The Royal Society of New South Wales (RSNSW)
The Royal Society of New South Wales, founded in 1821, is the oldest learned society in Australia [1]. It received Royal Assent from Queen Victoria in 1866 and was incorporated by Act of Parliament in 1881 to promote “studies and investigations in Science, Art, Literature and Philosophy”[1]. As a multidisciplinary institution, the RSNSW exists to advance knowledge and communicate it through publications, forums and other events, providing a public platform for intellectual exchange [2]. This long-standing mission of “enriching lives through knowledge and inquiry” has guided the Society for over two centuries.
Election of the 2025 Fellows Cohort
In May 2025, the RSNSW announced a new cohort of Fellows and Members. The Society welcomed 28 new members to its ranks (17 as Fellows) effective 21 May 2025 [3]. Among these was Professor Simon Haines, elected Fellow (FRSN) alongside peers from across the sciences, engineering, and humanities. This honour – marked by his inclusion in the 2025 Fellows cohort – recognises Haines’s contributions in the context of a broad, interdisciplinary fellowship. His election to the Society highlights the RSNSW’s continued commitment to acknowledging excellence across all fields of academic and public endeavour.
Simon Haines’s Contributions and Significance
Simon Haines is a distinguished humanities scholar and public intellectual whose career spans academia and leadership roles. He served as Head of the School of Humanities at the Australian National University and as Chair Professor of English at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, before becoming the founding CEO of the Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation (2017–2024) [4]. Across these roles, Haines has been a prominent advocate for liberal education and the humanities. His election as a Fellow of RSNSW acknowledges decades of scholarship and civic engagement, the Society’s records note that Haines “has made a substantial contribution to higher education and the humanities” [5]. In joining the RSNSW Fellowship, Haines’s work is situated among New South Wales’s leading thinkers, underscoring the broader impact of his contributions to Australian intellectual life.
[1] Royal Society of NSW – History of the Society (Official site)royalsoc.org.audictionaryofsydney.org
[2] Royal Society of NSW – Values (Mission Statement)royalsoc.org.au
[3] Royal Society of NSW – “Society welcomes new Members and Fellows: May 2025” (News article)royalsoc.org.au
[4] Centre for Independent Studies (Consilium 2024) – Speaker Profile: Simon Hainesconsilium.org.auconsilium.org.au
[5] Royal Society of NSW – List of Fellows (Simon Haines entry)royalsoc.org.au