SPEAKERS
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
ROBYN WILLIAMS
Robyn was born in England, grew up in Wales and Austria and attended a grammar school in South London. It was promptly closed when he left. The Williams family was downwardly mobile, and when his father Gwyn, a former Welsh miner died, their income was nearly nil. So, Robyn paid 10 pounds and, at age 20, left for Australia. Two years later, in 1966, after toiling with the Snowy Mountain Scheme, he hitchhiked from North Sydney station, across the world back to Piccadilly, with his then wife Pamela. During his honours degree at the University of London, Robyn acquired two agents and appeared in many TV shows including Monty Python, The Goodies, Dr Who, The Bill, Son Of Man and, for three months, was stand in for Tom Jones in the Welsh singer’s live show for UK & USA. On returning to Australia in 1972 he was hired by ABC Science Unit to prepare for the coverage of Apollo’s 16 & 17, the last NASA manned missions to the moon. In 1975 he launched THE SCIENCE SHOW and has hosted it ever since. In 2025 the program will be 50. This may be a record. Outside the ABC Robyn has been President of the Australian Museum Trust, Chair of the Commission for the Future, Deputy Chairman of the Australian Science Media Centre, written ten books (the last being TURMOIL – Letters From The Brink) appeared on commercial TV (The Bert Newton Show), and BBC TV shows with DavidAttenborough (World Safari). He was a Reuter Fellow at Oxford and a visiting fellow at Balliol College, Oxford in the 1990s.
PUBLIC LECTURE
TIAHNI ADAMSON
Tiahni is a proud Kaurareg woman, wildlife conservation biologist and advocate for First Nations Australians and women in STEM, with a career spanning conservation science, climate action, science communication, and First Nations science and engagement. She currently serves as National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement Manager at Bush Heritage Australia, leading the organisation's partnerships with First Peoples to deliver culturally grounded conservation outcomes and protect Healthy Country. Alongside her professional work, Tiahni was a youth member of the Uluru Statement from the Heart movement and sat on the leadership team of Seed, Australia's only Indigenous-led youth climate justice organisation, and was trained by Al Gore as a Climate Reality Leader in 2019. Tiahni holds board and advisory roles across South Australia's environment and climate sector, including with Green Adelaide, the Premier's Climate Change Council, Climate Defenders Australia and Adelaide University's Environment Institute Advisory, where she also lectures casually in coastal environments and sciences, alongside running her own consultancy in science communication and First Nations justice. Tiahni is recognised nationally for her work bridging conservation science, climate action and Indigenous knowledge. She was named South Australia's Young Australian of the Year in 2024, recognised as a Superstar of STEM by Science & Technology Australia, and listed in InDaily's South Australian 40 Under 40. She co-produces and hosts season 3 of the podcast Big Sky Country, with her extensive media engagement reaching over one million viewers and listeners, bringing Indigenous wisdom and two-way knowledge into conservation conversations and driving positive change.
Join Tiahni Adamson, proud Kaurareg woman, wildlife conservation biologist and advocate for First Nations leadership, for an inspiring exploration of how science, culture and diverse knowledge systems can help shape a more sustainable future. Free public lecture, intended for all ages.