The Australian National University has been awarded funding under the Federal Government’s Heritage Projects (Jobs Fund) to restore and stabilise the Reynold’s Telescope Dome that was severely damaged in the 2003 Canberra firestorm.
The Hon Peter Garrett, Minister for the Environment. Heritage and the Arts, made the announcement at the historic Mount Stromlo Observatory site this morning and said that the restoration of the dome was an important next step in the post fire recovery plans for the ANU Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics at Mount Stromlo.
The telescope was originally built for wealthy industrialist J.H. Reynolds in Birmingham, UK. He made his fortune manufacturing nails. He had no astronomical education but was a highly skilled amateur with professional-level skills. Indeed, Reynolds is the only amateur astronomer to become president of the Royal Astronomical Society. When there was too much ambient light in its original location, he donated the telescope to the Commonwealth Solar Observatory - later to become Mt Stromlo Observatory - around 1928.
The Reynold’s Dome was initially built in 1929 and was the first independent domed telescope structure to be located on the north side of the Mount Stromlo ridge. Until the 1950s, the Dome was the largest working telescope in the southern hemisphere. It played an important part in the Observatory’s post-war research program and was still in use before the 2003 Canberra bushfires destroyed the instrument and badly damaged the dome.
Professor Harvey Butcher, Director of the ANU Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, said that the domes are a landmark feature of Mount Stromlo, and their restoration and reconstruction is an important part of revitalising the site and revisiting the scientific research undertaken in the buildings.
“We want to make the Observatory an important centre for visitors to Canberra,” Professor Butcher said. “Together with the space research and technology development at the School and the satellite laser ranging telescopes of EOS Space Systems, the heritage domes are an essential element of the Observatory’s attractions.”
The entire site of the Mount Stromlo Observatory has been included on the Commonwealth Heritage List and the ACT Heritage Register, and, prior to the 2003 fires, was considered one of the most significant scientific research institutions in the Capital. The telescopes and buildings at Mount Stromlo play a significant part in the history of Canberra, showcasing some of the earliest buildings constructed in the Capital.
