The Great Melbourne Telescope: Past and Future

Affiliation(s): Astronomical Society of Victoria

Session details: Saturday, 2010-04-03 05:00:00

Abstract

Barry will describe how and why the Great Melbourne Telescope (GMT) came into being, its main aim or goal, its achievements, its problems and the ASV’s plan, working with the Museum of Victoria and the Royal Botanic Gardens, to rebuild it in its original building and use it for public viewing. Barry will go through how Melbourne won the right to build the GMT at Melbourne Observatory in 1869 to study “southern nebulae”, which we now know to be galaxies. The GMT was the largest fully steerable telescope in the world for 40 years. It was a product of “Marvellous Melbourne” which came about because of Victoria’s massive growth and wealth that was brought about by the gold rush of 1851.

Biography

Barry joined the ASV in 1988. He has been a demonstrator at Melbourne Observatory since 1995 and the ASV’s Librarian since 1998. Barry was ASV President in 2004 and 2005 and has been involved on many ASV sub-committees including the GMT Restoration committee. After retiring from business at the end of 2000 Barry studied astrophysics at Monash University for 5 years and has been a tutor in astronomy at Monash for 8 years since 2002.