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This is part 1 of a two-part series. The history of Adelaide Observatory begins not with astronomy, but with the colonial ambition to connect a telegraph line between Australia and England. Charles Todd (1826 - 1910) was an astronomer, initially employed in 1841 at Greenwich Observatory as an astronomical computer under Astronomer Royal, Sir George Biddell Airy (1801-92) (1). He rose to Assistant Astronomer at Cambridge University Observatory from 1848-54 under James Challis (1803-82) (2) but he returned to Greenwich Observatory in 1854, again under Airy, where his interests expanded beyond astronomy to electricity and telegraphic communications (1). Airy was Astronomer Royal from 1835 to 1881 and he had a major influence over the astronomy appointments and activities across what was then the British Empire (2).  In response to a request from the South Australian Government Airy recommended Todd to the Government of South Australia as the Government Astronomer and Superintendent of Telegraphs of South Australia (3).   Charles Todd: Superintendent of Telegraphs and Postmaster General Todd, and his wife Alice Gillam Bell (1836 - 1898), arrived in Adelaide in 1855 (Fig 1). In the following year Todd connected Port Adelaide to the Adelaide city centre by telegraph (1). Fig 1: Ambrotype of Charles Todd and Alice Gillam Bell on their wedding day in Cambridge, 1855, Courtesy State Library South Australia, B 69996/9/EN. By 1860 the Todds had built a substantial house (Fig 2) on the same site as smaller buildings that housed the observatory and meteorological equipment would later be constructed. Fig 2 : The two-story house with a substantial veranda built for the Todd family. Note the large telegraph line and the transit room and the meteorological instruments on the tower, courtesy State Library South Australia B-23931 Todd is recognised for planning and overseeing the construction of the overland telegraph line from Adelaide through to Palmerston (now named Darwin) in the Northern Territory in historical records and place names (4). From Darwin there was an undersea link through to London. Completed in 1872, this was an incredible feat across 3,000 km, much of which was harsh landscape. In recent times historian Robyn Smith’s research has revealed that the construction of the telegraph line and later operation of the telegraph had a devastating impact on the Indigenous People who lived along the route (5). Todd was the South Australian Postmaster General, and from his Adelaide office, he gave authority to the actions of telegraph employees throughout South Australia and into what was known as the Northern Territory of South Australia (now a separately  governed territory), including reprisals such as the one that occurred at Roper River, that resulted in the massacre of Aboriginal People (5). It is important to acknowledge that the construction of the telegraph line was considered as a major triumph, advancing the colony, but it also had detrimental impacts on First Nations People.   Government astronomer and meteorologist Adelaide Observatory was initially a meteorological station, with meteorological equipment and housing constructed close to the Todd's home. But in 1867 Todd borrowed a small 3 ¼ inch transit telescope made by Troughton and Simms from the Victorian Government to observe the stars for timekeeping to provide time signals to the state (Fig 3). Fig 3: Portable transit telescope by Troughton & Simms, c. 1850, collection Museums Victoria ST 22217, photograph Nick Crotty By 1873 a transit building was constructed as an annexe to the residence as seen in Fig.4. Enthusiasm by Todd to conduct transit of Venus observations in 1874, and possibly Airy's influence, convinced the South Australian State Government to fund construction of a substantial astronomical dome and purchase an 8-inch equatorial telescope, made by Cooke and Sons of York (3). The telescope was constructed under Airy’s supervision (6). Todd observed the 1874 transit through the 8-inch equatorial telescope in the newly constructed circular building topped by a timber-framed done that rotated on cannonballs as seen in Fig. 5 (1). Fig 4: Adelaide Observatory c 1880 with the equatorial telescope dome in the foreground. In the background the meteorology shade structure and transit room can be seen. State Library South Australia SRG-94-2-13-37, colorised. Fig. 5: The Cooke and Sons equatorial telescope inside the new dome 1874. Photograph courtesy State Library South Australia B12156. Todd's observations of the 1874 transit of Venus and his analysis that the 'nebulous haze' he observed around the planet was the Venusian atmosphere was not the first time this effect had been observed and analysed (6). Todd's data was used in a report to the British Parliament in 1878 due to the accurate time he recorded, information that, with observations from other locations, could be used to determine the mean distance from the Earth to the Sun, known as the Astronomical Unit (AU).   In part 2 you will read about the period from the next transit of Venus that occurred in 1882 to 1952 when Adelaide Observatory was demolished.   References and footnotes 1. Edwards, P.G. (1993) ‘Charles Todd and the Adelaide Observatory’, Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia , 10(4), pp. 349–354. doi:10.1017/S1323358000026023. 2. Hutchins, R. (2008). British University Observatories 1772–1939 (1st ed.), Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315261263 , p.71 and p.81. 3. Haynes, R., Haynes, R.D., Malin, D., McGee, R. (1996) Explorers of the Southern Sky: A History of Australian Astronomy, Cambridge University Press, pp. 81–86. 4. For example, the river that during wet months flows through Alice Springs is called the 'Todd' River, and the naming of Alice Springs after Todd's wife. 5. Smith, R. (2024) Licence to kill: massacre men of Australia's north, Historical Society of the Northern Territory, p.p.70-71, 74, 182, 364. 6. Edwards, P. G.(2004) “Charles Todd's observations of the transits of Venus”, Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 1–7, https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2004JAHH....7....1E   About the author Toner Stevenson has a doctorate in the Social Sciences and she researches the history of astronomy in Australia, particularly the contribution of women, marginalised and lesser-known people. Her museum career includes manager, Sydney Observatory, the Powerhouse Ultimo, Head of House Museums for the Museums of History NSW and project manager, the Natural History Museum, London. Toner managed the school of Humanities at the University of Sydney and is a research affiliate with The University of Sydney Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, school of Humanities in the discipline of history.

Here are some useful links to publications and papers: The SAO/NASA Astrophysics Data System Abstract Service provides a gateway to current and historic online Astronomy and Physics literature. The CSIRO's Historical Records of Australian Science includes the history of astronomy in Australia and New Zealand. The Royal Society of New South Wales Journal and Proceedings includes astronomy in its on-line historic database of papers and abstracts of doctoral theses. The index is available her e. The Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage publishes refereed research papers, review papers, short communications, IAU reports, and book reviews on all aspects of astronomical history and heritage. The Journal for the History of Astronomy  is devoted to the history of astronomy from earliest times to the present and to the broader cultural affiliations of astronomy.   PUBLICATIONS LIST The following list is in date order (latest first). It is only the beginning of the resources the HAAC Chapter is creating to help researchers. Date: 2026 Author: Stevenson, T., McMorrow, K. Title: Eclipsed but not forgotten: two lesser-known Australian expeditions to the 1922 total solar eclipse. Journal: Historical Records of Australian Science  37, HR25013. Link: https://doi.org/10.1071/HR25013 Abstract: When the centenary of the 1922 eclipse was celebrated in 2022, the focus was the absolute proof of Einstein’s theory of General Relativity achieved at Wallal in Western Australia by the Crocker expedition that had been led by William Campbell, the director of the Lick Observatory in California. This paper provides case studies of two lesser-known 1922 expeditions. The first case study is the Adelaide Observatory expedition to a remote sheep station called Cordillo Downs, located near the north-east corner of South Australia. This was the base for the expedition organised by South Australian Government Astronomer, George Dodwell. The second case study is that of the University of Sydney’s expedition to Goondiwindi in southern Queensland, organised by physics professor Oscar Ulrich Vonwiller under the auspices of New South Wales Government Astronomer, William Ernest Cooke. We examine how Adelaide Observatory and the University of Sydney prepared for the eclipse, organised instrument loans and brought together, and relied upon, people with different expertise, including First Nations people and two women scientists. Despite limited resources, preparation time and only minutes in which to perform total eclipse experiments and make observations, there were both successes and failures. We reveal British influence and the extent of the Australian Government’s involvement via a Commonwealth Eclipse Committee–one of the unique aspects of this eclipse. As well as referring to photographs and archival documents, this paper examines the instruments each party used and the glass plate negatives taken at Cordillo Downs to test General Relativity, and where they are now located. Date: 2025 Author: Watson F. Title: S. C. B. ‘Ben’ Gascoigne 1915–2010. Journal: Historical Records of Australian Science  36, HR24034. Link: https://doi.org/10.1071/HR24034 Abstract: Professor Sidney Charles Bartholomew Gascoigne AO, FAA (1915–2010) was an Aotearoa New Zealand-born astronomer whose distinguished career was carried out mostly in Australia. Known to all as Ben Gascoigne, his warm personality and many contributions to Australian optical astronomy made him a respected and much-loved elder statesman of the science. His work on the development and commissioning of the Anglo-Australian Telescope (opened in 1974) is held in particularly high regard. In retirement, Ben took on a new career, supporting his wife Rosalie as she found fame as one of Australia’s most prominent artists. Date: 2025 Author: Watson, F. Title: Celebrating a golden age Journal: Astronomy & Geophysics , Volume 66, Issue 1, February 2025, Pages 1.34–1.37, Link: https://doi.org/10.1093/astrogeo/atae085 Abstract: On its 50th anniversary, we revisit the Anglo-Australian Telescope. Date: 2024 Author: Watson, F. Title: A telescope for a Golden Age. Journal: Australian Geographic , October 2024. Link: https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/news/2024/10/a-telescope-for-a-golden-age/ Abstract: After a stellar 50 years as one of the country’s major scientific assets, the Anglo-Australian Telescope continues to play a major role in keeping Australian astronomy on the world stage. Date : 2024 Author/s: Wendt, H., George, M., Orchiston, W. Title:  The history of early low frequency radio astronomy in Australia: Reber, Higgins and the mooted all-sky survey with the Shain Cross. Journal (publication):  Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage , 27, 3, p.p. 655-673. Link:  https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2024JAHH...27..655W Abstract: During the 1950s and 1960s, Australia was a world leader in the specialised field of low frequency radio astronomy, with two geographically distinct areas of activity. One was in the Sydney region run by the CSIRO Division of Radiophysics (RP), and the other was on the island of Tasmania to the south of the Australian mainland, undertaken by the radio astronomy pioneer Grote Reber, and researchers for the University of Tasmania. This paper deals with Reber's interactions with RP, his unpublished research based on observations taken by Charlie Higgins using the 19.7 MHz Shain Cross in August 1960 and Reber's unsuccessful efforts to lobby for RP to complete a southern sky survey using the Shain Cross. Tags: Radio Astronomy     Date: 2023. Author/s: Fuller, R. S. and Hamacher, D. W. Title: The Astronomy of the Aboriginal Peoples of the Sydney Basin Book: Essays on Astronomical History and Heritage. A Tribute to Wayne Orchiston on his 80th Birthday . New York, NY: Springer New York, 2023, pp. 635-659 Link: https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2023eahh.book..635F Abstract: We present results of a preliminary study of the astronomical knowledge and traditions of the seven major Aboriginal language groups in the Sydney Basin. We establish a basic dataset of oral traditions (stories), vocabulary, and examples of cultural heritage relating to astronomical traditions. Using a combination of primarily ethno-historical documents and material culture, we explore the relationship between Aboriginal astronomical knowledge and cultural traditions, cosmology, natural resources, calendar development, law, ceremony, and material traditions. We conduct a thematic analysis of the collected information and place this within a larger framework of comparative analysis with other Aboriginal communities in south-eastern Australia in general. Tags: Indigenous Astronomy   Date: 2023 Author/s: Goss, W. M., Hooker, C., Ekers, R. D., and Pawsey, J. L., Title: Joe Pawsey and the founding of Australian radio astronomy: early discoveries, from the sun to the cosmos. Book: Cham: Springer International Publishing. OCLC: 1363828567 Link: https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2023jpfa.book.....G Abstract: This open access book is a biography of Joseph L. Pawsey. It examines not only his life but the birth and growth of the field of radio astronomy and the state of science itself in twentieth century Australia. The book explains how an isolated continent with limited resources grew to be one of the leaders in the study of radio astronomy and the design of instruments to do so. Pawsey made a name for himself in the international astronomy community within a decade after WWII and coined the term radio astronomy. He recruited  young scientists who became the technical and methodological innovators of the era, building new telescopes from the Mills Cross and Chris (Christiansen) Cross to the Parkes radio telescope… Tags: Biographies; Obituaries; Radio astronomy     Date: 2023 Author/s: Lomb, N., Stevenson, T. Title: Eclipse Chasers Book: CSIRO Publishing Link: https://www.publish.csiro.au/book/8098/ Abstract: Eclipse Chasers is a guide to past and future Australian total solar eclipses, exploring historical and cultural knowledge... The science of eclipses is explained, as well as how to prepare for an eclipse and view it safely. For upcoming eclipses the best locations to view each one are revealed, alongside tips for taking photographs. The book also reveals untold stories of how past Australian astronomers observed the total eclipses that have occurred since European settlement, and how these eclipses were celebrated in popular culture, poetry and art. It explores the great significance of solar eclipses for First Nations peoples, and their observations and cultural meanings. Tags: Solar eclipses, astronomers, women in astronomy   Date: 2023 Author: Stevenson, T. Title: Melbourne Observatory's Astrographic women: star measurers and computers Journal: Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage , 26, 2, p.p. 325-338. Link: https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2023JAHH...26..325S Abstract: In Australia a significant number of women were employed to measure, log and calculate the position of stars for the Astrographic Catalogue at Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth Observatories…This paper provides a background to the social, legal and gender-specific barriers women faced and then focuses on the first women employed at Melbourne Observatory to measure the stars on glass plate negatives and calculate their relative positions. Charlotte Peel, Lillian Lewis, Muriel Heagney and Sarah Noonan, who worked for various periods of time on the Astrographic Catalogue between 1898 and 1918, are case studied… Tags: Women in astronomy, Observatories   Date: 2022 Author: de Grijs, R. Title: Gravitational conundrum: confusing clock-rate measurements on the 'First Fleet' from England to Australia. Journal: Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage , 25, 4, p.p. 737-744. Link where available): https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2022JAHH...25..737D Abstract: Voyages of exploration often included astronomers among their crew to aid with maritime navigation. William Dawes, a British Marine who had been trained in practical astronomy, was assigned to the 'First Fleet', a convoy of eleven ships that left England in May 1787 bound for Botany Bay (Sydney, Australia). Dawes was also expected to take measurements of the local gravitational acceleration, g, at any port of call by measuring the daily rate by which his Shelton pendulum clock differed from that at Greenwich, its calibration location. Although Dawes and Nevil Maskelyne, Britain's fifth Astronomer Royal, had planned to obtain clock-rate… Tags: Colonial Era (pre-1901)   Date: 2021 Author/s: Graham, A. W., Kenyon, K. H., Bull, L. J., Lokuge Don, V. C., and Kuhlmann, K., Title: History of Astronomy in Australia: Big-Impact Astronomy from World War II until the Lunar Landing (1945–1969) Journal: Galaxies , 9, 2, article id. 24, 2021 Link: https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2021Galax...9...24G Abstract: Radio astronomy commenced in earnest after World War II, with Australia keenly engaged through the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. At this juncture, Australia's Commonwealth Solar Observatory expanded its portfolio from primarily studying solar phenomena to conducting stellar and extragalactic research. Subsequently, in the 1950s and 1960s, astronomy gradually became taught and researched in Australian universities. However, most scientific publications from this era of growth and discovery have no country of affiliation in their header information... In 2014, we used the then-new Astrophysics Data System (ADS) tool Bumblebee to overcome this challenge and track down the Australian-led astronomy papers published…after World War II, from 1945 until the lunar landing in 1969… Tags: Radio astronomy, Women in astronomy   Date: 2020 Author: Lomb, N. Title: Australia and the International Astronomical Union: the 1973 Sydney general assembly Journal: Historical Records of Australian Science   31 , 118-126. Link: https://doi.org/10.1071/HR20004 Abstract: Formed in 1919, the International Astronomical Union is the international body representing professional astronomers. Australia joined the union soon after its formation but, due to financial difficulties, dropped out for a few years until re-joining just before World War 2…After Australia’s bid to host a general assembly in 1967 or 1970 was unsuccessful, another bid was made for 1973. This second bid was accepted by the union’s executive council and confirmed in a letter from the union’s general secretary. The five years of planning and organisation for the assembly were made difficult by several external threats…Despite this and other problems, the 1973 general assembly was regarded as highly successful. Related website: https://asa.astronomy.org.au/ Tags: Astronomical Society of Australia   Date: 2015 Author: Lomb, N. Title: How Astronomers Focused the Scope of their Discussions: The Formation of the Astronomical Society of Australia . Journal: Historical Records of Australian Science   26 , 36-57. Link: https://doi.org/10.1071/HR14030 Abstract: Scientific societies provide an important forum for scientists to meet and exchange ideas. In the early days of European settlement in Australia the few people interested in the sciences joined together to form societies that embraced all their individual disciplines. From 1888 the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science with its different sections allowed a growing number of astronomers to share meetings only with researchers in the closely allied fields of mathematics and physics. Eventually, all three of these groups formed their own societies with the Astronomical Society of Australia (ASA) being the last in 1966… Related website: https://asa.astronomy.org.au/ Tags: Astronomical Society of Australia   Date: 2014 Author: Stevenson, T. Title:  Making Visible the First Women in Astronomy in Australia: The Measurers and Computers Employed for the Astrographic Catalogue Journal: Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia , Volume 31. Link: https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2014PASA...31...18S Abstract: In Australia a significant number of women were employed to measure and compute the position of stars for the Astrographic Catalogue at Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth Observatories. New archival research has provided evidence that the first women employed in astronomy in Australia were engaged due to this project. Tags: Women in astronomy, Observatories     Date: 2010 Author/s: Haynes, R., Haynes, R. D., Malin, D., and McGee, R., Title:  Explorers of the Southern Sky Book:  Cambridge University Press Link:  https://www.cambridge.org/au/universitypress/subjects/physics/history-philosophy-and-foundations-physics/explorers-southern-sky-history-australian-astronomy Contents: 1. Dreaming the stars; 2. Sailing south for a new sky; 3. Astronomy in Sydney town; 4. The struggle for independence; 5. A bid for fame; 6. For love of the subject; 7. Astronomy on a national basis; 8. From swords to ploughshares; 9. Radio astronomy and the big telescopes; 10. Entrepreneurs in astronomy; 11. The advantage of latitude; 12. The high-energy frontier; 13. Diversity through innovation; 14. Optical astronomy goes high tech; 15. A telescope as wide as a continent; Glossary of abbreviations; Glossary of scientific and technical words; Bibliography; Tags: Observatories, Radio astronomy, Indigenous astronomy   Date: 2010 Author: Watson, F. Title:  Obituary: Sidney Charles Bartholomew 'Ben' Gascoigne (1915 - 2010). Journal:  The Observatory Link:  https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2010Obs...130..274W Abstract: n/a Tags: Biographies, Obituaries   Date: 2004 Author: Lomb, N. Title:  The Instruments from Parramatta Observatory Journal: Historical Records of Australian Science , 15, 2, pp. 211-222 Link: https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2004HRAuS..15..211L Abstract: Sydney Observatory, Australia's oldest existing observatory, was built in 1858 on what is now called Observatory Hill. With such a long continuous history the Observatory has a good collection of astronomical instruments relating to its own history. Moreover, the collection extends further back to Parramatta Observatory, set up in 1821 by Governor Sir Thomas Brisbane. After the closure of that observatory in 1847 its instruments were retained in the colony and given to the fledgling Sydney Observatory on its establishment… This paper discusses the use of these instruments at Parramatta and their subsequent fate at Sydney Observatory. Related source: Powerhouse collection: https://collection.powerhouse.com.au/ Tags: Observatories, Colonial Era (pre-1901)   Date: 2000 Author: Utting, M Title: Astronomy in Western Australia Volume 3: 1940-1962 Published by the Perth Observatory ISBN 0-646-39450-9 Abstract: This book details the work of the Perth Observatory between 1940 and 1962 under the Government Astronomer Hyman Solomon Spigl. It details a torrid period of political, financial and societal changes where staffing levels were the lowest in the Observatory’s history. It’s culmination was Spigl’s death and the first to keep the Observatory open before its relocation from the CBD to the Perth Hills.   Date: 1999 Author/s: Watson, F., Bell, R. Title:  25 years at the AAT. Journal:  Astronomy Now , 13, pp. 22-25. Link:  https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1999AsNow..13...22W Abstract: n/a Tags: Observatories   Date: 1994 Author: Edwards, P. G. Title: The Adelaide Observatory after Todd Journal: Astronomical Society of Australia, Proceedings , 11, 2, p.p. 206-210 Link: https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1994PASA...11..206E Abstract: Charles Todd, who established the Adelaide Observatory on West Terrace in 1860, retired as Government Astronomer at the end of 1906. In 1908 the meteorological duties of the Observatory were taken over by the Commonwealth, and the Observatory lost most of its staff. Following the promotion of George Dodwell to the position of Government Astronomer in 1909, the Observatory was slowly re-established and undertook a range of astronomical and other work, which is described in detail in this paper. The Observatory was transferred to the University of Adelaide in 1940. Dodwell finished working as Government Astronomer in 1952. Tags: Observatories Date: 1993 Author: Edwards, P. G. Title: Charles Todd and the Adelaide Observatory Journal: Proceedings of the Astronomical Society of Australia , Vol. 10, Issue 4, p. 349 Link: 10.1017/S1323358000026023 Abstract: Charles Todd was the first Government Astronomer and Superintendent of Telegraphs in South Australia. Most widely known for his instrumental role in the construction of the Overland Telegraph, linking Australia and England, Todd also established the Adelaide Observatory and made valuable contributions to both astronomy and meteorology. Tags: Observatories Date: 1993 Author: Utting, M Title: Astronomy in Western Australia Volume 2: 1912-1940 Published by the Perth Observatory ISBN 0-86905-249-7 Abstract: This book details the work of the Perth Observatory between 1912 and 1940 under the Government Astronomer Harold Burham Curlewis. The main work of the Observatory at this time was the continuation of the Astrographic Catalogue including a catalogue on double stars. However, his surveying background saw him involved in defining the South Australian and Western Australian borders. The advent of the Great War & Depression was to bring its challenges. Date: 1992 Author: Utting, M Title: Astronomy in Western Australia Volume 1: 1896-1912 Published by the Perth Observatory ISBN 0-7309-5438-2 Abstract: This book details the work of the Perth Observatory between its foundation in 1896 and 1912 under Western Australia’s first Government Astronomer, William Ernest Cooke. The initial work of the Observatory was meteorology. By 1901, the Observatory accepted zones within the Astrographic Catalogue project which would become its primary work, although time, tides, seismology, teaching of surveying & geodesy and weather were factored into its workload where time permitted. Date: 1991 Author: Utting, M Title: Windows to the Southern Skies Published by Murdoch University and the Perth Observatory, Western Australia Abstract: This 40-page booklet covers early astronomy in Western Australia including European visitors, British settlement and the move for the Perth Observatory’s foundation. Date: 1989 Author: Utting, M Title: Cooke’s Perth Observatory Published by the Government Printer, Western Australia Abstract: This 22-page booklet was the first publication by the Observatory’s Honorary Historian detailing aspects of its foundation and first Government Astronomer William Ernest Cooke.

This is part 2 of a two-part series. As discussed in the previous blog post, the South Australian Government Astronomer, Charles Todd, made interesting observations during the 1874 transit of Venus, and his timing was accurate despite the clouds that hampered some of his observations. Todd also successfully observed the 1882 transit of Venus from the town of Wentworth, in south west New South Wales as part of the group of astronomers determining longitude for different locations in Australia (1). Todd’s 1882 observations were made with a 4 ½ inch equatorial telescope that had belonged to Charles Babbage (1781-1871) renowned inventor of the Difference Engine and the Analytical Engine, early computing machines (2,3). Babbage’s son, Benjamin Herschel Babbage (1815-1878) who was an engineer and explorer, arrived in Australia in 1851. He was employed by Todd for contract management on the Overland Telegraph line (4) and this is possibly how the telescope came to be used by Todd. By the 1880s Todd had proven Adelaide Observatory's proficiency in meteorology, surveying, timekeeping and research astronomy. But he was still using a borrowed transit telescope and this required replacement. Fig. 1 caption: Transit room constructed in the 1880s with the Troughton and Sims transit telescope. Photograph c.1910 showing recently appointed Director, Richard Griffiths, courtesy State Library South Australia, B22764.   In 1881 the original transit room was replaced by a new structure fitted out to accommodate a substantial 6inch (152mm) aperture, 85 inches (2.2m) focal length transit telescope as seen in Fig. 1. With this instrument and associated equipment, and an increase in staff, the observatory could now collaborate with other observatories on determining star positions and other astronomical observations. Todd also installed seismology detectors, and, in 1900, he established the first wireless telegraphy station in Australia with his son-in-law, the future Nobel laureate, William Henry Bragg.   Involvement in the Astrographic Catalogue In 1887 Through the transit of Venus observations, and the continued expansion of Adelaide Observatory and subsequent astronomical endeavours, Todd was well connected with the Government astronomers of Victoria and New South Wales.  In 1887 Sydney and Melbourne Observatorys committed to participate in two major international astrometry projects called the Astrographic Catalogue and Carte du Ciel (AC-CdC). Even though Adelaide Observatory did not take responsibility for an AC-CdC zone, Todd’s first Assistant Astronomer, William Ernest Cooke (1863-1947), undertook the positional and reference star work for the Melbourne Observatory zone (-65 deg to -90 deg). The existing Southern Hemisphere star catalogues were not extensive enough to provide the 12 reference stars required on each photographic glass plate (5).   The observing logbooks in the South Australian archives reveal that from 1890 to 1897, under the supervision by Cooke, half of the observations and all the calculations for the Melbourne zone reference star catalogue were performed by Mary Emma Greayer (1861-1910) as seen in Fig. 2 (5).   Fig. 2 : Adelaide Observatory staff c1895 (L to R) Charles Todd, William Ernest Cooke and Mary Emma Greayer, courtesy Perth Observatory, donated B. Minchin (uncatalogued), colourised   In 1892 a South Australian Astronomy Society was established with Todd as the president and Greayer joined the society, as did Todd's daughters Maude and Lorna (6). There were other well-known members including engineer Alexander Wilson Dobbie (1843-1912) (7). In 1897 Cooke left Adelaide Observatory and moved to Perth where he was appointed the Government Astronomer for Western Australia (6). In 1899 Greayer married the assistant astronomer Richard Griffiths and left the observatory, much to the disappointment of Todd because Greayer was a capable astronomer and human computer (6). In 1906 Griffiths succeeded Todd as the Government Astronomer but he resigned in 1907 to join the new Federal Bureau of Meteorology in Melbourne. Greayer and Griffiths had four children and it seems that Greayer did not pursue astronomy further and she died in Victoria in 1910 (6).   A new era under George Dodwell Fig. 3: George Dodwell and Annie Trehy on their wedding day in 1907, unknown photographer. The next Government astronomer was George Frederic Dodwell (1879-1963), who was appointed in 1909 and with his wife, Annie Louisa Virginia Trehy (1870-1924), who was also a qualified scientist, a new era for Adelaide Observatory began (Fig.3). Dodwell's observations of three total solar eclipses have been documented by Lomb and Stevenson (8,9). From 1909, under Dodwell’s direction, Melbourne zone stars were once again observed and reference stars for the Sydney Zone (-51° to -60°) were observed between 1914 and 1920 (10).   Closure and demolition of Adelaide Observatory The identification of meteorites, latitude variations, comets and other work continued through to when the observatory was determined by the State as no longer its responsibility. Its functions were , to some extent, taken over by the University of Adelaide in 1930 (11,12) but the promised Professor of Astronomy position did not eventuate for Dodwell, and he pressed on with few resources. At every step of the way Dodwell made public the significance of Adelaide Observatory as an historical site, and continuing relevance (12,13).   Fig. 4: Dome built at University of Adelaide in the 1960s, Photograph 1971, courtesy Adelaide University archive UA-00006720. Demolition of Adelaide Observatory commenced in 1946 to make land available for Adelaide High School but according to the archival files, transit and other observations continued until 1948 (12) and Dodwell operated Adelaide Observatory in a reduced form until 1952 when he retired and the remaining buildings were demolished. A new dome was constructed for the equatorial telescope at the University of Adelaide  (Fig.4) and the equatorial telescope by Cooke and Sons was relocated with enhancements (Fig.5).   Fig. 5: Equatorial telescope inside the University of Adelaide, Photograph 1971, courtesy Adelaide University archive UA-00006721.   In 2014 archaeological work on the old Adelaide Observatory site by archaeologist Dr Cameron Hartnell unearthed the foundations for the transit and equatorial telescope buildings and a plaque was installed in the new school building acknowledging the Adelaide Observatory astronomers, including Mary Emma Greayer (6). References and footnotes 1. Lomb, N. (2011) Transit of Venus: 1631 to the Present, Sydney: NewSouth Books & Powerhouse Publishing, p.147 and p.163. 2. Anonymous (1882) 1882 'THE TRANSIT OF VENUS.', South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 - 1900) , 24 November, p. 7. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article43327250 3. Edwards, P.G. (2007) ‘Alice's astronomical ancestry’, Astrophysical Masers and their Environments , 2007, vol. 242, pp. 1–6. doi:10.1017/S1743921307012483. 4. Symes,G.W. (1969) 'Babbage, Benjamin Herschel (1815–1878)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/babbage-benjamin-herschel-1550/text4195 . 5. Stevenson, T. (2014) ‘Making Visible the First Women in Astronomy in Australia: The Measurers and Computers Employed for the Astrographic Catalogue’, Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia, 31, p. e018. doi:10.1017/pasa.2014.12. 6. Stevenson, T. (2016) Measuring the stars and observing the less visible: Australia's participation in the Astrographic Catalogue and Carte du Ciel', University of Sydney, http://hdl.handle.net/2123/15762 , p. 180, p.p. 195-199. 7. Edwards, P.G. (1993) ‘Charles Todd and the Adelaide Observatory’, Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia , 10(4), pp. 349–354. doi:10.1017/S1323358000026023. 8. Lomb, N. Stevenson, T. (2023) Eclipse Chasers, CSIRO Publishing, p.p. 62-70, p.p. 96-99. 9. Stevenson, T. McMorrow, K. (2026) Eclipsed but not forgotten: two lesser-known Australian expeditions to the 1922 total solar eclipse. Historical Records of Australian Science  2026; HR25013. https://doi.org/10.1071/HR25013 10. State Records South Australia, (GRG 31/50 SRSA). 11. Haynes, R., Haynes, R.D., Malin, D., McGee, R. (1996) Explorers of the Southern Sky: A History of Australian Astronomy, Cambridge University Press, pp. 81–86. 12. Edwards PG. The Adelaide Observatory after Todd. Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia . 1994;11(2):206-210. doi:10.1017/S1323358000019925 13. Dodwell, G.F. (1932) 'ADELAIDE OBSERVATORY', The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 - 1954) , 23 April, p. 9., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article46854385   For further research and to access a list of South Australian government records: King, S. https://www.naa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-02/research-guide-government-records-south-australia.pdf   About the author Toner Stevenson has a doctorate in the Social Sciences and she researches the history of astronomy in Australia, particularly the contribution of women, marginalised and lesser-known people. Her museum career includes manager, Sydney Observatory, the Powerhouse Ultimo, Head of House Museums for the Museums of History NSW and project manager, the Natural History Museum, London. Toner managed the school of Humanities at the University of Sydney and is a research affiliate with The University of Sydney Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, school of Humanities in the discipline of history.

Introduction The theme of this years United Nations International Day of Women and Girls in Science (IDWGIS) is “Synergizing AI, Social Science, STEM and Finance: Building Inclusive Futures for Women and Girls.” Astronomy is a science at the forefront of technological innovation and there are Australian women astronomers whose work is and was technological in nature and ground breaking. However, apart from Ruby Payne-Scott whose mathematical and innovative work in radio astronomy has been acknowledged, (1) few others are well-known. Caption: Photo of Louise Webster, Credit Storey and Faulkner (1991) (6)   Louise Webster is a ‘hidden’ outstanding Australian astronomer, whose co-identification of the first fully plausible black hole remained largely unknown to all outside professional astronomy, perhaps due to her modesty. In recent years she has been recognised by astrophysicist Alistair Graham et al (2) and British science journalist Marcus Chown (3). In October 2024 Chown was interviewed by Robyn Williams on the ABC’s Radio National The Science Show and said: ‘Incredibly Louise Webster, an Australian woman, was the co-discoverer of black holes, and she has been largely written out of history and forgotten' (4) In 2024 Hon Professor Nick Lomb and I were researching the Astronomical Society of Australia (ASA), which was formed in 1966. We examined the lists of members, examining gender diversity, the locations and types of astronomy-related organisations that employed ASA members and student member demographics (5). Our research revealed that many of the early women professional astronomers and PhD students went on to have outstanding careers, but their research was sometimes hard to find due to surname changes after they married. The 1969 list of women who were ASA members included Anne Green (nee Barwick), Margaret Clarke, Joyce Ekers (nee Billings), Beverley Wills (nee Harris), Donna Dee Shinkawa (nee Hain), Pamela Kennedy, Jeanette Merkeli, Marilyn Mowat, Lindsey Fairfield Smith, Reet Vallak, and Louise Webster, who was also known as Betty Louise Turtle after she married Sydney University astronomer Anthony ‘Tony’ J Turtle. This blog post acknowledges Webster. Louise Webster (1941–90) Louise Webster was born in Adelaide in 1941. She was the only woman in the physics class at Adelaide University where she studied for an undergraduate science degree (6). Webster excelled and obtained a scholarship to research southern planetary nebulae at the Australian National University (ANU) for her PhD. At Mt Stromlo Observatory, under Directorship of Bart Bok and supervised by Bengt Westerlund, Webster observed and analysed the characteristics (distance, relative position brightness and temperatures) of nebulae in the Magellanic Clouds (7). Her thesis was accepted in 1966 (8) and is now available online. She presented at an International Astronomical Union symposium in 1967, and then worked as an instructor at the University of Wisconsin and published research papers related to planetary nebulae (6,9). In 1969 Webster was employed as a Scientific Officer by the Royal Greenwich Observatory at Herstmonceux in Southern England. Here she observed using the 98 inch (almost 2.5 metres) Isaac Newton reflector telescope (INT). The observer can sit inside this telescope (as shown in the image below) and when it was inaugurated in 1967, it was the largest telescope outside the USA and Russia (9). It was similar to the smaller 74-inch (1.9-m) telescope at Mt Stromlo, which Webster would have been familiar with. Within a year she was promoted to Senior Scientific Officer. Caption: The Isaac Newton telescope, Herstmonceux ~1970s. Courtesy The Observatory Science Centre . Using the Isaac Newton telescope (pictures above) Webster measured the spectra of stars to determine their speed. Next to her desk sat fellow astronomer Paul Murdin, who was examining the results of NASA’s recently launched X-Ray telescope satellite. To solve a mystery as to the origin of an X-Ray source in the constellation Cygnus, they combined their knowledge and began to theorise as to what could be causing the X-ray source, called Cygnus X-1 (10). Webster focused her observations on a super-massive blue star adjacent the Cygnus X-1 source to look for a companion star which could solve this puzzle. Finding no companion star, Webster and Murdin concluded in their paper published in Nature  in 1972 (11) that ‘…it is inevitable that we should also speculate that it might be a black hole.’ Webster was the lead author of the paper. Image left caption: Illustration of Cygnus X-1 courtesy NASA/CXC/M.Weiss. Showing the black hole, identified by Webster, pulling material from the massive blue star. In 1974 Webster was promoted to Principal Scientific Officer, she worked on a South African branch of the observatory and then as commissioning officer of the Anglo-Australian telescope, where she became staff astronomer (6). In 1979 Webster accepted a position at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) where she contributed significantly to the development of the astrophysics curriculum and capability. Webster was active in the Astronomical Society of Australia (ASA) and her leadership led to the ASA annual scientific conference being held at UNSW in 1983. She was appointed Head of the Department of Astrophysics and Optics at UNSW and was project lead on the development of a new telescope at Siding Spring Observatory (6).   In 1989 Webster  was elected to the ASA Council, sadly she died the following year.at the early age of 49, and astronomers mourned the loss of an outstanding scientist. An obituary outlined her discovery of a black hole, contribution to the advancement of astronomy, education and mentorship of others (6). In 2009 the ASA named a prize in her honour and each year since this has been awarded to early career researchers (5). On International Day of Women and Girls in Science (11 Feb) we remember and acknowledge Louise Webster as an extraordinary Australian scientist. References: 1.     Goss, M.. (2013) Making Waves: The Story of Ruby Payne-Scott: Australian Pioneer Radio Astronomer  2013., Springer Nature, Berlin, Heidelberg; Goss, M (2009) Under the Radar: The First Woman in Radio Astronomy: Ruby Payne-Scott  1st edn R McGee (ed), Springer Nature, Berlin, Heidelberg. 2.     Graham, A. W., Kenyon, K. H., Bull, L. J., Lokuge Don, V. C., & Kuhlmann, K. (2021). History of Astronomy in Australia: Big-Impact Astronomy from World War II until the Lunar Landing (1945–1969).  Galaxies ,  9 (2), 24. https://doi.org/10.3390/galaxies9020024 . 3.     Chown, M. (2024) ‘The woman who discovered black holes’ blogpost, New Humanist . https://newhumanist.org.uk/articles/6296/the-woman-who-discovered-black-holes ; Chown, M. (2023) Chown, M 2023, The one thing you need to know: the simple way to understand the most important ideas in science , Michael O’Mara Books Limited, London, p.p. 147-8. 4.     ‘A Crack in Everything’, ABC Radio, The Science Show , Marcus Chown interviewed by Robyn Williams, 5 October 2024. https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/scienceshow/marcus-chown-a-crack-in-everything/104436398 5.     Stevenson T., Lomb N. (2024) Gender diversity in Australian astronomy: the Astronomical Society of Australia 1966–2023.  Historical Records of Australian Science  36, HR24022, https://doi.org/10.1071/HR24022   6.     Storey, J.W.V. and Faulker, D.J. (1991) ‘Betty Louise Turtle, 1941–1990’, Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia , 9(1), pp. 6–7. https://asa.astronomy.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Webster.pdf   7.     Betty Louise Webster thesis, ANU. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/138438 8.     Webster, Louise (1969) The masses and galactic distribution of southern planetary nebulae. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society  143, 79. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/143.1.79   9.     Corben, P., Hobden, D., Jones, D., Nicholson, B., Scales, B., Selmes, R., Wallis, R., Wilkins, G. (2006) Astronomers at Herstmonceux: in their own words, Science Projects Publishing, East Sussex, Wilson, A (ed). 10.  Murdin, P. (2023). ‘Webster, B. Louise’, in: Nicholson, P.D., Bartlett, J.L. (eds) Biographical Encyclopedia of Astronomers . Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-0738-1_101023-1 11.  Webster, B.L., Murdin, P., (1972) Cygnus X-1-a Spectroscopic Binary with a Heavy Companion ?, Nature  235, 37–38. https://doi.org/10.1038/235037a0   Note: A version of this blogpost, written for International Women's Day 2025, was published on Sydney City Skywatchers website.

Perth Observatory Standard Astrograph with Mr. Hyman Solomon Spigl – Perth Observatory Archives P129-1 (Copy Government Printing Office D9925) The Perth Observatory’s 13-inch* Sir Howard Grubb ‘Standard’ Astrographic telescope arrived in Western Australia aboard the steamship Devon  in early 1898. Western Australia’s first Government Astronomer, William Ernest Cooke, was interviewed by The West Australian  newspaper in Albany on 6 November 1897, shortly after returning from England on the ship Austral . Having inspected the telescope during his visit to England, Cooke reported that he was carrying with him the two objective lenses of the instrument. Current research indicates that the telescope was installed at the Observatory in July 1898. Its first recorded astronomical use is noted in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society  (Vol. 59, p. 151) on 13 November 1898, when a hand-held camera was attached to the telescope’s tube to photograph the Leonid's meteor shower. During 1899 and 1900, however, the telescope’s use was limited due to funding restrictions, a shortage of staff, and the Observatory’s initial focus on meteorological work. During this period, it was employed mainly for the benefit of visitors. By November 1901, the telescope was dedicated exclusively to observations for the International Astrographic Catalogue (AC), covering the declination zone –32°S to –40°S, a project that continued for the next 20 years. Constructed in 1897, the telescope comprised a 10-inch** visual refractor (the top tube in the image above), and a 13-inch* photographic tube with a glass plate holder (the bottom tube in the image above). The telescope can still be seen at the Perth Observatory in Bickley, Western Australia. *33cm **25. 4cm

The Perth Observatory's 6-inch* Troughton & Simms Meridian Reversible Transit Circle arrived in Australia in 1898 and was immediately put to work. Its first use was to set the State's latitude & longitude, as well as the State's standard time; from 1901 it was then used to create a standard star reference frame of 420 stars for the Perth Astrographic Catalogue covering the declination zone -32°S to -40°S. The Perth Observatory in Western Australia provided a crucial southern hemisphere astrometric observatory connection between the Eastern States (Sydney & Melbourne observatories) and Cape Town Observatory in South Africa. The telescope can still be seen in the foyer of the main building at the Perth Observatory in Bickley, Western Australia after being fully restored for the Observatory's centenary in 1996. *15cm Perth Observatory Meridian Transit Circle - Photo Perth Observatory Archives (Copy Government Printing Office D9925)

1926 Replacement of the NSW Government Astronomer   William Cooke in his office at Sydney Observatory soon after his appointment in 2012. Town and Country Journal , Wednesday 21 August 1912, p34. Colourised image.   William Ernest Cooke (1863–1947) had been the NSW Government Astronomer since 1912, when in 1925 the state government decided to close Sydney Observatory and abolish Cooke’s position. A new premier of NSW, the fiery Jack Lang (1876–1975), wanted to close the Observatory on the basis that, just as the Commonwealth had taken over weather forecasting, it should also be responsible for astronomical work. There were strong objections to this plan from the Observatory’s Board of Visitors and from the various scientific societies in the State.   The objections had an effect. The government decided to allow the Observatory to continue its work, but with a much reduced staff. Cooke still had to retire and he was replaced by the Superintendent of Technical Education, James Nangle, in an honorary capacity and taking no salary. A bitter Cooke’s last day at Sydney Observatory was 31 August 1926.   Further reading Nick Lomb (2023). Closing Encounters: The Efforts of the NSW Branch of the British Astronomical Association to Save Sydney Observatory. In: Gullberg, S., Robertson, P. (eds) Essays on Astronomical History and Heritage. Historical & Cultural Astronomy . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-29493-8_28   Ian Tasker (2019). Power, politics and personalities in Australian astronomy: William Ernest Cooke and the triangulation of the Pacific by wireless time signals. Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage , Volume 22, Issue 1, 2019, Page 113 – 131. https://doi.org/10.3724/SP.J.1440-2807.2019.01.07   1976 The Melbourne Eclipse   The track of the 1976 total solar eclipse across south-east Australia. The red line is the centre line, while the purple lines are the northern and southern limits of the eclipse track. Drawing Nick Lomb, underlying map https://d-maps.com/   The eclipse track of the 23 October 1976 eclipse reached Australia at the coast of South Australia, near Millicent. It then crossed over Victoria and exited mainland Australia in NSW, near the south coast town of Merimbula.   Elaborate plans were drawn up by the authorities for the 2 minute 45 seconds of totality to be seen from Melbourne, then with a population of 2.8 million people. These mainly involved warnings to the public not to watch the eclipse directly, as it was too dangerous, and only watch on television. Posters on street corners screamed, “WARNING! SOLAR ECLIPSE TODAY’, with similar flyers inserted into newspapers on the day of the eclipse.   This was a major overreaction to protecting people’s eyesight. Part of the problem was that, as yet, there were no accepted safe filters for viewing the partial phases of the eclipse. Available filters were welding filters, smoked glass and exposed black and white photographic film. These were not fully trusted. Neither were the new aluminium-coated mylar filters being marketed by American astronomy retailer Roger Tuthill. These latter filters are now ubiquitous as solar filters, but back in 1976, there was no international standard for their use.   To the relief of the authorities, it was cloudy in Melbourne during the eclipse, preventing eye damage for the public. Similarly, it was cloudy at the NSW town of Bombala, where most professional and serious amateur astronomers had set up their observing equipment.   Further reading Nick Lomb and Toner Stevenson (2023) Eclipse Chasers , CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne

The Great Melbourne Telescope sketched in the Adelaide Post , 19 May 1868.   From many years from 1869 onwards, the City of Melbourne could boast of having the largest steerable telescope in the world. Known as the Great Melbourne Telescope, it was truly large with a total weight of 10 tonnes and a tube that was nine-metres long. The Irish telescope makers Thomas and Howard Grubb of Dublin, had built the huge telescope, under the supervision of a committee of eminent British astronomers. In Melbourne, it was placed in a building with a roll-off roof that was located some distance away from the other buildings of Melbourne Observatory, so that the mass of metal should not disturb readings by magnetic instruments.   The maker’s plate on the GMT. Photo Nick Lomb, cleaned up by Gemini.   The telescope had interchangeable metal mirrors, a 1.2 metre diameter primary mirror and an 0.25-metre diameter secondary mirror. There were two of each of these mirrors, as the metal mirrors tarnished easily and were hard to repolish. So, while one set of mirrors were in use in the telescope, the other set of mirrors were being repolished.   It should be noted that modern telescope mirrors are made of glass (or some low expansion equivalent) and then coated with a thin layer of aluminium. A similar technology with glass mirrors and silver coatings was already available when the GMT was built, but the committee supervising the building of the telescope did not want to risk the then new and little-tried technology on such a large mirror.   The surviving GMT mirror, collection of the Museum of Victoria. Photo Nick Lomb.   In Melbourne, the telescope achieved success with two short exposure photographs, one of the Moon and one in 1883 of the Great Nebula in Orion, which was the first photograph of a nebula in the southern sky. Unfortunately, the main observing aims of the telescope were flawed. These were to reobserve and sketch the nebulae that Sir John Herschel had observed from South Africa in the 1830s. However, sketches made by different observers with different telescopes cannot be directly compared and it would not have been possible to ascertain if the nebulae had shown changes in the intervening few decades.   The GMT House at Melbourne Observatory. Photo Nick Lomb   The GMT was rarely used after the 1880s, and in the 1940s sold for scrap to Mount Stromlo Observatory. There, the Observatory used parts of it for a 50-inch (1.3-metre) telescope, which itself went through a number of rebuilds over time. This telescope was destroyed in the Stromlo fire of 18 January 2003. Later, the burnt-out parts of the telescope were brought back to Melbourne. Since then, a team of dedicated volunteers from the Astronomical Society of Victoria, supported by Museum of Victoria staff, have been restoring the telescope. Engineering students have also been assisting with the restoration since 2019.   A future post will discuss Project Phoenix, the restoration of the telescope.   Acknowledgement Simon Brink, Project Manager, Great Melbourne Telescope Restoration, Strategic Capital Programs, Museums Victoria, for corrections.    Further Reading Richard Gillespie, The Great Melbourne Telescope , Museum Victoria 2011.

Perth Observatory 12.5-inch Calver – Perth Observatory Archives The purchase of the Perth Observatory's Calver 12.5-inch* Newtonian reflector, manufactured by George Calver & Co. England, was approved in 1910 by the WA Government with a view for use during Comet Halley [1] , and as the Observatory’s first dedicated visitor telescope; its estimated cost was to be £300. Unfortunately, it did not arrive in Western Australia until July 1911. Its installation was delayed not only by the WA Government Public Works Departments inability to deliver a concrete pad or building in time for Comet Halley, but also mechanical issues with the telescope itself. The problems with the telescope were conveyed to the instrument’s maker, George Calver (1834-1927), through numerous letters that still exist in the Perth Observatory archives [2] . The Government Astronomer, William Ernest Cooke, investigated the issues personally and discovered that the mount had been jolted in transit, affecting the adjustment of the lower bearing of the polar axis. Once resolved, Cooke reported this to Calver who replied on 23 April 1911: “ I am so thankful to get your letter of today, I am indeed pleased to hear it is in full swing and giving satisfaction. ” The telescope was later used in the 1922 Wallal total solar eclipse expedition, which famously provided key evidence supporting Einsteins Theory of Relativity that space was indeed curved; how it survived a beach landing in a long boat, as this was the only way to access the remote coastal site selected, one wonders. In 1975, the Calver was loaned to the Astronomical Society of Western Australia (ASWA), with permission from the Chief Secretary’s Department. In the 1990s, the Observatory requested its return for restoration, and the telescope was brought back in 1996 to mark the Observatory’s Centenary. Today, the Calver remains an active visitor telescope and can still be viewed and used during nighttime tours at the Perth Observatory in Bickley, Western Australia. [1]  Aspects of the History for the Perth Observatory, M.L. Clarke – Historical Note No. 5, Astronomical Society of Victoria, March 1987 p10. [2]  Perth Observatory Archives – File 07/23 – Instruments – Calver 12 ½" Telescope. *32cm

A recording of the 3-hour workshop is available to all via the Astronomical Society of Australia YouTube . Many thanks to those who attended, presented at, and organised the History of Australian Astronomy Chapter of the ASA annual workshop held on Wednesday 19 November 2025, 2pm to 5:15pm AEDT (UTC+11).   Members of the ASA Communications Working Group (Vanessa Moss and Glen Rees) and our tech team (Brennan Dew, Dirk Goes and Toner Stevenson) helped us host and record the session in full. The program with abstracts and bios is available here:

Our annual workshop will be held on Wednesday 19 November 2025, 2pm to 5:15pm AEDT (UTC+11). 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. Select this button: 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. PROGRAM 2pm Introduction and acknowledgement of country (Nick Lomb) 2:10 Sir Thomas Brisbane’s Parramatta Observatory Revisited, 1821–1825 (Mark Rigby and Tom Harradine) 2:35 Making them visible: women in astronomy in Australia (Toner Stevenson) 3:00 How Australian Astronomers Cooked Up a High-Fibre Diet (Fred Watson) 3:25 Grote Reber in Tasmania (Martin George) 3:50 Indigenous astronomy: history, challenges and what we have learned (Duane Hamacher) 4:15 Observing the “Man-made Moons”: the Role of Australian Amateur Astronomers in Operation Moonwatch (Kerrie Dougherty) 4:40 Narrabri Stellar Intensity Interferometer (Stephanie Rossini-Bryson) 5pm Closing remarks The full program with abstracts and bios is available here: Notes: Each presentation is approximately 20 minutes in length and there will be a few minutes after each presentation for questions and discussion.

Unless otherwise indicated the photographs on this website can be reproduced with acknowledgement of the photographer and source (where shown) and 'courtesy of the History of Australian Astronomy Chapter (HAAC)'. Sir Thomas Brisbane, then governor of NSW, established Parramatta Observatory in 1821. Initially, its astronomers observed star positions with a transit telescope that provided right ascensions and a mural circle that provided star declinations. A transit circle, an instrument that combined the functions of the earlier instruments, arrived in 1835. Made by Thomas Jones of London, it was placed asymmetrically between two piers. These piers, as shown, are the only extant remains of Parramatta Observatory. Photo Nick Lomb Sydney Observatory began operating in 1858, with the Reverend William Scott as the first government astronomer. It is located on Observatory Hill, which is the highest point in central Sydney. The location was chosen so that its time ball could be seen from as much of Sydney Harbour as possible. The observatory is now under the auspices of the Powerhouse Museum. Photo Nick Lomb Melbourne Observatory was established in 1863 under the supervision of Government Astronomer Robert L. J. Ellery. The observatory’s variety of instruments included the famous Great Melbourne Telescope. Two of its instruments were, and still are, in the two domes pictured. The left dome contains an 8-inch (20-cm) lens telescope by the London makers Troughton & Simms, while the other dome holds the Dallmeyer photoheliograph, an instrument designed to take photos of the Sun. Photo Nick Lomb The photoheliograph, an instrument designed to photograph the Sun, in a dome at Melbourne Observatory. London instrument maker, John Henry Dallmeyer made this and a number of similar instruments for the 1874 transit of Venus. One of the other photoheliographs went to Sydney Observatory. Although back in its original location, the photoheliograph is privately owned by a senior member of the amateur group, Astronomical Society of Victoria. Photo Nick Lomb Perth Observatory began operations in 1896 with William Ernest Cooke as its first government astronomer. It was situated on Mt Eliza that overlooks the city of Perth. In the 1960s it was demolished and the observatory transferred to Bickley, about 25 km east of Perth. The residence of the government astronomer remains, as shown. Photo Nick Lomb The dome of the Lowell telescope at Perth Observatory is raised nine metres above the ground. The elevation above the surrounding bush improves the telescope’s images by ensuring a smooth flow of air. The telescope was officially opened in 1971 and belongs to the Lowell Observatory in Arizona, USA. Among other research, astronomers using the telescope were the co-discovers of the rings around the planet Uranus in 1977. Photo Nick Lomb John Tebbutt (1834–1916) was a well-known amateur astronomer with an observatory at his home in the town of Windsor, just outside Sydney. He became internationally famous with his discoveries of the Great Comet of 1861, followed up with the discovery of another bright comet 20 years later. Tebbutt’s largest telescope was an 8-inch (20-cm) Grubb lens telescope. After Tebbutt’s death in 1916 the telescope had a number of locations, including over 40 years in New Zealand. It is now back in its original location, in the pictured dome. Photo Nick Lomb Ballarat observatory opened in 1886 as the first municipal observatory in Australia. Its largest telescope is a locally-built 26-inch (66-cm) Newtonian reflector. Shown is the Observatory’s Jelbart dome containing a 5-inch (13-cm) Cooke lens telescope. Photo Nick Lomb The main telescope at Mt Stromlo Observatory was a 74-inch (1.9-m) reflecting telescope. It was opened in 1955 and remained the largest in Australia until the Anglo-Australian telescope began operations in 1975. The telescope was housed in this dome but was unfortunately destroyed in the Stromlo fire of 2003. Photo Nick Lomb The Carnegie image-tube spectrograph at the Cassegrain focus of the Mount Stromlo 74-inch (1.9-m) reflector in 1968. Below is the lifting mechanism that allowed observers to operate instruments at that focus and track with the telescope. Photo Nick Lomb The control desk of the Mount Stromlo 74-inch (1.9-m) reflector in 1968, used by the night assistants. Further Mt Stromlo historical images are available at https://archives.anu.edu.au/exhibitions/through-adversity-stars-100-years-mount-stromlo-observatory Photo Nick Lomb Mount Stromlo Observatory purchased Melbourne Observatory’s Great Melbourne Telescope in 1940. The massive polar axis and other parts were then utilised in  a new 50-inch (1.3-m) telescope. The 2003 Mt Stromlo fire telescope destroyed the telescope and many other instruments and buildings at the observatory. The photo was taken soon after the fire. Photo Nick Lomb In 2008, the burnt-out parts of the Great Melbourne Telescope were brought back to Melbourne. There the Museum of Victoria and a dedicated team of volunteers from the Astronomical Society of Victoria are working to restore the telescope. The restoration project is continuing, but the now reassembled telescope can be seen at Scienceworks, Melbourne. Photo Nick Lomb The Parkes Radio Telescope, now also known by the Wiradjuri name of Murriyang, has been observing the radio sky at Parkes, NSW since 1961. In its early days, the telescope’s most famous activity was receiving the TV transmission of the first footsteps on the Moon in 1969 and relaying the signal world-wide. Many historic pictures of this and other Australian radio telescopes are available at https://www.atnf.csiro.au/resources/imagearchive/ . Photo Nick Lomb The 3.9 Anglo-Australian Telescope at Siding Spring Observatory pictured in 2012. This telescope, built jointly by the British and Australian governments, began regular scheduled operations in June 1975. A consortium of Australian universities now manage the telescope but its name has been left unchanged. Photo Nick Lomb The control desk of the Anglo-Australian Telescope at Siding Spring Observatory, pictured in 2012. The AAT was the first large telescope under computer control. Photo Nick Lomb The Fleurs radio telescope was at Badgery’s Creek, just outside Sydney. It originally consisted of 32 dishes, each of 5.8-m diameter, spread over east-west and north-south arms. After CSIRO transferred ownership to the University of Sydney, new larges dishes were added and the instrument became the Fleurs Synthesis Telescope. The photo shows some of the original dishes. Photo Nick Lomb The opening of the Australia Telescope in September 1988. The core of the radio telescope is the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) at Narrabri, NSW. Four of ATCA’s six 22-m dishes are shown in the image. Photo Nick Lomb The emu in the sky. The head of the emu is the Coalsack nebula, the Southern Cross (Crux) is directly above. Below is the emu engraving at the Elvina engraving site, in Kuring-Gai Chase National Park, near Sydney. Credit: Barnaby Norris & Ray Norris