Presidents of the Society
The Society was called the "Philosophical Society of Australasia" from 1821–2, "The Australian Philosophical Society" from 1850–5 and "The Philosophical Society of New South Wales" from 1855–1865 and, upon receiving Royal Assent, "The Royal Society of New South Wales" in 1866.
| Year Elected |
Name | Discipline | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1821-2 | Sir Thomas Brisbane | Astronomy | Governor NSW, Hon. President |
| 1850-5 | Hon. E. Deas-Thomson | Public Administration | Senior Vice-President. Clerk of both the Council of NSW and the Executive & Legislative Council |
| 1855-7 | Sir William Denison | Engineering | Governor NSW, Hon. President |
| Sir Charles Nicholson | Medicine | Senior Vice-President | |
| 1858-60 | Sir William Denison | Engineering | Governor NSW, Hon. President |
| Hon. E. Deas-Thomson | Public Administration | Senior Vice-President. Clerk of both the Council of NSW and the Executive & Legislative Council | |
| 1861-5 | Sir John Young | Law | Governor NSW, Hon. President |
| Rev. W.B. Clarke | Geology | Senior Vice-President | |
| 1866-7 | Sir John Young | Law | Governor NSW, Hon. President |
| Rev. W.B. Clarke | Geology | Senior Vice-President | |
| 1868-71 | 4th Earl of Belmore | Public Administration | Governor NSW, Hon. President |
| Rev. W.B. Clarke | Geology | Senior Vice-President | |
| 1872-8 | Sir Hercules Robinson | Public Administration | Governor NSW, Hon. President |
| Rev. W.B. Clarke | Geology | Senior Vice-President | |
| 1879 | Lord Augustus Loftus | Diplomat | Governor NSW, Hon. President |
| Hon. J. Smith | Physics | Senior Vice-President | |
| 1880 | Hon. J. Smith | Physics | First elected President |
| 1881 | H.C. Russell | Astronomy | |
| 1882 | C. Rolleston | Statistics | Auditor-General |
| 1883 | Prof. J. Smith | Physics | Second elected term |
| 1884 | H.C. Russell | Astronomy | Second term |
| 1885 | Prof. A. Liversidge | Chemistry | Joint Secretary 1875-1884;1886-1888 |
| 1886 | C. Rolleston | Statistics | Second term |
| 1887 | C.S. Wilkinson | Geology | |
| 1888 | Sir Alfred Roberts | Medicine | |
| 1889 | Prof. A. Liversidge | Chemistry | Second term |
| 1890 | Dr A. Leibius | Chemistry | Joint Secretary 1875-1885 |
| 1891 | H.C. Russell | Astronomy | Third term |
| 1892 | Prof. W.H. Warren | Engineering | Joint Secretary 1889-1891 |
| 1893 | Prof. T.P. Anderson Stuart | Physiology | Joint Secretary 1892 |
| 1894 | Prof. R. Threlfall | Physics | |
| 1895 | Prof. T.W.E. David | Geology | Joint Secretary 1893-4 |
| 1896 | J.H. Maiden | Botany | Joint Secretary 1893-5; 1897-1913 |
| 1897 | Henry Deane | Engineering | |
| 1898 | G.H. Knibbs | Mathematics | Joint Secretary 1896-7; 1899-1906 |
| 1899 | W.H. Hamlet | Chemistry | |
| 1900 | Prof. A. Liversidge | Chemistry | Third term |
| 1901 | H.C. Russell | Astronomy | Fourth term |
| 1902 | Prof. W.H. Warren | Engineering | Second term |
| 1903 | F.B. Guthrie | Chemistry | Joint Secretary1907-1911 |
| 1904 | C.O. Burge | Engineering | |
| 1905 | H.A. Lenehan | Astronomy | |
| 1906 | Prof. T.P. Anderson Stuart | Physiology | Second term |
| 1907 | Henry Deane | Engineering | Second term |
| 1908 | W.H. Hamlet | Chemistry | Second term |
| 1909 | H.D. Walsh | Engineering | |
| 1910 | Prof. T.W.E. David | Geology | Second term |
| 1911 | J.H. Maiden | Botany | Second term |
| 1912 | R.H. Cambage | Surveying | Joint Secretary 1914-1922; 1925-7 |
| 1913 | H.G. Smith | Chemistry | |
| 1914 | C. Hedley | Zoology | |
| 1915 | R. Greig-Smith | Bacteriology | Joint Secretary 1925-6 |
| 1916 | T.H. Houghton | Engineering | |
| 1917 | Dr J.B. Cleland | Microbiology | |
| 1918 | W.S. Dun | Palaeontology | |
| 1919 | Prof. C.E. Fawsitt | Chemistry | |
| 1920 | J. Nangle | Astronomy | |
| 1921 | E.C. Andrews | Geology | |
| 1922 | C.A. Sussmilch | Geology | Joint Secretary 1928-1933; 1936-7 |
| 1923 | R.H. Cambage | Surveying | Second term |
| 1924 | Dr C. Anderson | Mineralogy | Joint Secretary 1935-1942 |
| 1925 | Prof. R.D Watt | Agriculture | |
| 1926 | Dr W.G. Woolnough | Geology | |
| 1927 | Prof. J. Douglas Stewart | Veterinary Medicine | |
| 1928 | W. Poole | Engineering | |
| 1929 | Prof. L.A. Cotton | Geology | |
| 1930 | Prof. O.U. Vonwiller | Physics | Joint Secretary 1927-8; 1948 |
| 1931 | Edwin Cheel | Botany | |
| 1932 | Asst.Prof. W.R. Browne | Geology | |
| 1933 | R.W. Challoner | Chemistry | |
| 1934 | Dr R.J. Noble | Agriculture | Joint Secretary 1933 |
| 1935 | A.R. Penfold | Chemistry | |
| 1936 | Major E.H. Booth | Physics | Joint Secretary 1934-6 |
| 1937 | Dr W.L. Waterhouse | Botany | |
| 1938 | Prof. J.C. Earl | Chemistry | |
| 1939 | Dr H.S.H. Wardlaw | Biochemistry | |
| 1940 | Prof. A.P. Elkin | Anthropology | Joint Secretary 1938-9; 1941-5 |
| 1941 | D.P. Mellor | Chemistry | Joint Secretary 1943-7 |
| 1942 | Prof. H. Priestley | Biochemistry | |
| 1943 | Dr A.B. Walkom | Palaeobotany | |
| 1944 | Dr G.D. Osborne | Geology | Joint Secretary 1953 |
| 1945 | Dr A. Bolliger | Medicine | |
| 1946 | Dr F. Lions | Chemistry | |
| 1947 | Dr J.A. Dulhunty | Geology | |
| 1948 | Dr R.L. Aston | Engineering | |
| 1949 | Harley Wood | Astronomy | Joint Secretary 1948; 1951; 1958-1960 |
| 1950 | F.R. Morrison | Chemistry | Joint Secretary 1946-7 |
| 1951 | Dr R.C.L. Bosworth | Chemistry | Secretary 1948-50 |
| 1952 | Dr C.J. Magee | Agriculture | |
| 1953 | Dr Ida A. Browne | Palaeontology | First female President; Joint Secretary 1950-2; 1957-8 |
| 1954 | Dr R.S. Nyholm | Chemistry | |
| 1955 | Dr M.R. Lemberg | Biochemistry | |
| 1956 | F.D. McCarthy | Anthropology | |
| 1957 | F.N. Hanlon | Geology | Joint Secretary 1954-6 |
| 1958 | J.L. Griffith | Mathematics | Secretary 1955-7; 1966-8 |
| 1959 | A.F.A. Harper | Physics | |
| 1960 | H.A.J. Donegan | Chemistry | |
| 1961 | R.J.W. LeFevre | Chemistry | |
| 1962 | W.B. Smith-White | Mathematics | |
| 1963 | H.H.G. McKern | Chemist | |
| 1964 | J.W. Humphries | Physics | |
| 1965 | Dr A.A. Day | Geology | Joint Secretary 1959-1960 |
| 1966 | A.H. Voisey | Geology | |
| 1967 | A.H. Low | Mathematics | Secretary 1963-5 |
| 1968 | A. Keane | Mathematics | |
| 1969 | J.W.G. Neuhaus | Chemistry | |
| 1970 | W.E. Smith | Mathematics | |
| 1971 | M.J. Puttock | Metrologist | |
| 1972 | J.C. Cameron | Geology | Secretary 1969 |
| 1973 | J.P. Pollard | Mathematics/Statistics | |
| 1974 | J.W. Pickett | Palaeontology | |
| 1975 | E.K. Chaffer | Geology | Secretary 1970-1 |
| 1976 | D.J. Swaine | Chemistry | Secretary 1986-8 |
| 1977 | W.H. Robertson | Astronomy | |
| 1978 | F.C. Beavis | Geology | |
| 1979 | D.H. Napper | Chemistry | |
| 1980 | G.S. Gibbons | Geology | |
| 1981 | B.A. Warren | Pathology | |
| 1982 | T.W. Cole | Engineering | |
| 1983 | R.S. Vagg | Chemistry | |
| 1984 | R.S. Bhathal | Astronomy | Secretary 1989-91 |
| 1985 | J.H. Loxton | Mathematics | |
| 1986 | M.A. Stubbs-Race | Engineering | |
| 1987 | F.L. Sutherland | Geology | |
| 1988 | D.E. Winch | Mathematics | |
| 1989 | H.S. Hancock | Geology | |
| 1990 | G.W.K. Ford | Nuclear Science | Secretary 1993- |
| 1991 | E.C. Potter | Chemistry | |
| 1992 | F.L. Sutherland | Geology | Second term |
| 1993 | R.A.L. Osborne | Geology | |
| 1994 | J.R. Hardie | Geology/Education | Secretary 1992 |
| 1995 | Dr D.F. Branagan | Geology | |
| 1996 | K.L. Grose | Ancient History | |
| 1997 | E.C. Potter | Chemistry | Second term |
| 1998 | D.J. O'Connor | Physics | |
| 1999 | A.T. Baker | Chemistry | |
| 2000 | P.A. Williams | Geology | |
| 2001 | D.A. Craddock | Aeronautics | |
| 2002 | D.A. Craddock | Aeronautics | Second term |
| 2003 | K. Kelly | Science Journalism | |
| 2004 | K. Kelly | Science Journalism | Second term |
| 2005 | Prof. J.C. Kelly | Physics | |
| 2006 | Prof. J.C. Kelly | Physics | Second term |
| 2007 | J.R. Hardie | Geology/Education | Second term |
| 2008 | J.R. Hardie | Geology/Education | Third term (not consecutive) |
| 2009 | J.R. Hardie | Geology/Education | Fourth term |
| 2010 | J.R. Hardie | Geology/Education | Fifth term |
| 2011 | J.R. Hardie | Geology/Education | Sixth term |
| 2012 | Dr D.C.A Hector | Chemical Engineering | Secretary (Editorial) 2010-1 |
This list of our past Presidents was very kindly compiled by Peter Tyler and Marian Haire. Sources used were The Royal Society of NSW, Journal and Proceedings and W.R. Browne, "Scientific Societies in Australia (6)", Proceedings of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute, March 1961. This list is also downloadable as a PDF file Presidents_RSNSW.pdf.
The Society
For more information...The Society was incorporated by Act of the New South Wales Parliament in 1881. The Act of Incorporation, Rules and By-Laws are here:
Our most recent annual report can be found here:
Annual Report 2011 (PDF)
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