There are currently six Mineralogical Societies established in Australia. These are in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria and Western Australia. New South Wales has the oldest of the societies, and this was formed in 1975. All societies are based in their respective capital cities, but have memberships which cover the breadth of Australia as well as many overseas countries. Although not connected by any formal constitution or agreement, the societies form a loose union which bonds their members together by common ideals and interests. Although there is no single "official" mineral body in Australia, an informal group of the "Joint Mineralogical Societies of Australia" get together every year for a great seminar on minerals and mineral collecting. Usually this is held in early June, but has been varied due to particular society requirements. In 2007 this group was expanded to include our Kiwi cousins from New Zealand, and so we are now the "Joint Mineralogical Societies of Australasia". The seminar venue is rotated between the state societies and New Zealand on a yearly basis, and the host society decides on a theme topic to be presented. 2021 will now be the held in Sydney, New South Wales after the cancellation because of Corona Virus in 2020. The societies also sponsor the publication of a high quality publication, the 'Australian Journal of Mineralogy'. The journal is edited and produced by a separately convened group of enthusiasts and professionals in Victoria. Follow these links to find out more about each State society. (Please note that some of these links may take you to an external website run by these particular groups). |
