The Royal Society of New South Wales is a learned society based in Sydney, Australia. It was established as the Philosophical Society of Australasia on 27 June 1821. It is the oldest learned society in Australia and one of the oldest learned societies in the southern hemisphere. After a period of inactivity, the title was changed to the Australian Philosophical Society (19 January 1850). The present title of the society was given by Royal Assent on 12 December 1866. Membership is open to any person interested in the promotion of studies in Science, Art, Literature and Philosophy. The society publishes the Journal and Proceedings of The Royal Society of New South Wales. Regular monthly meetings are held in Sydney and a branch in the Southern Highlands is very active. The Governor-General of Australia and the Governor of New South Wales are joint patrons of the society.
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Notable members
- Edward Wollstonecraft, a founding member of the original Philosophical Society of Australasia
- William Branwhite Clarke, geologist and long-time vice-president
- Philip Sydney Jones, surgeon. A member for 51 years
- James Charles Cox, conchologist
Presidents
- Thomas Brisbane, 1821
- George Handley Knibbs, 1881 [1]
- Archibald Liversidge, 1885, 1889 and 1900
- Charles Smith Wilkinson, 1887
- William Henry Warren, 1892 and 1902 [2]
- Henry Chamberlain Russell (four times)
- Frederick Bickell Guthrie, 1903
- Richard Hind Cambage, 1912 and 1923
- Henry George Smith, 1913 [3]
- Ernest Clayton Andrews, 1921 [4]
- Carl Süssmilch, 1922
- Sir Tannatt William Edgeworth David (twice)
- James Douglas Stewart, 1927–1928 [5]
- William Rowan Browne, 1932-33 [6]
- Arthur Bache Walkom, 1943
- Sir Ronald Sydney Nyholm, 1954 [7]
- Howard McKern c.1970?
- Professor Peter A. Williams, 2001 [8]
- Prof. J.C Kelly [9]
This list is incomplete
