National Science Week runs from 15th to 23rd August
National Science Week will bring a run of Western Australian events from 15th to 23rd August 2026, including a 60-year look at the Busselton Health Study, dark matter talks in Nedlands and orchid conservation at Kings Park.
The national festival reached about 3 million people through more than 2,500 registered events and activities in the previous year. In WA, the programme ranges from hands-on public events in Kalgoorlie and Collie to specialist talks on forensic science, seed conservation and Noongar knowledge.
One of the largest historical stories in the programme is in Busselton, where an exhibition marks 60 years of the Busselton Health Study. The study began in 1966 when health researchers arrived in caravans to survey about 3,400 adults, and organisers say it has since involved more than 20,000 participants and produced more than 600 scientific publications on heart disease, diabetes and lung health.
From Busselton to Kings Park
Kings Park features several events, including a self-guided science trail on native seeds running from 15th to 21st August, and a walk on 20th August led by Noongar educator Rickeeta Walley on the six seasons and the links between fire and flowering plants. Another Kings Park talk, scheduled for 4th September, will examine how social media attention can damage sensitive orchid habitats.
Curtin University in Bentley will host a forensic science careers night on 18th August with practitioners from digital forensics, forensic archaeology, wildlife forensics, DNA and entomology. In Nedlands on 20th August, Dr Jeremy Bourhill of the University of Western Australia will speak about the search for dark matter and a quantum sensing device he invented that is being developed for safer pharmaceuticals.
Other WA events include Science After Dark in Kalgoorlie on 20th August, featuring robotics, microscopes, fossil displays, VR and gold panning, and a laser-guided astronomy event in Collie on 19th August. National Science Week 2026 runs from Saturday 15th August to Sunday 23rd August.
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