High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Australian Academy of Science (AAS) was founded in 1954 by a group of distinguished Australians, including Australian Fellows of the Royal Society of London. The first president was Sir Mark Oliphant. The Academy is modelled after the Royal Society and operates under a Royal Charter; as such it is an independent body, but has government endorsement. The Academy Secretariat is in Canberra, at the Shine Dome.