History
The Royal Society of Western Australia established the Kelvin Medal in 1924 on the occasion of Lord Kelvin’s centenary, who was a famous physicist and former president of the Royal Society in London. The medal was initially called the Gold Medal and features a relief of Lord Kelvin’s head. The Society’s original dye for the medal, created in 1924, is still kept safe. The first three medals were made of gold, while all subsequent medals have been made of silver. Since its inception, 26 distinguished scientists have received the Kelvin Medal, with multiple recipients in certain years. Specifically, there were three recipients in 1979, two in 1997, two in 2005, and two in 2018.
According to the 63rd clause of The Society’s Constitution, the Council will call for nominations through its Proceedings to award a Medal every fourth year, or at other times as determined by the Council, to recognize distinguished work in science related to Western Australia. To evaluate the nominations and recommend a recipient, the Council will appoint a Medal Committee composed of five members. The recipient of the Medal will be asked to give a public address, known as The Royal Society of Western Australia Medal Lecture, upon receiving the Medal.