philosophical Society
       1880 - Royal Society of South Australia

Archival resources

State Library of South Australia, Mortlock Library of South Australiana

• Royal Society of South Australia - Records, 1853 - 1969, SRG 10; State Library of South Australia, Mortlock Library of South Australiana. Details

Published resources

Journal Articles

• Anon, 'List of Fellows, members, etc. as existing on November, 30 1936', Transactions and proceedings of the Royal Society of South Australia, 60 (1936), 195-8. Details
• Chapman, R.W., 'The past work of the Royal Society outside the domain of Natural Science.', Transactions and proceedings of the Royal Society of South Australia, 60 (1936), xxv-xxx, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/41566089. Details
• Madigan, C.T., 'The Past, Present and Future of the Society, and its Relations to the Welfare and Progress of the State.', Proceedings of the Royal Society of South Australia, lx (1936), i-xv. Details
• Mawson, D., 'The Role of Geology in the Activities of the Royal Society of South Australia.', Proceedings of the Royal Society of South Australia, lxxvii (1954), xii-xiv. Details
• Rogers, R. S., 'Presidential address: a history of the Society, particularly its relation to other institutions in the state', Transactions and proceedings of the Royal Society of South Australia, 46 (1922), 615-46. Details
• Scott, T. D., 'Scientific Societies in Australia. A Brief History of the Royal Society of South Australia', The Royal Australian Chemical Institute Proceedings, 27 (1960), 493-496. Details
• Tate, R., 'Anniversary address by the President: some work of the Society since 1876', Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia, 19 (1895), 266-9, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/16138252. Details

Resources

• Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-560505. Details

See also

• Cleland, J.B., 'Reminiscences of the Early Days of 'the Field Naturalists' Section of the Royal Society of SA', South Australian Naturalist, 44 (2) (1969), 21-23. Details