The Royal Institution of Australia (RiAus) is a national scientific not-for-profit organisation with a mission to "bring science to people and people to science". It opened in October 2009.
The Royal Institution of Australia (RiAus) is a national scientific not-for-profit organisation with a mission to "bring science to people and people to science". It opened in October 2009.
The concept of a Royal Institution of Australia was proposed by Baroness Professor Susan Greenfield CBE, as Thinker in Residence for the South Australian Government during 2004 and 2005. [1] [2] Greenfield was Director of the Royal Institution of Great Britain from 1998 to 2010. The South Australian Premier Mike Rann was receptive of the idea and secured State, Federal and private sector funding for the building and the programs. The Royal Institution of Australia's inaugural chairman is Peter Yates AM. [3]
As a national hub for science communication, The Royal Institution of Australia promotes public awareness and understanding of science. The Institution highlights the importance of science in everyday life through Cosmos Magazine, the cosmosmagazine.com website, the SCINEMA International Science Film Festival, and the RiAus Education platform..
The Royal Institution of Australia foundation partners were the Government of South Australia, the Commonwealth Government and oil and gas company, Santos. It has a paid membership program, including both corporate and individual members.
The Royal Institution of Australia is the first and only sister organisation outside of the UK of the Royal Institution of Great Britain (RiGB). [4]
The Royal Institution of Australia is housed at The Science Exchange in Adelaide, South Australia, which is a former Stock Exchange building. Built in 1901 and designed by the architects Hedley Allen Dunn in collaboration with Henry Fuller, this red brick building in Federation/Edwardian style with Arts and Crafts influences (including a stained glass window by Morris & Co., with three of the six panels after the designs of Edward Burne-Jones) [5] [6] is listed among the 120 nationally significant 20th-century buildings in South Australia. [7]
Half of the building, which is open to the public on weekdays, has heritage value. The other half was gutted by two fires in the 20th century and is now office space for The Royal Institution of Australia and the Australian Science Media Centre.
The establishment of The Royal Institution of Australia was amongst the recommendations Professor Greenfield made during her Adelaide residency, which included initiatives to encourage collaboration and complementary research programs across South Australian universities, science communication programs for children, professional development for school teachers and the establishment of the Australian Science Media Centre. A key recommendation was the Bragg Initiative, which encouraged a relationship between South Australia and the RiGB [8] and was taken up by the South Australian government.
In June 2008, work commenced to convert the former Adelaide Stock Exchange building, which had remained empty for many years, into The Science Exchange. [9]
The Royal Institution of Australia was opened on 8 October 2009 by the President of the Council of RiGB, HRH Prince Edward, Duke of Kent. [10]
The Bragg Initiative, which led to the initial development of The Royal Institution of Australia, was named for William Henry Bragg and William Lawrence Bragg. This father and son team won the 1915 Nobel Prize in Physics for their 'services in the analysis of crystal structures by means of X rays'. [11] The Braggs hold a unique place in Australian and international history, as the only father-and-son team to be awarded a Nobel Prize. William (Henry) Bragg was the first Professor of Physics at the University of Adelaide and his son (William) Lawrence was born and educated in South Australia. Both returned to the UK and were subsequently Directors of The Royal Institution of Great Britain. Both father and son had an enormous passion for communicating science to the broader community. The Bragg Initiative was a program within the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, South Australian Government and was managed by Linda Cooper, Project Director.
Prof Adrienne Clarke AC, Dr Alan Finkel AO, Dr Andrew Thomas AO, Prof Barry Marshall AC, Dr Basil Hetzel AC (deceased), Prof Brian Cox OBE, Prof Brian Schmidt AC, Prof Carola Vinuesa, Prof Caroline McMillen, emeritus Prof Christopher Burrell AO, Prof David Boger, Prof Elizabeth Blackburn AC, Prof Fiona Stanley AC, Prof Fiona Wood AM, Prof Graeme Clark AO, Prof Ian Chubb AC, Prof Ian Frazer AC, emeritus Prof Ian Lowe AO, Dr J Robin Warren AC, Dr John O’Sullivan, Prof John Shine AO, Prof Lyn Beazley AO, Prof Marcello Costa, Prof Martin Green AM, emeritus Prof Max Brennan AO, Prof Michael Archer AM, Prof Michelle Simmons, emerita Prof Patricia Vickers-Rich, Prof Peter Doherty AC, Mr Peter Gago AC, Mr Robyn Williams AM, Prof Sir Gustav Nossal AC CBE, Prof Suzanne Cory AC, Prof Tanya Monro, Prof Terry Hughes, Prof Zee Upton, Prof Robin Batterham AO, Prof Stephen Hopper AC, Mr Tim Jarvis AM, Prof John Long, Prof Jennifer Martin, Scientia Prof Veena Sahajwalla, Assoc Prof Paul Willis.
The Inaugural Director of the Royal Institution of Australia was Professor Gavin Brown AO, Scottish born mathematician and former Vice Chancellor of the University of Adelaide and the University of Sydney. [12]
After the resignation of Professor Brown, the Hon. Dr Jane Lomax-Smith AM filled in as acting director (2010-2011). Associate Professor Paul Willis, science communicator, paleontologist, science journalist and broadcaster was the Director from 2011 and concluded his term in July 2017. In 2017 The Royal Institution of Australia appointed Mr Bradley Abraham as the Chief Executive and Director. In addition, the Council appointed Associate Professor Alan Duffy as its new Lead Scientist. Duffy is an astronomer and physicist working at Swinburne University of Technology. An author, Duffy is a leading expert[ citation needed ] on dark matter, dark energy, galaxy formation and cosmology.
RiAus receives financial and in-kind support from members, corporate partners and donors.
The Royal Institution of Australia is governed by a council. As of 2020, council members are: [13]
Sir William Lawrence Bragg, was an Australian-born British physicist and X-ray crystallographer, discoverer (1912) of Bragg's law of X-ray diffraction, which is basic for the determination of crystal structure. He was joint recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1915, "For their services in the analysis of crystal structure by means of X-rays"; an important step in the development of X-ray crystallography.
The Royal Institution of Great Britain is an organisation for scientific education and research, based in the City of Westminster. It was founded in 1799 by the leading British scientists of the age, including Henry Cavendish and its first president, George Finch. Its foundational principles were diffusing the knowledge of, and facilitating the general introduction of useful mechanical inventions and improvements, as well as enhancing the application of science to the common purposes of life.
Sir William Henry Bragg was an English physicist, chemist, mathematician, and active sportsman who uniquely shared a Nobel Prize with his son Lawrence Bragg – the 1915 Nobel Prize in Physics: "for their services in the analysis of crystal structure by means of X-rays". The mineral Braggite is named after him and his son. He was knighted in 1920.
Susan Adele Greenfield, Baroness Greenfield, is an English scientist, writer, broadcaster and member of the House of Lords. Her research has focused on the treatment of Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. She is also interested in the neuroscience of consciousness and the impact of technology on the brain.
Jane Diane Lomax-Smith, AM is an Australian politician and histopathologist who has been the Lord Mayor of the City of Adelaide since 14 November 2022. She was previously in local government for nine years, as a councillor for three terms and Lord Mayor of Adelaide for two terms. She was elected to the South Australian House of Assembly seat of Adelaide representing the Labor Party from 2002 to 2010, and throughout this time was a Minister of Education and Tourism and a range of other portfolios. In 2010–2011, she was the Interim Director of the Royal Institution of Australia (RiAus). Since 2011, she has been the chair of the Board of the South Australian Museum.
The Royal Institution Christmas Lectures are a series of lectures on a single topic each, which have been held at the Royal Institution in London each year since 1825, missing 1939–1942 because of the Second World War. The lectures present scientific subjects to a general audience, including young people, in an informative and entertaining manner. Michael Faraday initiated the Christmas Lecture series in 1825, at a time when organised education for young people was scarce. Faraday presented nineteen series of lectures in all.
The Elder Conservatorium of Music, also known as "The Con", is Australia's senior academy of music and is located in the centre of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia. It is named in honour of its benefactor, Sir Thomas Elder. Dating in its earliest form from 1883, it has a history in professional training for musical performance, musical composition, research in all fields of music, and music education. The Elder Conservatorium of Music and its forerunners have been parts of the University of Adelaide since the early 1880s.
Cosmos is a science magazine published in Adelaide, South Australia, by the Royal Institution of Australia that covers science globally. It appears four times a year in print as Cosmos Magazine, and the online edition is updated daily with news as well as long features and multi-media content, and includes the print magazine content. Cosmos Weekly is a subscription-based weekly online edition published on Fridays, and a podcast was launched in April 2022.
Sir Thomas Elder was a Scottish-Australian pastoralist, highly successful businessman, philanthropist, politician, race-horse owner and breeder, and public figure. Amongst many other things, he is notable for introducing camels to Australia.
The Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science (ANZAAS) is an organisation that was founded in 1888 as the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science to promote science.
The Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE) is a learned academy that helps Australians understand and use technology to solve complex problems. It was founded in 1975 as one of Australia's then four learned academies. Its original name was the 'Australian Academy of Technological Sciences', but in 1987 the name was lengthened to include Engineering, as 'Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering'. In 2015, the Academy adopted a new business name, the 'Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering', reserving the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering as its company name.
The Australian Science Media Centre (AusSMC) is an independent, not-for-profit service for the news media, giving journalists direct access to evidence-based science and expertise.
Sir Edward Byrne is a neuroscientist who served as Principal of King's College London from August 2014 until January 2021. He was previously Vice-Chancellor of Monash University.
The Australian Institute of Physics was established in 1963, when it replaced the Australian Branch of the British Institute of Physics based in London. The purpose of the institute is to promote the role of physics in research, education, industry and the community. The AIP publishes Australian Physics since 1963. Every two years, the Institute organises a national congress, the latest being held in December 2022 in Adelaide.
Alexander ‘Alex’ Zelinsky, is an Australian computer scientist, systems engineer and roboticist. His career spans innovation, science and technology, research and development, commercial start-ups and education. Professor Zelinsky is Vice-chancellor and President of the University of Newcastle joining the university in November 2018. He was the Chief Defence Scientist of Australia from March 2012 until November 2018. As Chief Defence Scientist he led defence science and technology for Australia's Department of Defence.
Tanya Mary Monro is an Australian physicist known for her work in photonics. She has been Australia's Chief Defence Scientist since 8 March 2019. Prior to that she was the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research and Innovation (DVCR&I) at the University of South Australia. She was awarded the ARC Georgina Sweet Australian Laureate Fellowship in 2013. She was the inaugural chair of photonics, the inaugural director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale Biophotonics and the inaugural director of the Institute for Photonics & Advanced Sensing (IPAS), and the inaugural director of the Centre of Expertise in Photonics (CoEP) within the School of Chemistry and Physics at the University of Adelaide. Monro has remained an adjunct professor of physics at the University of Adelaide following her departure from the institution. In 2020 she was awarded the title of Emeritus Professor at the University of South Australia.
The Australian Academy of Law (AAL) is a permanent, non-government organisation devoted to the advancement of the discipline of law. According to its Constitution, the Australian Academy of Law comprises individuals of exceptional distinction from all parts of the legal community, including academia, the practising profession, and the judiciary.