Recently, a group of 15, largely men , braved the hail, wind and shine to learn about the historical Observatory located in the Royal Botanical Gardens. The Observatory dating from 1863, when Melbourne was booming from the Gold Rush , is a heritage listed site. Some of the historical equipment used when the Observatory was operational has been preserved , and is still used for sky observations.Our volunteer guides from Astronomical Society of Victoria, Russell Cockman and Colin Pickthall, allowed us to view the sun via the two telescopes . One was a photo heliograph and the other a general telescope. Luckily, the sun came out for us at times!
A fascinating history to hear and a unique experience for members. The reinstallation of the Great Melbourne Telescope of 1869 in its original building, is underway via the ASV and the Melbourne Museum.