Australia’s annual celebration of science and technology is here, kicking off on Saturday, August 15, and running until Sunday, August 23.
This year, over 2,500 in-person and online events make up the National Science Week program, with WA’s events taking place all the way from Broome to Busselton. The program traverses talks, lectures, workshops, guided walks and more, celebrating Aussie scientific achievements and promoting community participation in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).
Minister for Industry and Innovation and Minister for Science Tim Ayres said of the celebration, “National Science Week is also a reminder that curiosity doesn’t have an age limit. It’s an opportunity for Australians of all ages to keep learning, keep asking questions and stay engaged with the world around them.”
There are a number of highlights for the metropolitan Perth area, free and for all ages, spanning topics like agriculture, space and astronomy, environment and nature, health and medical, physics, and mathematics.
One highlight includes a public lecture on dark matter and Australia’s role in researching it from Dr Jeremy Bourhill, a physicist at the University of Western Australia. Those interested in ecology can attend free sessions to learn planting basics and how unused urban spaces can become thriving ecosystems, and film buffs can head to SCINEMA Film Festival for a collection of short films and documentaries focused on global science stories.
King’s Park hosts The Hidden Life of Seeds, a passport-guided tour through the Botanic Garden that reveals the science safeguarding WA’s floral treasures, and the Noongar Two-Way Learning Walk, in which you’ll be guided by a Noongar educator that will provide insight into traditional scientific practices and knowledges of the Noongar people, with hands-on activities.
Heading out of the city, Nannup Flower and Garden Festival welcomes Gardening Australia presenters Sophie Thomson, Faye Arcaro and Guy Jeffreys to explore how gardening, food production and sustainability are connected through STEM. There’s stargazing events in Toodyay, Lower Chittering and Collie, and opportunities to explore macroinvertebrates in Katanning’s Piesse Lake Park.
Busselton has a busy lineup, with events like Science and Pints on the agenda, where visitors will hear local scientists, traditional owners and rangers talk about Sea Country and marine parks over pints at Shelter Brewing Co. Head to Busselton Jetty for more marine biodiversity activities, or celebrate 60 years of the Busselton Health Study with their exhibition of a restored vintage caravan, hearkening back to the days of the Study’s operation as a small fleet of caravans.
National Science Week runs from Saturday, August 15, to Sunday August 23. Explore the full program at scienceweek.net.au.