Events in Dandenong, Parkville, Brunswick East, Sale and Box Hill
National Science Week 2026 runs from Saturday 15th August to Sunday 23rd August, with art and science events scheduled across Victoria.
Across Victoria, the programme lists events in Dandenong, Parkville, Brunswick East, Sale and Box Hill between 15th August and 22nd August.
Featured events include a flying fox installation, a Science Gallery exhibition, a workshop tied to The Friendship Paradox, a water exhibition and an aquatic ecology session.
In 2025, about 3 million people attended more than 2,500 registered National Science Week events. The festival began in 1997.
Primary Succession
In Dandenong, artists Charlie Lawler and Wona Bae will present Primary Succession from Saturday 15th August to Saturday 22nd August.
The installation explores environmental loss through the grey-headed flying fox, a nocturnal pollinator and seed disperser. It draws on long-term research into Melbourne and Greater Dandenong landscapes.
Lawler and Bae examine a world shaped by colonial extraction, urban expansion and climate crisis. Their work also asks how life reorganises after ecological rupture.
Technical partners include Chisholm Institute, Swinburne University of Technology and RMIT’s Future Play Lab. Conservation partners include Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne and Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation.
EMERGENCE(Y) at Science Gallery
Meanwhile, Parkville will host EMERGENCE(Y) at the University of Melbourne’s Science Gallery from Saturday 15th August to Saturday 22nd August.
The exhibition includes Patricia Piccinni’s Células Madre, developed after a year in stem cell research laboratories.
Visitors will also see work by US artist David Bowen using wind data from NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover. Designer and academic Alia Parker will show fungal leather garments.
The Friendship Paradox
On Saturday 15th August, Brunswick East will host scientist-turned-artist Aśka for a workshop linked to the graphic novel The Friendship Paradox.
The briefing describes the event as a meeting point for quantum physics and life. Aśka’s book is due from Allen and Unwin in 2026.
Water in Sale
Sale will host a water exhibition from Friday 14th August, featuring Gippsland-based artists Lesley Duxbury, Elisabeth Scott, Peter Cummings and Lotje McDonald.
After the opening, the programme includes an artist talk and panel discussion. Bookings are essential for attendees.
Deep Dive in Box Hill
In Box Hill, Deep Dive is scheduled for Tuesday 18th August.
Dr Robert Walsh and artist Emma X Zhang will pair a presentation on aquatic organisms and ecosystems with a tour of After-Image.
The session focuses on zooplankton smaller than 2mm and other microscopic aquatic life that help support waterways.
