The Royal Societies of Australia (RSA) is a national organisation which was established to advocate for the efforts and joint views of Australia’s six State Royal Societies, and to provide a mechanism for sharing ideas and operational practice among them. It was conceived as a vehicle for the collective aggregation of the efforts of Australia’s Royal Societies nationally.
The RSA was initiated through the interest of the then Governor-General, the late Major General The Honourable Michael Jeffery AC CVO MC, who saw benefits in having an umbrella organisation which could advocate for Australia’s Royal Societies with the Commonwealth Government and its agencies, academia, business, industry and the not-for-profit sector, and internationally as required. The RSA was created as a national organisation able to represent the hundreds of members of Australia’s Royal Societies with one voice, not only in Australia but throughout the world.
Following several meetings of representatives of all Australia’s Royal Societies, the RSA was incorporated as an Australian public company limited by guarantee on 3 August 2007. A Constitution was drawn up in consultation with a firm of lawyers and a governing Council established in accordance with the Constitution. The Governor-General kindly accepted the role of Patron and the inaugural meeting of the RSA was held in Canberra on 2 February 2008. Subsequent meetings have been held in Perth, Hobart and Brisbane and more recently by Zoom technology.
Australia’s Royal Societies have been at the forefront of intellectual thought and practice since the precursor of the Royal Society of New South Wales came into being in July 1821. They each have an immense reservoir of collective wisdom and have spawned many major research institutions and professional bodies. Australia’s Royal Societies continue to promote the primacy of evidence-based research and knowledge generation. They publish authoritative peer-reviewed journals containing papers bringing to our attention some of the latest research across many disciplines. They also publish significant monographs which compile many years of research on individual topics. In addition, they offer regular opportunities to hear about recent research work from the most qualified experts in the country at public meetings and special events.