Forest Science course coming to Tasmania

The 2026 Understanding Forest Science course will be held in Tasmania in early November. Gottstein courses bring participants together from across Australia. They feature exceptional subject matter experts who deliver presentations.

There's always a mix of experienced academic researchers and industry practitioners and we ensure plenty of time for participants to have their questions answered. You can be sure of an interesting week of learning and there are no tests or exams. The classroom learning sessions are augmented with field trips to industry and/or research sites.

Networking with the other participants across the week is proven to be one of the most valuable aspects of the course for some. The opportunity to form lasting connections is an asset for someone's career, whatever type of work they do.

Industry donor appeal was a success

The annual Gottstein Trust industry funding appeal, staged in late 2025, was a success.

Chair Suzette Weeding expressed her thanks to the many industry firms that generously supported the Trust with the appeal that underpins operational funding to deliver capacity building activities.

In her Chair's letter about the appeal, Suzette reflected in the successful 2025 year of activities. New Fellowships, scholarships and skill development grants were made and six young engineers were sponsored to attend the World Conference on Timber Engineering.

“In just the last six years a tally of 175 people have completed a Gottstein course, with high satisfaction ratings from both seasoned and newer industry entrants, and University students.”

Photo - site visit to Alpine Truss, Wangaratta Vic, on a Gottstein Understanding Wood Science course.

World timber engineering conference scholarships awarded

Thank you to the many talented early career engineers who applied for a Gottstein scholarship to attend the World Conference on Timber Engineering (WCTE) that's happening in Brisbane in late June 2025.

It was a tough task to select the final six people. Congratulations go to the receipients, who are listed below.

George FitzPatrick, Jasmin Goldberg, Tyson Mosely, Nipun Koliyabandara, Liam van der Westhuizen and Danny Watson -were each awarded a scholarship by the Gottstein Trustees selection panel. We're sure that each will gain a great deal from this special opportunity, make new friends and come away even more inspired about their capacity to contribute to this innovative essential industry.

The conference is clearly shaping up to be a fantastic learning and networking event, and The Gottstein Trust is proud to be supporting it with these six scholarships.

The WCTE global organising committee is led by Professor Keith Crews. A prominent timber research leader, he is the Director of the Australian Research Council Industrial Transformation Research Hub to Advance Timber in Australia’s Built Environment, hosted at the University of Queensland. A specialist in research and design of large scale timber structures he's internationally recognised as an expert on Sustainable Infrastructure. He's also a very nice person - Keith is a former Gottstein Fellow and a valued contributor to the Gottstein Understanding Wood Science course (pictured). We wish him and the entire organising committee very best wishes for the conference.

2025 Wood Science course - industry urged not to miss this excellent opportunity and places are limited.

Suzette Weeding, chair of The Gottstein Trust, urges industry not to miss this excellent opportunity as places are limited.
With just weeks until the course starts industry participants are encouraged to strike while the iron is hot, get people registered and not miss out on this excellent people development opportunity.

The Gottstein Understanding Wood Science Course is held just once every second year. The program has a contemporary edge with quite an emphasis on the engineered wood sector as it continues to grow. It’s a very good chance to get up to date on the wood processing sector, including research and development, as well as learning the fundamentals about the biological characteristics of wood.

For anyone unsure and wondering whether they’ll send people - I am happy to share that my organisation is certainly sending people. Sustainable Timber Tasmania personnel, including non-executive directors, have and continue to gain a great deal from Gottstein courses.

Mindful that many firms are experiencing difficult trading conditions the course fee is unchanged since it last ran in 2023.

2025 Wood Science course - industry urged not to miss this excellent opportunity and places are limited.

50 years achievements and more ahead

All associated with the Trust were delighted to mark the 50th anniversary at a celebration in Canberra at the National Press Club on 22nd June 2021.

The evening was hosted by the current Trustees Suzette Weeding, John Simon, Brian Farmer, Nils Gunnersen, James Malone, Carlie Porteous and Cara Pearson. The chair Suzette Weeding did the honours with an address of thanks and celebration of the Trust’s significant impact and benefit for the industry and a look into the future. Guests were joined by many Gottstein Fellow alumni and Evan Dunstone, a master furniture designer and maker who was awarded a Fellowship for a study tour to Sweden

Fellowship boost for research leader’s career

The Gottstein Fellowship was the start of an important career trajectory.

In 2003 I was awarded a Gottstein Fellowship to travel to Scotland following the completion of my PhD in the School of Zoology at the University of Tasmania. This was an exciting opportunity for a recent PhD graduate to take the skills I had gained in understanding natural plant defences against herbivores in a eucalypt/possum system to investigate similar questions in a different system on the other side of the world." ...

Fellowship boost for research leader’s career