Summary

Photograph in a photograph album used at Melbourne Observatory, late 19th century. The photographs show the main Melbourne Observatory building, Great Melbourne Telescope, 8 inch transit telescope, recording equipment, observatories in other cities and countries, astronomers, astronomical photographs of sun and stars.

Description of Content

View looking approximately north-east from the Old Tower Mill towards churches and houses on Wickham Terrace, with buildings of the Queensland Government Observatory visible at centre left.

More Information

  • Collection Names

    Melbourne Observatory Collection

  • Collecting Areas

    Science & Measurement

  • Acquisition Information

    Transfer from Melbourne Observatory, 1945

  • Brisbane Observatory, Wickham Terrace, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, circa 1900
    In 1881, the Queensland Government purchased astronomical equipment previously owned by the amateur astronomer Captain John Reilly (1824-1877), and relocated it to the Wickham Terrace Reserve near the Old Tower Mill, a former convict windmill, where a shipping signal station had been established in 1855. Chonic underfunding saw little activiry undertaken at the observatory apart from that required to support a time signal service and by 1911, the observatory was described as being dilapidated. [Anderson & Orchiston, 2022]

  • Format

    Photograph, Black & White

  • Classification

    Astronomy, Research, Observatories

  • Category

    History & Technology

  • Discipline

    Technology

  • Type of item

    Image

  • References

    The Brisbane Courier, (Qld), 14 Jun 1881, p.2, from [Link 1]
    [Article] Anderson, Peter & Orchiston, Wayne. 2022. John Beebe and the Development of Astronomy in Queensland., 2022, pp.1-20 Pages

  • Keywords

    Astronomy, Churches, Cityscapes, Observatories