Sydney Observatory guide
A large number of the Observatory’s records, along with records relating to an earlier observatory based in Parramatta, are held in our Collection and provide an intriguing resource for the history of science in Australia.
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While some of the collection requires conservation work and therefore access to all records may not be available immediately, the items within the collection are now searchable via our website.
Historical Overview
On 31 March 1855, a memorandum from Governor Sir William Denison to the Executive Council, led to the decision on 4 April 1855 to re-establish the Observatory.[1] The previous Observatory, at Parramatta, had fallen in to disrepair and "no repairs short of rebuilding the premises could be made."[2]
Denison's reasons for the re-establishment of an observatory in Sydney included 'enabling captains of vessels to rate their chronometers...a practical example of the application of science...(for) the trigonometrical survey of the country..(and for) connecting this Colony with the Scientific Societies of Europe and America.'.[3]
The Sydney Observatory remains one of the most important sites in Australia’s scientific history and in addition to its astronomical importance, its records are also significant in the history of meteorology and timekeeping in Australia.
A large number of the Observatory’s records, along with records relating to an earlier observatory based in Parramatta, are held by the State Archives of NSW and provide an intriguing resource for the history of science in Australia.
Astronomy
In addition to the daily astronomical observations, from 1887 the Sydney Observatory, along with the Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth observatories, participated in the international project to produce an Astrographic (Star) Catalogue (a table of star data) and a Carte du Ciel (a pictorial Chart of the Sky). The photographic plates created by the project remain at the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (MAAS) and Macquarie University, however the NSW State Archives Collection now includes full draft and final versions of the published Astrographic Catalogue, a series of charts from the never-completed Carte du Ciel, as well as materials highlighting the development and achievements of Sydney Observatory.
Sydney Observatory’s contribution to the Astrographic Catalogue was critical to preparing for more recent space missions and will be critical to future explorations. The photographic plates and supporting records in the archive are irreplaceable as they offer snapshots created by experienced astronomers working at Sydney Observatory at key points in time. These snapshots contribute to many subsequent astronomical endeavours providing a baseline against which to compare all future work.
This collection is a completely unique and valuable resource for astronomers today as the plates are the most faithful documentation of the period”. He added, “New technology hasn’t rendered the plates obsolete, rather this historical snapshot enhances current research as comparative analysis now becomes possible. The skies, of course, are ever changing, and the plates are the only documentation of the period in which they were taken and are therefore of huge interest to researchers and practitioners in the field today.”
Dr Andrew Jacob, Curator and Astronomer, MAAS – Sydney Observatory
The collection also contains reports and observations of astronomical events such as eclipses and transits.
Meterology
Until the establishment of the Bureau of Meteorology in the early 1900s, meteorological work was amongst the most significant work undertaken by the Observatory. In addition to the daily recording of data such as records of heat, humidity and rainfall, the collection contains correspondence relating to the establishment of early meteorological reporting stations around Australia. The first Australia weather maps were published by the Government Astronomer, Henry Chamberlain Russell in 1877.
Timekeeping
Time-keeping was a central part of the Observatory’s purpose in the early years of its establishment; plans for the original Observatory were simply for a time ball tower in which the time ball would drop at 1pm every day. Without reliable chronometers, ships needed a daily reset as, whilst latitude was relatively easy to calculate, longitude is much trickier and required accurate time. The sound of the ball dropping accompanied by a cannon blast at Dawes Point could be heard throughout Sydney.
A selection of series & items
Parramatta Observatory
Series | Title | Dates |
|---|---|---|
Observations with the Transit instrument 16 August 1835 to 7 May 1837 [James Dunlop in Parramatta] Item highlight: - NRS-22148-1-1-[3] An eyewitness account of Halley’s Comet: Dunlop's observations in 1835 including Halley's Comet [James Dunlop, Superintendent, Parramatta Observatory - observations using the Transit Instrument] | 1835-1837 | |
Workbooks for the Sydney Astrographic plates [Sydney Observatory] This series contains workbooks for the Sydney Astrographic Plates created by staff at the Sydney Observatory cataloguing the positions of stars in the Sydney region, including the Southern Cross and a large part of the Milky Way for the Astrographic Catalogue of the sky. Workbooks include readings from the comb machine, slide machine and micrometric machine, data concerning standard stars, computations plate stars, pole plates as well as examinations and intercomparisons of plates, adjustments, corrections, diary recordings and method for mounting plates. | 1891-1926 | |
International Photographic Charts of the Heavens [Sydney Observatory] Observations with the Transit instrument 16 August 1835 to 7 May 1837 [James Dunlop in Parramatta] Item highlight: - NRS-22148-1-1-[3] An eyewitness account of Halley’s Comet: Dunlop's observations in 1835 including Halley's Comet [James Dunlop, Superintendent, Parramatta Observatory - observations using the Transit Instrument]A series of original maps of the Carte du Ciel (literally 'Map of the Sky') initiated by Ernest Amédée Barthélemy Mouchez (24 August 1821 – 29 June 1892) at observatories in Paris, Bordeaux, Toulouse and Algiers. | 1895-1937 | |
Selected correspondence inward and outward [Sydney Observatory] Item highlight: - NRS-22113-2-1-[2] Letters from William Scott, Government Astronomer in the 1850s, to the Colonial Secretary concerning the planning and construction of buildings on Observatory Hill, NSW. | 1857-1973 | |
Original drawings of various elevations of Sydney Observatory building, circa 1891. | ||
Papers and notes of the Government Astronomer [Sydney Observatory] Item highlights: - NRS-22122-1-2-[16] [H. Wood, Government Astronomer, 1943-1974] Notes made by Harley Wood to compile a history of the Sydney Observatory for the Procceedings of the Astronomical Society of Australia and a biography of H. A. Lenehan for the Australian Dictionary of Biography. Part 3: Cooke 1912-1926, Nangle 1926-1941. NRS-22122-4-1-[4] Total solar eclipse observed at Goondiwindi in 1922:[W. E. Cooke, Government Astronomer, 1912 to 1926] Eclipse - Astrographic Plates - Total Solar Eclipse Goondiwindi 1922 [Notebook] | 1865-1983 | |
James Dunlop - Observations with the Transit Instrument Notebook 1837-1838:(A note about access: the records listed in this entry relate to unprocessed or partially processed accessions & are generally not available without advance notice. Please contact us for further information) | 1837-1838 |
Footnotes
[1] Correspondence relative to the appointment of a Colonial Astronomer in Votes and Proceedings of the Executive Council, 1856 - 57 vol 2 p.139.
[2] Historical Records of Australia Series 1 Vol .XXV p.732
[3] Correspondence relative to the appointment of a Colonial Astronomer in Votes and Proceedings of the Executive Council, 1856 - 57 vol 2 p.139.