The Royal Society of NSW is voting on the following
At its 26 August 2026 meeting, the Council of the Royal Society of NSW considered changes to the Rules of the Society that will support the increased participation of, and engagement by, young people by broadening the category of Associate Membership and providing for an appointed Early Career Researcher member of the Council.
It has been an honour to serve on the Fellows and Members Assessment Committee of the Royal Society of New South Wales for 2023 and 2024. The Royal Society of NSW is the oldest learned institution in the Southern Hemisphere. Today was my last meeting on the committee before the 2025 Annual General Meeting (AGM). I have enjoyed the meetings with the committee members:
The minutes of the meeting stated "Today is Professor Sharynne McLeod’s final meeting. Professor Sharynne McLeod was thanked for her strong contributions on the Committee."
The following paper has just been published. It is an invited journal article based on the lecture I gave for the Royal Society of New South Wales last year that was part of the 2023 Royal Society of New South Wales and Learned Academies Forum: “Our 21st Century Brain” https://speakingmylanguages.blogspot.com/2023/11/invited-presentation-our-21st-century.html
McLeod, S. (2024). Children’s communication and the developing mind: A challenge for Australia. Journal & Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales, 157, 43–48. https://royalsoc.org.au/images/pdf/journal/157-1-11McLeod.pdf
There are many excellent papers in the special issue:
https://royalsoc.org.au/images/pdf/journal/157-1-web-complete.pdf
THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF N.S.W. AND FIVE ACADEMIES FORUM: OUR 21st CENTURY BRAIN
The following paper has just been accepted for publication:
McLeod, S. (2024). Children’s communication and the developing mind: A challenge for Australia. Journal & Proceedings of the Royal Society of NSW, 157, 1-6. ISSN: 0035-9173/24/0101-06
It expands the information that I presented at Government House during my invited lecture last year.
A lot of exciting events have occurred over the past few months - so CSU News has been running a series of stories including:
In her final letter for the year, the President of the RSNSW has stated This November meeting will be part of the Society’s 1318th Ordinary General Meeting (OGM). One of the agenda items will enable me to announce the names of the newest members of the Society — four Associate Members, six Members, and 14 Fellows. This brings me to thank Sean Brawley FRSN, Chair, Trevor Danos AM FRSN, Secretary, and all members of the Fellows and Members Assessment Committee for their wonderful contributions to the Society this year.
I was honoured to be an invited speaker at the following event
OUR 21st CENTURY BRAIN
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| Sharynne and Kate Margetson |
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| Dr Susan Pond, President of Royal Society of NSW with Charles Sturt University students (Noah Secomb, Kate Margetson) |
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| Prof Sharynne McLeod |
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| Prof Sharynne McLeod presenting "Children's communication and the developing brain" |
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| Kate Margetson, Sharynne McLeod, Noah Secomb at Government House |
Summary of the day's program: The brain underpins our basic instincts and needs, and behavioural responses to the world around us. The brain mediates our compassion, reason, and imagination which are reflected in great works of the arts and sciences. Yet our brain is also the source of distress, dysfunction, and malice. Despite centuries of recurring impacts of tribalism, racism, dehumanisation, and exclusion of ‘outsiders’, we continue to inflict suffering on others. At the same time, the 21st century brings new challenges that extend well beyond immediate threats to very complex societal challenges such as global security, climate change, massive demographic shifts, resource management, information overload, and artificial intelligence. Have we reached the edge of our human capacity to respond effectively as either individuals or collective groups?
The context and demands on our brains have been transformed by the very tools we have created, including new information technology platforms, and rapidly developing and deployed forms of artificial intelligence. Diseases of the brain are increasingly prevalent in our ageing population, as are the increasing mental health challenges that are evident across the human lifespan. Considerable progress across the sciences and humanities has deepened our understanding of genetic, environmental, and social factors that underpin brain development and function. Rising demands on our capacity to respond appropriately to globalised threats bring an urgent need to apply our scientific understanding to the development of just and sustainable solutions.
This year’s Royal Society of New South Wales and Learned Academies Forum focusses on recent progress in unravelling the workings of the brain and opportunities to use our emerging understanding to promote human wellbeing well beyond the 21st Century. The Forum is held under the auspices of Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC, Governor of New South Wales. The Royal Society of New South Wales acknowledges the generous support by Her Excellency, the Academies, the Office of the NSW Chief Scientist and Engineer, and Haus Holdings. @royalsocnsw #21stCenturyBrain
The day was a wonderful time to connect with friends and colleagues including:
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| Prof Penny, Laureate Prof Anne Castles, Prof Sharynne McLeod, Kate Margetson |
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| Prof Jakelin Troy, Prof Sharynne McLeod, Kate Margetson |
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| Government House |
I have been invited to present at the Royal Society of NSW and Learned Academies Forum at Government House, Sydney on 02 November 2023. The theme for the day is Our 21st Century Brain.
I have been invited to speak on the topic of The Developing Mind along with the following esteemed researchers:
The session will be moderated by Professor Penny Van Bergen (University of Wollongong) and we had a briefing session today.
Here is the announcement about the event:
The brain is our most complex organ. It underpins our basic instincts and needs and our behavioural responses to the world around us. Our brain mediates the compassion, reason and imagination that are reflected in great works of the arts and sciences. Yet our brain is also the source of distress, dysfunction and malice. Despite centuries of recurring impacts of tribalism, racism, dehumanisation and exclusion of ‘outsiders’, we continue to inflict suffering on others.
At the same time, the 21st century brings new challenges that extend well beyond immediate threats to very complex societal challenges such as global security, climate change, massive demographic shifts, resource management, information overload, artificial intelligence. Have we reached the edge of our human capacity to respond effectively as either individuals or collective groups?
The context and demands on our brains have been transformed by the very tools we have created, including new information technology platforms, and rapidly developing and deployed forms of artificial intelligence. Diseases of the brain are increasingly prevalent for our ageing population, as are the increasing mental health challenges evident across the lifespan.
Considerable progress across the sciences and humanities has deepened our understanding of genetic, environmental and social factors that underpin brain development and function, yet the rising demands on our capacity to respond appropriately to globalised threats bring an urgent need for novel, just and sustainable solutions.
This year’s Royal Society of New South Wales and Learned Academies Forum focusses on recent progress in unravelling the workings of the brain and opportunities to use our emerging understanding to promote human wellbeing well beyond the 21st Century.
The Forum is held under the auspices of Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC, Governor of New South Wales. The Royal Society of New South Wales acknowledge the generous support by Her Excellency, the Academies, the Office of the NSW Chief Scientist and Engineer and Haus Holdings.
I have been appointed on the Fellows and Members Assessment Committee of the Council of the Royal Society of New South Wales. https://www.royalsoc.org.au/
"The Royal Society of NSW (the Society, RSNSW) traces its origins to the Philosophical Society of Australasia, which was established on 27 June 1821. The Society received Royal Assent in 1866 and was incorporated by an Act of the NSW Parliament in 1881. Today, the Society is an inclusive learned institution that aims to enrich lives through knowledge and inquiry. It encompasses a diverse group of people who are dedicated to ideas that matter and contributing to a just, secure, and sustainable society by:
My first committee meeting was held today to consider new applications. What an honour to consider such important people within NSW and to learn of their significant work. The committee membership is as follows:
Statistics from my Provocations Public Lecture (20 April 2023):
"Children should be seen AND heard: the importance of communication so children can thrive"
Video presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjaxZ97_D3Y
Royal Society of NSW blog: https://royalsoc.org.au/blog/western-nsw-branch-meeting-2023-1
Synchronous attendance
Asynchronous attendance - 67 views
Dr Susan Pond, President of the Royal Society of NSW invited me to become a member of one the RSNSW Council Committees, the Fellows and Members Assessment Committee (FMAC) https://royalsoc.org.au/council-members-section/506-rsnsw-fellows-and-members-assessment-committee.
"The purpose of the Fellows and Members Assessment Committee is to lead the Fellowship (including Honorary and Distinguished Fellows) and Membership (including Associate Membership) Assessment (FMA) Program of the Society on behalf of Council. The FMA Program is designed to assess nominations of individuals wishing to become members of the Society according to criteria outlined in the Rules for Members, Fellows, and Distinguished Fellows." The terms of reference are here: https://royalsoc.org.au/images/easyblog_docs/RSNSW_TOR_FMAC_Committee_20210317.pdf
The 2022 membership is:
The President of the Royal Society of NSW presented Fellow and Member awards to a number of colleagues in Bathurst prior to the CSU public lecture. It was an honour to receieve the certificate acknowledging that I became a Fellow in 2021 (presentation delayed due to COVID restrictions).
I was invited to present Charles Sturt University's first Provocations Public Lecture on 20th April 2023. It was a joint presentation between Charles Sturt University and the Western NSW Branch of the Royal Society of NSW
Video presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjaxZ97_D3Y
Royal Society of NSW blog: https://royalsoc.org.au/blog/western-nsw-branch-meeting-2023-1
"Children should be seen AND heard: the importance of communication so children can thrive"
Professor Sharynne McLeod FRSN FASSA
Professor of Speech and Language Acquisition, Charles Sturt University
Summary: Communication is a human right for everyone – including children. Being an effective communicator is essential for children’s belonging, being, and becoming – and their ability to thrive. The United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights describes our right to freedom of opinion and expression and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas. This right is echoed in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. However, Australian health, education, and disability legislation and policies rarely mention children’s communication.
This presentation will draw on extensive large-scale evidence regarding Australian children’s communicative competence and capacity. Children’s drawings, personal insights, and data from 10,000 children within the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) will be described and the communicative competence of multilingual and Indigenous children will be celebrated.
Approximately a quarter of parents of Australian 4- to 5-year-olds in LSAC were concerned about how their child talked and made speech sounds. Longitudinal analyses of LSAC data demonstrated the negative impact of preschool children’s speech and language competency on their subsequent literacy, numeracy, and socialisation. While there are many evidence-based speech pathology interventions to support children’s speech and language skills, “long speech pathology waiting lists” have been identified by an Australian Government Senate Inquiry for almost a decade. Innovations (e.g., websites, computer programs) to reduce the impact of these long waiting lists have been funded by the Australian Research Council and NSW Health; however, most have demonstrated limited improvements on children’s speech and language. This presentation will conclude with a range of policy solutions for interdisciplinary, cross-sectoral change to enable Australia’s children to be seen AND heard so they can thrive.
About the Speaker: Sharynne McLeod PhD is a speech-language pathologist and professor of speech and language acquisition at Charles Sturt University, Australia. She is a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, and the Royal Society of New South Wales, was an Australian Research Council Future Fellow and has received Honors of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and Life Membership of Speech Pathology Australia. She has co-authored 13 books and 250+ peer-reviewed journal articles and chapters primarily focusing on children’s speech acquisition, speech sound disorders, and multilingualism and has free resources in over 70 languages on the Multilingual Children’s Speech website. She has provided expertise to the World Health Organization and has presented at the United Nations about communication rights. The Australian Newspaper named her Australia’s Research Field Leader in Audiology, Speech and Language Pathology (2018, 2019, 2020, 2022) and Best in the World based on the “quality, volume and impact” of research in the field (2019, 2023).
There were many attendees in person in Bathurst and online. What a privilege to present this lecture.
Today I was priviledged to attend a garden party at Government House in my role as Fellow of the Royal Society of NSW. The event was to celebrate 200 years of the Royal Society. It was a special setting and we enjoyed learning about the history of the Royal Society and of Government House.
We also had the chance to visit the State Library of NSW's exhibit celebrating 200 years of the Royal Society of NSW. We chatted with Lin Sutherland from the Australian Museum who has twice been the President.
Today was the Western Branch of Royal Society of NSW's Inaugural Event titled "With the Falling of Dusk" presented by Professor Stan Grant Jnr, Charles Sturt University's Vice Chancellor's Chair of Australian Indigenous Belonging.
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| Professor Stan Grant Jnr |
Patron of the Royal Society of NSW Margaret Beasley, AC QC, Governor of New South Wales described the importance of curiosity and the appetite for intellectual inquiry, intellegence and robustness within the Central West.
The Royal Society of NSW inaugurated its Western NSW branch today. It was a pleasure to be a Fellow of the Royal Society of NSW and to have been introduced to other members at this meeting.
“The Royal Society of NSW is the oldest learned society in Australia and is celebrating its bicentennial year. The Society encourages ‘... studies and investigations in Science, Art, Literature and Philosophy’, and sponsors lectures by internationally leading figures, and debates. The Governor of NSW is the patron, and the Society supports regular ‘events@thehouse’ and an annual forum at Government House.”
I was very pleased to see that the linguist Professor David Nash is a committee member of the Western NSW branch and that Professor Stan Grant will be presenting the inaugural lecture on 19 October.
There were 22 people present and there are 25 members currently in the Western NSW branch.
I have been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of NSW https://www.royalsoc.org.au
The Royal Society of New South Wales encourages "... studies and investigations in Science, Art, Literature and Philosophy"... Throughout its history, the Society has done much to foster local research, particularly in science, through meetings, symposia, publications and international scientific exchange, and has supported and fostered the endeavours of other organizations dedicated to the furtherance of knowledge.
Thank you to Interim Vice Chancellor John Germov and Professor Christine Slade from CSU who nominated me to become a Fellow. It is such an honour to be amongst such distinguished leaders https://www.royalsoc.org.au/about-us/fellows
The category of Fellow recognises the substantial contribution made by residents of NSW who are leaders in their fields within the disciplines of science, art, literature and philosophy. Proven leaders and experts in their fields are entitled to use the postnominal FRSN.
This is the 200th anniversary of the Royal Society of NSW. The NEXUS Exhibition at the State Library of NSW begins a year of celebrations to mark the Society’s contributions to the intellectual life of NSW over 200 years.
Here is the list of new members from the August 2021 bulletin: https://www.royalsoc.org.au/submit-bulletin-documents/2021-issues/378-454-august/file
