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Original GOTO Model M-1, opto-mechanical star projector, with an audience attending the Planetarium around 1970 (Credit: Museums Victoria). A webinar from the Astronomical Society of Australia's History of Australian Astronomy Chapter (HAAC), in collaboration with the Australasian Planetarium Society (APS) was held on Wednesday 22 April 2026, 3.30pm – 4.30pm AEST (UTC+10). The good news is that we now have a recording of the 3 talks. Nick Lomb (HAAC Chair) opened the meeting with an acknowledgement of country and introduced each speaker: Martin George (International Planetarium Society) TOPIC: General history of planetariums, including IPS and APS Martin Bush (The University of Melbourne) TOPIC : Challenges of establishing a planetarium in Melbourne - the H.V. McKay Planetarium Tanya Hill (Museums Victoria) TOPIC: Scienceworks years – growth of technology Abstract: The Melbourne Planetarium - Australia’s oldest operating planetarium – celebrated its 60th birthday at the end of 2025. The present planetarium at Scienceworks continues the legacy of its predecessor, Melbourne’s H. V. McKay Planetarium, which opened on 2 December 1965, at a time when interest in astronomy and space exploration was rapidly taking off. Last year also marked the 100th anniversary of the modern planetarium, with the first public planetarium session taking place at the Deutsches Museum, Munich on 7 May 1925. Join our planetarium experts, as they detail the development of the planetarium industry around the world and specifically within Australasia, the challenges of establishing the H. V. McKay Planetarium and the technological advances that underpin the Melbourne Planetarium today.

Students with a transit instrument mounted on the pier on the tower, 1901. University of Melbourne. Four observatories, hidden and inaccessible, are perched on the rooftops of buildings at the University of Melbourne’s main Parkville campus. They reflect the keen interest in astronomy by several professors and a time when astronomical observation was an integral part of surveying, before the advent of GPS. Engineering & Geology Schools, c. 1908 The distinctive tower of the Old Engineering Building of 1899 houses a surveying platform on the roof, where students could use a theodolite to survey to trig points at Mounts Macedon and Dandenong. At the rear of the building is a complete astronomical observatory. Steep wooden steps ascend to a flat observing platform and a timber and iron transit room. The transit room is located so that the brick pier to support the instrument was sitting firmly on the join of the major walls below, thereby connected to the foundations. The Advanced Surveying course in 1900 included ‘Elements of spherical trigonometry; Determination of latitude, azimuth, time and longitude; Geodetic surveying.’ The state of the transit room in 2026. The observatory was likely to have been a collaboration between professor of engineering William Kernot and mathematical physicist Thomas Lyle, professor of natural philosophy. Both men were members of the Board of Visitors of the Melbourne Observatory, and government astronomer Robert Ellery was a longstanding senior member of the University Council and had directed the Geodetic Survey of Victoria. The Old Engineering observatories were replaced in 1964 by a large platform on the Hydraulics and Surveying Building. The observatories in Old Engineering are now locked, accessible only to contractors servicing the HVAC equipment that clutters the spaces. The former 1964 observatory is now a research student workspace with sweeping views of the CBD and the mountain range to the north. The one operating observatory is on the 9 th  floor of the David Caro Building of the School of Physics. This small space with sliding roof houses a 4½ inch equatorial telescope by Thomas Cooke & Son of York, acquired by Melbourne Observatory in 1874. The portable instrument was initially used during the Transit of Venus then subsequently for eclipse expeditions. The telescope was later loaned to the university for the use of professor chemistry Ernst Hartung, a keen amateur astronomer, then transferred to the university after the closure of Melbourne Observatory in 1945. While several universities around Australia are known to house larger instruments and observatories, it seems likely that there are other rooftop secrets to be discovered and documented. About the author Dr Richard Gillespie is the Senior Curator, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology; Honorary Principal Fellow, School of Historical & Philosophical Studies, Faculty of Arts, University of Melbourne. For 25 years he worked at Museums Victoria , developing Science Works , the Immigration Museum, Melbourne Museum , and becoming a manager within the Museums Victoria team.

Original GOTO Model M-1, opto-mechanical star projector, with an audience attending the Planetarium around 1970 (Credit: Museums Victoria ). A webinar from the Astronomical Society of Australia's History of Australian Astronomy Chapter (HAAC), in collaboration with the Australasian Planetarium Society. This event will be held on Wednesday 22 April 2026, 3.30pm – 4.30pm AEST (UTC+10) . It is open to members and non-members of the ASA and the Chapter and is free of charge. It is essential to register to attend on-line, and/or to receive recordings after the event. Once you register you will receive a confirmation and a Zoom link will be provided the day before the workshop. All who register will receive information about how to download the recorded talks after the event. Speakers: Martin George (HIVE Planetarium, Ulverstone), Martin Bush (University of Melbourne) and Tanya Hill (Melbourne Planetarium, Museums Victoria) Abstract: The Melbourne Planetarium - Australia’s oldest operating planetarium – celebrated its 60 th  birthday at the end of 2025. The present planetarium at Scienceworks continues the legacy of its predecessor, Melbourne’s H. V. McKay Planetarium, which opened on 2 December 1965, at a time when interest in astronomy and space exploration was rapidly taking off. Last year also marked the 100 th  anniversary of the modern planetarium, with the first public planetarium session taking place at the Deutsches Museum, Munich on 7 May 1925. Join our planetarium experts, as they detail the development of the planetarium industry around the world and specifically within Australasia, the challenges of establishing the H. V. McKay Planetarium and the technological advances that underpin the Melbourne Planetarium today.

The History of Australian Astronomy Chapter (HAAC) brings together astronomers, historians, curators, educators and specialists in this field to collaborate and share knowledge. We note that history can involve serious and detailed archival research to bring the past to light. However, most ASA members, especially more senior ones, have some historical information to share. This could be the history of their institution, people that they had worked with, their own career path or changes in techniques in their research field. HAAC has members in all states and territories of Australia and we are collecting information about places, people and events relevant to the history of astronomy. We collaborate with other like-minded organisations to share knowledge and resources. This website is a resource for anyone interested in the history of Australian astronomy and it will develop over time. Our committee Contact Us Newsletters

Newsletters Newsletter March 2026

Celebrating 60 years of the Melbourne Planetarium - Australia’s oldest operating planetarium A webinar from the Astronomical Society of Australia's History of Australian Astronomy Chapter (HAAC), in collaboration with the Australasian Planetarium Society. HAAC Committee Mar 24 2025 workshop recording View the first annual History of Australian Astronomy workshop on-line. The workshop features seven presentations demonstrating the breadth of the history of Australian astronomy. HAAC Committee Nov 21, 2025 2025 Annual workshop Our annual on-line workshop will be held on Wednesday 19 November 2025, 2pm to 5:15pm. It is open to members and non-members of the ASA and the Chapter and is free of charge. The workshop features six presentations demonstrating the breadth of the history of Australian astronomy. HAAC Committee Sep 23, 2025