Alan Vaughan passed away peacefully on the morning of Tuesday 5 May 2026. Alan completed his honours degree at University of Sydney in 1968 then continued to a PhD searching for pulsars with the Molonglo radio telescope under the supervision of Michael Large. The early discoveries were reported in several papers in Nature during 1968 (e.g. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1968Natur.220..753L). Alan graduated in 1975 and joined Macquarie University. He continued research on radio properties of active stars and then planetary nebulae, but most of Alan's energies were focused on establishing and strengthening the astronomy teaching and outreach programs. This included undergraduate astronomy subjects (now a major of the BSc), the Macquarie Astronomical Observatory, the Foundation for Astronomy, an annual School of Astronomy for amateur astronomers, and the Astronomy Open Nights, (which are the largest annual outreach events on the University calendar after Open Day). Alan retired in 2007 but maintained contact with the outreach activities. The success of Alan’s many endeavours laid the foundation for the growth of astronomical activity at Macquarie University to its current strength today.

Bruce McAdam, photo courtesy Jan McAdam One of the "originals" in radio astronomy - Bruce McAdam - died quietly at home on the night of Monday 27 April 2026, aged 94, some 30 years after his retirement from the University of Sydney. Bruce McAdam was one of the "originals" in radio astronomy. Bruce's first paper titled 'A survey of radio sources at a frequency of 159 Mc/s' was published in 1959. He was full of excellent stories about the Cambridge vs. USyd controversy on radio source counts, having been in the research groups at both schools. And he was in Cambridge in the mid 60s at the peak of the controversies. One such example is Steady State vs Big Bang. Bruce was a great participant at the School of Physics at The University of Sydney and maintained his interest in Physics to the last. Longstanding members of SIfA and the ASA will remember Bruce and Janice at many functions and ASA meetings over the years, even long after he retired. It was his long service to the Australian astronomical community and the ASA as a Foundation member that prompted the ASA to waive fees for all members with 50+ years of membership. A line in his email reply acknowledging that says so much about him - "Stay active and support young members!” Bruce was very helpful to grad students - whether or not he was their supervisor. Moreover, you would come away from a discussion with Bruce carrying a sheet of paper on which he had noted the important points. Authors: John O'Byrne, Associate Professor, and Dr Gordon Robertson, Associate, School of Physics, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney. Bruce McAdam was one of the "originals" in radio astronomy. He died quietly at home some 30 years after his retirement from the University of Sydney. Bruce's first paper titled 'A survey of radio sources at a frequency of 159 Mc/s' was published in 1959. He was full of excellent stories about the Cambridge vs. USyd controversy on radio source counts, having been in the research groups at both schools. And he was in Cambridge in the mid 60s at the peak of the controversies. ONe such example is Steady State vs Big Bang. Bruce was a great participant at the School of Physics at The University of Sydney and maintained his interest in Physics to the last. Longstanding members of SIfA and the ASA will remember Bruce and Janice at many functions and ASA meetings over the years, even long after he retired. It was his long service to the Australian astronomical community and the ASA as a Foundation member that prompted the ASA to waive fees for all members with 50+ years of membership. A line in his email reply acknowledging that says so much about him - "Stay active and support young members!” Bruce was very helpful to grad students - whether or not he was their supervisor. Moreover, you would come away from a discussion with Bruce carrying a sheet of paper on which he had noted the important points.

Don Morton, photo courtesy David Malin The family of Donald Charles Morton announced his peaceful passing on Sunday, April 26th, 2026, at nearly 93 years old. Don was an internationally recognised astrophysicist, accomplished mountaineer, and life-long Meccano hobbyist. He will be remembered for his enduring curiosity, commitment to excellence and detail, extraordinary perseverance, and joy when out-of-doors. Don was born on 12 June 1933 in Kapuskasing, in Northern Ontario. He grew up in North Toronto, where he and his mother Irene (Wightman) lived with her parents. They made regular visits to Wendigo Gold Mine near Kenora, ON, where his father Charles Orr Morton worked as an accountant. He greatly enjoyed his activities with Boy Scouts, which prepared him well for his later mountaineering, and regularly explored to the edge of the city on his bicycle. His interest in astronomy and engineering began at a very early age. This led him to attend Northern Vocational School (now Northern Secondary) so he could take drafting, electronics and machine shop, subjects that were foundational to much of his later work and hobbies. In 1952, Don joined the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) and worked at the David Dunlap Observatory the summer before enrolling in Engineering Physics at the University of Toronto. He so thoroughly enjoyed collecting new astronomical data with telescopes that he quickly transferred to Mathematics and Physics (Victoria College), taking the astronomy option. Don Morton receiving the RASC gold medal in 1956. Left to right National Treasurer J.H. Horning, Don, and renowned astronomer Helen Sawyer Hogg. He won the Gold Medal from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada in 1956 (see photo above). Later that year, Don moved to Princeton University for PhD studies in Astronomy, modeling structure of binary star systems. His student days were followed by flying instruments on astronomical rockets for the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory in Washington D.C. He then returned to Princeton to manage a rocket program that became the precursor to the Copernicus space telescope and made the first ultraviolet spectroscopic observations of stars. With Copernicus, he measured interstellar absorption lines in the UV spectrum of the star Zeta Ophiuchi. During his long research career, Don also worked on stellar structure, stellar atmospheres, QSO spectra, and the compilation of atomic and molecular data. For the latter, he determined atomic data for resonance absorption lines longward of the Lyman limit that have been used widely. Don spent ten wonderful years in Sydney as Director of the Anglo-Australian Observatory, establishing it on the world stage with a commitment to excellence in both astrophysical research and instrumentation development. In 1986, he returned to Canada with his family, initially to Ottawa and then to Victoria, as the Director General of the Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics (HIA) within the National Research Council. During his fourteen-year tenure, Don helped shape national priorities and was instrumental in securing Canada’s participation in the Gemini Observatory and the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT). His leadership ensured that Canadian astronomers had a "seat at the table" for the era of large telescopes, space observatories, and international digital archives. Morton’s honors reflected his international reach. He was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in 1984 and was named an Honorary Fellow of the Astronomical Society of Australia. In recognition of his contributions to the field, Asteroid (20106) Morton was named in his honor. Don retired from NRC in 2000 but was active even then, studying theoretical atomic physics, solar physics and astronomical contributions to climate change. Don is equally well known for his mountaineering adventures, kindled at age seven, by a trip to the Rocky Mountains of Canada where his mother mentioned people actually climb the mountains. Beginning in the 1960’s, he made many expeditions, often on his way to or from an astronomical meeting. He made several first ascents in Canada and Peru, and climbed some of the highest mountain ranges across the globe. He also proposed names for these peaks, often to recognize other Canadian astronomers. On a first trip to Baffin Island he noticed a remarkable peak with a sheer face that had not been noted by earlier expeditions and suggested the name Mt. Thor. On a return trip two years later, made the first ascent with his PhD mentor and friend Lyman Spitzer. Don soloed the Matterhorn and climbed some of the highest peaks in Afghanistan and South America. At age 69, he attempted Everest from the Tibet side, ascending all the way up to the North col (7066 m), before wisely turning back. These journeys took him through the historic landscapes the world over, and he came home with stories of close calls, mishaps, or even the perils of small planes landing at remote airstrips. Building Meccano models was another life-long interest, taking them to shows in Canada, Australia and the UK. He designed and constructed models of steam engines, cranes, robots, and amusement park rides, many of which were motorized. He even created scale models of the telescopes using a concave shaving mirror to set the scale. Even in his final days he was constructing a large model of a Sydney Harbour crane. Don was always humble, highlighting others’ accomplishments and crediting steady effort rather than exceptional brilliance for any successes. He encouraged his family to learn and be curious. He wrote numerous articles on astronomy, mountaineering and his various hobbies, always eager to pass on what he learned. He was also a person of quiet, but deep faith, referring to Genesis 1:1 as the first step in interpreting the wonderful Universe we can observe with our telescopes, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Donald Morton is survived by his devoted wife of 55 years, Winifred (née Austin) Morton; his son Keith (wife Amy, née Bartlett) and their children Benjamin, Eleanor and William; and his daughter Christine Demore (husband Charles) and their daughter Naomi. He will be deeply missed by his family and colleagues across the world. Authors: James Di Francesco, Director, Optical Astronomy, HAA; Dennis Crabtree, Director Emeritus, Dominion Astrophysical Observatory and Don Morton's family.

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. ADDENDUM: Note that after this blogpost was published a paper that describes Louise Webster's early life in South Australia and is more comprehensive in other ways was authored by Nicola Hughes and published by the Astronomical Society of South Australia. We suggest you read this to find out more. 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.

1986 the dome being lifted off the building revealing the astrographic telescope. Photo Nick Lomb. In 1986, the Astrographic Telescope, together with the dome covering it, was moved from Sydney Observatory to Macquarie University. Its last use was to photograph Halley’s Comet that returned in that same year. The telescope had been the Observatory’s main research instrument but became superfluous when the Observatory came under the auspices of the Powerhouse and research ceased in 1983. The photographs above were taken by Nick Lomb and show (left to right) the dome being lifted; the telescope being removed by crane; the demolition of the building. The telescope has two tubes. One has a 13-inch (33-cm) lens and functions as a giant camera, while the other is a guide telescope with a 10-inch (25-cm) lens. The guide telescope was needed as the accuracy with which the mount tracked the apparent motion of the sky was not perfect and sometimes it moved a little fast and sometimes a little slowly. The astronomer looked through crosshairs at a star and if it drifted off, speeded up or slowed down the telescope, as needed. One of the authors (NL) can attest that this was not easy to do at 3 am in the morning! If he or she drifted off to sleep during an exposure, the star images on the resulting photographic plate were streaks instead of round dots. The telescope was built by the Dublin telescope maker Sir Howard Grubb. They were built specifically for the Astrographic Catalogue project that originated at a conference in Paris in 1887. This conference decided to use the then new technique of photography to compile a catalogue of star positions over the entire sky. The sky was divided into zones with the zones allocated to various observatories. The NSW Government Astronomer, Henry Chamberlain Russell, accepted a large zone of the southern sky and another large section on behalf of Melbourne Observatory. Unlike other observatories, Sydney Observatory did not buy an entire telescope for the purpose. Instead, it just purchased the lens and Russell had the tube and mount built locally. This telescope had an English mount, with the telescope inside a fork that allowed it to move up and down, that is, in declination. The fork was aligned north-south and attached to two piers and could rotate east or west, that is, in right ascension. This was similar to the French designed astrographs. This initial astrographic telescope was replaced with the Grubb telescope from Melbourne Observatory when that observatory closed down in 1944. At Sydney, the telescope was placed in brick housing capped by a rotating dome. As mentioned, in 1986, both the telescope and its dome went to Macquarie University. The dome was removed to Macquarie University by trailer across the Harbour Bridge Unfortunately, the planned public observatory and planetarium there did not eventuate, due to lack of funds. However, both the instrument and dome were preserved there for about three decades. The completed East Dome building showing the restored dome on top of a new building and the Astrographic telescope is in the adjacent connected building on the right. Photograph by Nick Lomb. Recently, the telescope and its dome came back to Sydney Observatory and housed in a new building topped by the dome at its original location. The building named 'East Dome' was opened on 27 January 2015. The Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care NSW sponsored the construction of the building, in particular the internal lift that takes people up into the dome, and the purchase of a new accessible telescope fitted with an articulated relay eyepiece. Now people with reduced mobility are able to have an equitable telescope dome experience. NSW Public Works supported the project by restoring the dome and the Powerhouse conservators and volunteers restored the Astrographic Telescope that is part of the static display next to the dome. The building, designed by the NSW Government architects Angus Donald, Vivian Soutas and Terry King, won the prestigious 2015 National Trust Award for adaptive re-use. The Authors Adjunct Professor Nick Lomb is the Chair of the History of Australian Astronomy Chapter of the ASA. He was the curator of Sydney Observatory in addition to astronomy, horology, surveying and meteorology for the Powerhouse Museum until 2012. Dr Toner Stevenson is the Secretary of HAAC and was the Manager of Sydney Observatory during the construction of the East Dome when she led the steering group for the project.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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