Sydney Observatory was designed by William Weaver (1828-1868) and Alexander Dawson (who replaced him as Colonial Architect in 1856). It was built 1857-59, with a west wing added in 1877, adding seven rooms and another new dome. With its 29 cm lens telescope of 1874, it is "Australia’s oldest observatory, and one of the most significant sites in the nation’s scientific history." Up until the early twentieth century, it was "essential to shipping, navigation, meteorology and timekeeping as well as to the study of the stars seen from the Southern Hemisphere," and is now open to the public and "part of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences" in Sydney ("Sydney Observatory").
Left: The Time-ball tower. Right: View from the Observatory: Sydney Harbour seen from Observatory Hill.
Sydney Transit Instrument and Reverser,
Results of Astronomical Observations, facing p.4.
From the introduction to the 1877 reports of "astronomical observations made at the Sydney observatory," we learn that the site itself "is the best that could have been chosen in Sydney, placed as it is on one of the many headlands projecting into the harbour; it is for that reason on the outskirts of the city, on the north side, and but few buildings can ever be made between it and the water, which surrounds it on three sides, east, west, and north; fortunately also it is on these sides that the prevailing winds blow, so driving away the smoke of the city, which lies to the south and south-east" (1).
The 77-page volume of 1877 gives a full description of the building, the small team currently occupying it, and the instruments, along with the various readings, illustrations, charts etc.
Links to Related Material
- York Observatory
- The Royal Observatory (Greenwich, London)
- The Royal Observatory (as one of Greenwich's attractions)
- Toronto Observatory
Photographs by George P. Landow, scanned image, new text and formatting by Jacqueline Banerjee. [You may use these images without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one.]
Bibliography
Dawson, Alexander. State Library, Dictionary of Sydney. Web. 22 August 2023.
"Mr William Weaver (Obituary)." ICE Virtual Library. Web. 22 August 2023.
Results of Astronomical Observations Made at the Sydney Observatory, New South Wales, 1877-1878. Sydney Observatory, 1081. Google Books. Free to read.
"Sydney Observatory." Museums of the World. Web. 22 August 2023. Created 24 January 2008
Extended and updated 22 August 2023