Great National Science Week family-friendly stories up for grabs around Australia
- Follow food from lips to lavatory in the giant inflatable Poo Palace – Newcastle, NSW
- Aussie girl-geek band tour palaeo-musical show – Adelaide, Alice Springs, Perth and Geraldton
- Minions do physics – Melbourne, VIC
- Science of chocolate – Latrobe, TAS
- Join the real-world cast of CSI eDNA to solve eco crimes – Melbourne, VIC
- Science of snot, exploding elephant toothpaste, Nitro Nat – Wayville, SA
- Did dinosaurs do maths? – online via Australian Age of Dinosaurs, Winton, QLD
- 50 ways to die in space – Brisbane, QLD
- Blast bacteria with beanbags and join other Kids Research Institute Australia experiments – Kalgoorlie, WA
- Snakes, rockets and robots while you shop – multiple locations, ACT
- Deep space and time exploration in the Red Centre – Alice Springs, NT
- Zoo poo, singing frogs, and elephant infrasound – Bungarribee, NSW
- Tracking cats, robot cars, drones and other bright ideas – Hobart, TAS
- AgBots and strawberry sundaes at the Ekka – Brisbane, QLD
- Carbon-fibre bones, gravity waves and selfies with atoms – Crawley, WA
- Tread carefully in a library full of bugs and slugs – Victor Harbor, SA
- Space weather, stargazing and the world’s cleanest air – Ulverstone and Tasmania’s North West
- Stargazing, robotics, and a ‘Fab Lab’ – Lake Macquarie, NSW
- Laser tag, gas car racetrack, flight simulators – West Gippsland, VIC
- Ticket to the International Space Station – Darwin, NT
- Fun five-a-day: inflatable, edible fruit & veg – Chifley, ACT
- Roving dinosaurs, fossils and Land and Sky Country – Bendigo, VIC
- Giant puppet insects take centre stage – Penrith, NSW
- Launch a rocket – Toowoomba, QLD
- Meet a dinosaur (and others) at Lizard Log – Abbotsbury, NSW
- Science in the swamp – Centennial Park, NSW
- Whale rescue, knots and chemistry of distress flares – Port Macquarie, NSW
More on these below and visit ScienceWeek.net.au/events to find more stories in your area.
Individual event details and media contacts
Step inside the Poo Palace – Newcastle, NSW
Experience the journey that food goes on, and ask the experts about digestion, farts and faeces, gut health and good bacteria.
The Poo Palace is a giant inflatable re-creation of the digestive system where children take a sensory adventure through the gastrointestinal tract, from lips to lavatory.
It is made up of 4 modules that mimic the journey food takes along the digestive tract (mouth, stomach, small intestine, large intestine).
Children learn firsthand how food moves through the body, and through live experiments with researchers from the Hunter Medical Research Institute.
Sunday 17 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/hunter-science-festival-3/newcastle/
Media enquiries: El Fitchett, El.Fitchett@hmri.org.au or (02) 4042 0827 (calls forward to mobile).
Female fossil rockers on tour – Adelaide, Alice Springs, Perth and Geraldton
Aussie girl-geek band The Ammonites is taking a palaeo-musical show across South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
The trio – Danni, Morgan and Blair, who graduated from Dinosaur University – are the alter-egos of performers Bridget Tran, Kate Neville and Montana Vincent. With the help of renowned singing palaeontologist Professor Flint, their show explores Australia’s prehistoric past, while shining a light on challenges facing women in science and inspiring girls to follow their lead and dream big!
Professor Flint will also bring a ‘show and tell’ table of Australian fossils on tour. Plus, audiences will get the chance to dive into a 580 million-year-old inland sea, thanks to the University of South Australia’s 360 VR reconstruction of the ancient Ediacaran seafloor.
Media enquiries: Michael Mills, michael@heapsgood.com.au or 0411 287 381.
Minions meet physics: the science of Despicable Me 2 – Melbourne, VIC
Melbourne scientists are using Despicable Me 2 to explore the physics of everyday life.
They’re inviting the public to a special screening of the movie, followed by a Q&A with scientists from the RMIT Centre for Applied Quantum Technologies.
They explain principles like motion, energy and forces, illustrated by the Minions’ interactions with the world around them.
Wednesday 13 August: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/the-science-of-despicable-me-2/melbourne/
Media enquiries: news@rmit.edu.au or 0439 704 077.
50 ways to die in space – St Lucia (Brisbane), QLD
Space: the final frontier. Beautiful. Intriguing. Mysterious. But if you go there, YOU WILL DIE!
Astrophysicist Dr Eileen O’Hely writes about the physics and physiology of existing – and ceasing to exist – in deep space. The author of children’s graphic novel 50 Ways to Die in Space will explore the topic with illustrator Nico O’Sullivan.
Participants can also design and launch a paper rocket.
Saturday 16 August. Multiple session times, including sensory friendly and Auslan interpreted.
Media enquiries: Eileen O’Hely, eileen_ohely@yahoo.com.au or 0431 945 392.
Chocolate’s sweet science – Latrobe, TAS
What do reflection, light and physics have to do with chocolate? Why do some chocolate bars develop white spots? Is chocolate actually bad for dogs?
Chocolate lover and food scientist Chloë Nelson answers these questions and more in a series of talks at Tasmania’s Chocolate Winterfest. Chloë started her professional career working as a research scientist and did further studies in engineering. She also trained as a chocolatier at the world-renowned Savour Chocolate & Patisserie School.
Sunday 10 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/the-science-of-sweet-creations-4/latrobe/
Media enquiries: Michelle Dutton, enquiries@chocolatewinterfest.com.au or (03) 6426 444.
Join the real-world cast of CSI: eDNA – solving eco-crimes with environmental DNA – Melbourne, VIC
Think David Attenborough meets CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Don your lab coat, safety goggles and gloves and help a team of scientists solve eco-crimes by collecting and analysing environmental DNA (eDNA).
Step into a mock crime scene full of physical evidence, environmental samples and contextual clues that need to be deciphered. The eco-crime could relate to water pollution, endangered species trafficking, biodiversity loss, climate change or deforestation.
Learn how to collect environmental samples from water, soil and air, avoiding crime scene contamination with scientists including ‘eDNA Detective’ Mariea Pacheco (applied field ecologist), and ‘FungiGirl’ Ema Corro (mycologist). Then, conduct eDNA extraction and analysis using the world’s first portable DNA laboratory, the ‘Bento Lab’, before crunching genetic data and using DNA barcoding.
Friday 15 August – Sunday 17 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/csi-edna-solving-eco-crimes-with-environmental-dna/brunswick/
Media enquiries: Mariea Pacheco, mariea68pacheco@gmail.com or 0422 114 795.
Mariea Pacheo (project lead and applied field ecologist) and Emma Corro (mycologist and neurodivergent scientist) are available for media interviews.
Did dinosaurs do maths? – online via Winton, QLD
How fast did dinosaurs run? And what can prehistoric calculations teach us?
Maths teacher turned Australian Age of Dinosaurs education manager Grant Salmond leads an online class as part of SciFest 2025, aka Australia’s biggest virtual excursion festival.
Tuesday 12 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/did-dinosaurs-do-maths/
From 11 to 15 August, SciFest 2025 features 15 educators in lesson formats covering Science Storytime, Lunchtime Trivia, Live Science shows and a Careers in STEM panel. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/scifest-2024-2/
Other highlights include: Oceans at Night with Dr Vanessa Pirotta; Sid and the Very Hard to Find Squid with Dr James O’Hanlon; Be a marine biologist for a day with Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.
Media enquiries:
Australian Age of Dinosaurs: Grant Salmond, grant.salmond@aaod.com.au or (07) 4657 0078.
SciFest 2025: Karen Player, virtualexcursionsaustralia@gmail.com or 0407 976 892.
Exploding elephant toothpaste, Aussie wildlife, and Nitro Nat at Science Alive! – Wayville, SA
- Nitro Nat’s Crazy Colourful Chemistry Show
- Animals Anonymous Wildlife Show
- Dr Quark’s Scientific Circus Show
- The Science of Snot
- Plus robot wars, flying drone displays, scientific bubble show, and VR experiences.
These are just some of the Science Alive! activities and attractions at the Adelaide Showground.
Saturday 2 August – Sunday 3 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/science-alive-8/wayville/
Media enquiries: Sarah Lang, sarahl@eventcrowd.com.au or 0400 081 865.
Blast bacteria with beanbags at Kids STEM Festival Kalgoorlie, WA
Kids can ‘kill’ bacteria with white blood cell beanbags, explore how sunscreen blocks UV rays and more at Kids STEM Festival Kalgoorlie.
This free, two-day event brings together local scientists and fun activities from Kids Research Institute Australia. It showcases accessible pathways to science and technology careers in the region and invites local schools to join a curriculum-based experiment and showcase results to the community.
Wednesday 13 August. Event details: https://www.scienceweek.net.au/event/festival-of-stem-kalgoorlie/kalgoorlie/
Thursday 14 August. Event details: https://www.scienceweek.net.au/event/the-kids-stem-festival-kalgoorlie-workshops/kalgoorlie/
Media enquiries: Serena Bearsley, Serena.Bearsley@thekids.org.au or 0425 571 158.
Touring medical research scientists available for media interviews. Images and video from last year’s event in Broome also available.
Snakes, robots, rockets and more while you shop – multiple locations, ACT
Pop-up activity centres will give shoppers the chance to discover the science behind reptiles, engineering, water bugs, space, robotics and the environment.
Westfield Belconnen, Westfield Woden, South Point Tuggeranong, Cooleman Court, Gungahlin Marketplace, Majura Park Shopping Centre and the Canberra Centre will host a variety of displays and hands-on science activities during the weekends of National Science Week (9 – 10 and 16 – 17 August).
Media enquiries: Jillian Matthews, actscienceweek@gmail.com or 0478 333 883.
Deep space and time exploration in the heart of Australia’s Red Centre – Alice Springs, NT
Discover how Central Australia provides insights into the history of life on Earth.
Explore our abundance of fossil sites, from the precursors of multi-cellular life (which lived billions of years before dinosaurs) to the world’s largest bird.
See how Australia’s Red Centre has changed through deep time and learn about our more recent geological past by exploring the 12 craters created just 4,700 years ago by the Henbury Meteor!
The Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory hosts a series of events with experts including astrophysicist Dr Sara Webb; ecologist Dr Steve Morton; and the museum’s Dr Kirsti Abbott (Head of Science) and Dr Adam Yates (Senior Curator, Earth Sciences).
Plus, a palaeo-musical show by touring Aussie girl-geek band, The Ammonites.
Media enquiries: Alison Copley, Alison.Copley@magnt.net.au or 0438 111 343.
Zoo poo, singing frogs, and elephants using infrasound – Bungarribee, NSW
How do wild animals and insects communicate? What can animal poo samples and genetics tell us? And why do bats rely on ultrasonic sounds for hunting, while elephants produce infrasound?
Ask the experts at Sydney Zoo, as they lead a program of special activities.
Plus, tap into First Nations Knowledge on the ‘Bungarribee Dreaming’ experience, led by Aboriginal guides.
Saturday 9 – Sunday 17 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/sydney-zoo-presents-national-science-week-decoding-the-wild/bungarribee/
Media enquiries: Natasha Budinski, Sydney Zoo Media Manager, natasha.budinski@sydneyzoo.com or 02 7202 2558.
Tracking cats, robot cars, drones, fossils, and more at Festival of Bright Ideas – Hobart, TAS
- Become a Nature Tracker for Tasmanian threatened species and learn about observational surveys and acoustic monitoring.
- Meet Young Tassie Scientists exploring topics from plants to planets, DNA and deep-sea creatures.
- Go fossil finding or see drones.
- Tap into 50,000 years of the Palawa traditional knowledge.
- ‘Drive’ a Sphero Indi, the cool little robotic car that reacts to colours.
- Come face-to-face with Tassie wildlife, both land and marine creatures.
- Play with mini solar-powered cars and boats.
- Meet the feline friends and ferals from Ten Lives Cat Shelter and find out how to reduce the impact of cats on the environment.
- Try the ‘Upside Down Goggle Challenge’.
- Connect with makers and tinkerers from Hobart Hackerspace.
These are just some of the speakers, activities and displays at the Festival of Bright Ideas, Tasmania’s largest public STEM event, at Princes Wharf 1 on Hobart’s waterfront.
Saturday 23 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/festival-of-bright-ideas-5/hobart/
Friday 22 August. Schools Day. Event details: www.festivalofbrightideas.com.au/schools/
Media enquiries: Belinda Brock, Belinda.Brock@utas.edu.au or 0438 616 747.
VR farming, AgBots, and strawberry sundaes – Royal Queensland Show, Brisbane, QLD
Discover them all at the Ekka. Gumboots optional.
Children of all ages can join the ‘Ekka Learning Trail’ – a self-guided tour that showcases Australian Curriculum linked educational activities grounded in AgScience topics.
Saturday 9 – Sunday 17 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/the-royal-queensland-show-ekka/bowen-hills/
Media enquiries: Veronica Carew, vcarew@rna.org.au or 0408 323 631 and Kelly Hawke, khawke@rna.org.au or 0438 340 989.
Carbon-fibre bones, gravity waves, and selfies with atoms – Crawley, WA
Perth’s Forrest Research Foundation opens its doors to the public, in collaboration with Supersonic Science, at Forrest Hall (UWA campus, Crawley).
Visitors can witness the Universe being born or journey inside molecules at a virtual reality station; take photos with atoms or against the backdrop of distant galaxies (thanks to greenscreen technology); see how gravity waves work; and check out carbon-fibre bones, shark skeletons and more.
The Forrest Research Foundation drives research and innovation capacity in Western Australia by supporting over 60 PhD scholars, postdoctoral fellows and their families from around the world to conduct research at one of the state’s five universities.
Saturday 16 August: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/national-science-week-showcase-at-the-forrest-research-foundation/crawley/
Media enquiries: Connor Bottrell, connor.bottrell@uwa.edu.au or 0434 088 162.
Tread carefully: join a library with bugs, slugs and other Aussie critters – Victor Harbor, SA
Human bookworms will meet wildlife educators and ecologists when Victor Harbor Library hosts ‘Decoding the Universe with Animals’ featuring:
- Bugs n slugs – introduction to the world of invertebrates, including a presentation of live creatures from the animal kingdom’s largest group (representing 95-99% of all species). Discover why animals without a backbone matter; how they decode their universe; differences between centipedes and millipedes, spiders vs insects; and more.
- Animals Anonymous – encounters with feathered, furred and scaled native animals. Wildlife science educators provide introductions to animals like rock wallabies, wombats, quokkas, pythons, squirrel gliders, and even crocs.
Wednesday 6 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/decoding-the-universe-with-animals/victor-harbor/
Media enquiries:
Bugs n slugs: Kristen Messenger, kris@bugsnslugs.com.au or 0407 317 757.
Animals Anonymous: Adrian Sherriff, info@animalsanonymous.com.au or 0419 027 525 and Dianne Pearson on 0448 268 707.
Tassie’s a ‘Hive’ of science activity – Ulverstone and Tasmania’s North West
How does space weather impact spacecraft, satellites or our view of the Southern Lights, aka Aurora Australis?
What do scientists find when monitoring some of the world’s cleanest air at Cape Grim?
Find out during Hive Tasmania’s program of events – ‘National Science Week 2025 at Hive: Decoding the Universe from NW Tassie’ – including guided stargazing, rapid science sessions for schools, public talks, pub trivia nights, planetarium shows, and a dark skies citizen science project to measure light pollution.
Media enquiries: Alan Nicholas, alan.nicholas@centralcoast.tas.gov.au or 0401 231 883 and Martin George, martin.george@centralcoast.tas.gov.au or 03 6448 7102.
Stargazing, robotics, First Nations science and a ‘Fab Lab’ for digital creatives – Lake Macquarie, NSW
Lake Mac STEAM Week returns with a focus on First Nations science, art-meets-science and engineering.
Drop into Lake Mac Libraries in Windale for ‘taster’ maker workshops at the Fab Lab (the first digital fabrication lab in regional NSW, pictured). Peer into futuristic dioramas created by local high school students illustrating their vision for housing, sustainability and recreation in the Year 2045. And talk to Worimi man/entrepreneur and PhD candidate Joshua Gilbert (named Australian Geographic Young Conservationist of the Year in 2016) about his new book Australia’s Agricultural Identity: An Aboriginal Yarn.
Explore the science of stargazing via a multi-sensory, 360-degree projection artwork at The Cube (located in the Multi-Arts Pavilion).
The 2025 program covers two highlight events: ‘Lake Mac FULL STEAM’ and ‘Look to the Stars’.
Saturday 9 August – Lake Mac FULL STEAM: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/lake-mac-full-steam/windale/
Saturday 16 August – Look to the Stars: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/lake-mac-look-to-the-stars/speers-point/
Media enquiries:
For Lake Mac STEAM Week, Fiona Watson, fwatson@lakemac.nsw.gov.au or 0428 283 059.
For Look to the Stars, David Rastas, drastas@lakemac.nsw.gov.au or 0447 297 335.
Get in the STEM Zone – West Gippsland, VIC
Visit a STEM extravaganza in West Gippsland, bursting with more than 25 stalls for the public to perform experiments with microscopes, delve into forensics, chemistry, propulsion and more. Activities include laser tag, VR experiences, a gas car racetrack, engineering challenges, flight simulators, microplastics investigations, forensics and butterfly habitats.
Local scientists will be available on stage for participants to ask burning questions they’ve always wanted answered. This festival aims to inspire the next generation of scientists and celebrate Australian science innovations.
Saturday 9 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/the-stem-zone-experiment-2/lardner/
Media enquiries: Carissa Kelly, hello@stemzone.com.au or 0428 275 623.009.
Territorians’ ticket to the International Space Station – Darwin, NT
Young space enthusiasts can go on a spacewalk and witness how astronauts eat, sleep and work on the International Space Station thanks to a free VR experience at Charles Darwin University’s Radicle Centre.
Opened in March 2025, CDU Radicle Centre is the first and only science centre north of Brisbane. Its reach extends to mobile workshops and exhibits with a fully-equipped science vehicle to provide resources and activities to remote schools.
Saturday 16 August. Event details: https://www.scienceweek.net.au/event/vr-explorer/brinkin/
Media enquiries: Carla Eisemberg, Carla.Eisemberg@cdu.edu.au or 0401 737 884.
CDU Radicle Centre Director Dr Carla Eisemberg is available for media interviews.
Kids play with inflatable, edible fruit & veg – Chifley, ACT
Show-and-tell takes a deliciously twisted turn with Dr Chloe Lim. The former reality TV star and trained molecular biologist (with a PhD in Medical Science) introduces preschoolers and primary school kids to healthy eating via balloon twisting and tasting stations.
Chloe founded edutainment venture, Twistyfic, and made the finals of Channel 7’s TV show, Blow Up.
From Saturday 6 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/the-twisty-science-show-science-storytelling-with-a-twist-7/chifley/
Media enquiries: Chloe Lim, chloe@twistyfic.com or 0401 118 648.
Meet roving dinosaurs, dig for fossils and marvel at Land and Sky Country – Bendigo, VIC
‘Jurassic Wonders: From Earth to Sky’ celebrates First Nations Knowledge, palaeontology and astronomy by teaching children the importance of cross-cultural understanding and engagement to understand the Universe.
Designed for children aged 3 to 11, the event at Bendigo’s Discovery Science and Technology Centre features ‘life-sized roving dinosaurs that stomp, roar and interact with the crowd’, cultural storytelling and a planetarium show focused on Indigenous archaeology.
It also includes Auslan interpretation for children with low or no hearing.
Saturday 16 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/jurassic-wonders/bendigo/
Media enquiries: Alissa Van Soest, manager@discovery.asn.au or 0413 947 850.
Giant puppet insects take centre stage – Penrith, NSW
Giant but friendly creepy crawlies become heroes in Beetle, inviting kids to discover Australian bush habitats through puppetry, circus, physical theatre and animation.
The show by Sydney-based theatre company, Legs On The Wall, tells an enchanting story of sustainability via a child’s quest to find the now elusive Christmas Beetle.
Friday 8 August – Saturday 9 August: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/beetle-by-legs-on-the-wall/penrith/
Media enquiries: Fleur Wells, fleur.wells@penrith.city or 0415 348 528.
Launch a rocket in Toowoomba, QLD
Cobb + Co museum swaps horsepower for rocket power
Toowoomba residents get the chance to launch rockets, code space rovers, and discover astrobotany at a free community day at the city’s Cobb + Co museum. The historic site, which forms part of Queensland Museum, plays host to a World Science Festival Queensland regional event timed during National Science Week.
The ‘Robots and Rocketry’ program covers robotics, aerospace and engineering across three zones – Lift Off, Roving Worlds, and Surviving Space.
Saturday 16 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/world-science-festival-queensland-toowoomba-community-day/toowoomba/
Media enquiries: Christine Robertson, christine.robertson@qm.qld.gov.au or 0417 741 710 and Kylie Hay, kylie.hay@qm.qld.gov.au or 0434 565 852.
Science in the swamp: superpowers of nature – Centennial Park, NSW
Explore plankton’s critical role in conservation, ID a frog, learn how Indigenous knowledge systems harness nature’s superpowers, use solar scopes to observe the sun, or wander the wetlands.
‘Science in the Swamp’ also features Ginger the life-sized Australovenator dinosaur, a spider show, explosive experiments, slime station, optical illusions, a scavenger hunt and more.
The free family event is a partnership between Centennial Parklands and a series of science exhibition providers. The 2025 theme explores extraordinary adaptations of plants, animals and ecosystems – revealing how ‘superpowers of nature’ sustain life on Earth.
Sunday 17 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/science-in-the-swamp-2025/centennial-park
Media enquiries: media@gsp.nsw.gov.au
Meet a dinosaur (and others) at Lizard Log – Abbotsbury, NSW
Say hello to Ginger the life-sized Australovenator dinosaur, catch bugs, discover Indigenous seaweed harvesting and taste bush cordial.
‘Science in the Scrub’ returns to Lizard Log in Western Sydney Parklands. This year it features an Aboriginal science village, explosive experiments, space science, pop-up Museum of Fire, and a line-up of physicists, biologists and zoologists.
Sunday 10 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/science-in-the-scrub-2025/abbotsbury/
Media enquiries: media@gsp.nsw.gov.au
Science behind saving lives at sea – Port Macquarie, NSW
Rescue a model whale, compete in knot-tying, goggle at underwater drones and learn how waves, wind and currents impact marine rescue operations. From the chemistry of distress flares to physics of personal floatation devices, survival at sea is anchored to advances in science.
Volunteer Marine Rescue NSW invites the public to discover the underlying scientific principles that make search and rescue operations possible.
Meet marine rescue volunteers, master mariners, an ex-Navy clearance diver, remote sensing experts, and marine and earth systems scientists at this family-friendly event, complete with competitions and prizes.
Alison Cameron-Brown, a master level mariner, will also discuss the role of women in the marine industry, highlighting careers in marine science.
Saturday 9 August & Saturday 16 August. Event details: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/the-science-of-behind-saving-lives-at-sea/port-macquarie/
Media enquiries: Dr Dustin Welbourne, pr.portmacquarie@marinerescuensw.com.au or 0408 434 765.
About National Science Week
National Science Week is Australia’s annual opportunity to meet scientists, discuss hot topics, do science and celebrate its cultural and economic impact on society – from art to astrophysics, chemistry to climate change, and forensics to future food.
First held in 1997, National Science Week has become one of Australia’s largest festivals. Last year about 3 million people participated in more than 2,000 events and activities.
The festival is proudly supported by the Australian Government, CSIRO, the Australian Science Teachers Association, and the ABC.
In 2025 it runs from Saturday 9 to Sunday 17 August. Event details can be found at www.scienceweek.net.au.