National Science Week runs from 15 to 23 August 2026
National Science Week 2026 runs from 15 to 23 August, with highlighted events across Tasmania, Queensland, New South Wales, the ACT, Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia.
Featured events listed on Sunday 23 August include slime moulds in Rosny Park, Tasmanian devil research at Enoggera Reservoir, snake milking near Gosford and a giant inflatable Poo Palace in Newcastle.
Other listings include a space film festival in the ACT, science activities in Canberra shopping centres, solar astronomy at Melbourne Observatory in the Botanic Gardens. A hands-on science lab at WA Museum Boola Bardip in Perth.
South Australia also has a kitchen-themed event called Chemistry and chaos in the kitchen.
Rosny Park slime mould exhibition
One Tasmania highlight is Nature’s jewels: The tiny, enchanting world of slime moulds in Rosny Park from Friday 16 August to Sunday 23 August.
Sarah Lloyd OAM started photographing and collecting slime moulds, also called myxomycetes, in 2010 in the tall wet eucalypt forest around her home in Northern Tasmania.
From that site, she discovered an undocumented genus, Tasmaniomyxa umbilicata, and four new species.
The exhibition includes photographs, micrographs and specimens she has collected over 16 years.
Visitors can also learn about species including Fuligo septica, which is also known as dog’s vomit slime, demon droppings and caca de luna.
According to the event organisers, slime moulds are not animals, plants or fungi. They also say the organisms have no brain, yet can learn and pass on what they have learnt.
Queensland’s highlighted event is Racing a contagious cancer to save the Tasmanian devil at Enoggera Reservoir.
In New South Wales, Newcastle hosts the giant inflatable Poo Palace, where visitors can follow food from lips to lavatory.
Another NSW listing offers snake milking demonstrations near Gosford. A separate event at Lizard Log invites visitors to meet a dinosaur and other creatures.
Meanwhile, Canberra features shopping-centre programs built around snakes, space, rockets, rocks and scientists.
The ACT also hosts a space film festival founded by an Iranian refugee and Trekkie, exploring what organisers call a better future.
Victoria’s highlighted listing is solar astronomy at Melbourne Observatory in the Botanic Gardens.
In Western Australia, WA Museum Boola Bardip in Perth will become a giant hands-on science lab during the week.
The organisation did not provide attendance figures or a single national total for participating venues in the information supplied here.
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