ENGINEERING HERITAGE AUSTRALIA

Nomination of Mount Stromlo Observatory
for recognition under
The Engineering Heritage Recognition Program

Photo Keith Baker 2013

January 2018

Table of Contents
Executive Summary
1 Introduction
2 Nomination Letter
3 Heritage Assessment
3.1 Basic Data:
3.2 History:
3.3 Heritage Listings:

4 Assessment of Significance
4.1 Historical Significance:
4.2 Historic Individuals or Association:
4.3 Creative or Technical Achievement:
4.4 Research Potential:
4.5 Social:
4.6 Rarity:
4.7 Representativeness:
4.8 Integrity/Intactness:
4.9 Statement of Significance:
4.10 Area of Significance:

5 Interpretation Plan
5.1 General Approach:
5.2 Interpretation Panel:

6

References:

7

Acknowledgments, Authorship and General Notes

7.1 Acknowledgments:
7.2 Nomination Preparation:
7.3 General Notes:

Appendix 1

Photographs

Appendix 2

The Advanced Instrumentation & Technology Centre atMount Stromlo

2

Executive Summary
Astronomical observation and research has been conducted at Mount Stromlo from before the foundation ofCanberra as the Australian National Capital. A formal observatory has flourished on the site since 1924,
overcoming light pollution by establishing a major outstation with international cooperation and overcoming
bushfire devastation to rebuild on its strengths. Over time the Mount Stromlo Observatory has evolved fromsolar observation through optical munitions manufacture to be the centre of optical stellar research inAustralia and a world figure in astrophysics and associated instrumentation. By developing its capability ininstrumentation coupled with world class testing facilities, it has become a major partner in the developing
Australian space industry, and a designer and supplier of components for the world’s largest opticaltelescopes while continuing as a leading research institution.
A key to its success in astronomy and astrophysics has been the team effort between astronomers and theirsupport and technical staff, initially in the workshops, needed for the functioning of the local observatory, butdeveloping over time as a synergy between astronomers, engineers and instrument technicians incontinually expanding what was possible in research.
Heritage studies have been undertaken to record and assess the history of scientific achievement, thearchitecture, telescopes and the physical landscape of Mount Stromlo, and books have been written about
the astronomers and administrators and their achievements. Although the narratives and heritage
interpretive material have acknowledged the role of engineers and technical staff, there has not been a study
specifically of Stromlo’s engineering heritage. Yet the significance of the engineering is hollow without thesignificance of the astronomy and astrophysics, while the astrophysical achievement would have been
impeded without the engineering team.
The nomination of Mount Stromlo Observatory for recognition under the Engineering Heritage Recognition
Program therefore draws on the existing heritage studies, books, oral histories and web based information tounderline the engineering role without trying to separate the engineers from the teams in which they worked
other than to highlight their essential contribution.
And while the nomination is for engineering heritage, the present and future work of engineers in the
Advanced Instrumentation and Technology Centre (AITC) is equally remarkable and some understanding of
it is necessary to give a complete story. An outline of the history and current work of the AITC is therefore
appended to the nomination document.
Some of the most significant engineering work from a physical perspective was undertaken in theobservatory workshops, but as they were devastated by the 2003 bushfire and the building subsequently
demolished, a section of the photographic record attempts to record that part of Mount Stromlo’s engineering
heritage.

3

1 Introduction
The Mount Stromlo Observatory is one of the oldest institutions in the ACT. It was established (as theCommonwealth Solar Observatory) in 1924, although astronomical observations had been carried out on themountain as early as 1911. Its original interests lay in solar and atmospheric physics. During World War II,
the Observatory served as an optical munitions establishment; and, after the war, it developed new research
directions in stellar and galactic astronomy, with a change of name to the Commonwealth Observatory. The
site was finally renamed Mount Stromlo Observatory following its amalgamation with ANU in 1957.
The Mount Stromlo Observatory complex is a functioning institution and, in association with the Siding
Spring Observatory in Coonabarabran, is known as the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, aspart of the College of Sciences at the Australian National University. The main research interest is in stellar
and extra galactic astrophysics, in particular, the structure and evolution of stars and galaxies, the origin anddevelopment of the Universe as a whole, and the physics of the material between stars 1.
Mount Stromlo Observatory is renowned internationally for its scientific achievement and is historicallyimportant for its place in the development of the National Capital. The scientific achievement has always
been through multidisciplinary teams, a fact readily acknowledged by the Observatory and university staff.
This can be best illustrated by a quote from the Mt Stromlo Heritage Trail2.
One Stop Shop: One of the most unique aspects of the Mt Stromlo Observatory was its capacity asa fully integrated workplace. While the main purpose of work on site was astronomy, all supporting
infrastructure was on site to enable the research, development, design and manufacture of all therequired instrumentation, optics and electronics.
While it is common for the astronomers themselves to be acclaimed for their work, it must not be
forgotten that the engineers, technicians, mechanics and assistants in the workshops were the key
driving force behind the technology and developments which enabled many of the most famous
astronomical discoveries. …The Engineering and Technical staff worked closely with theastronomers and researchers - innovating and creating instrumentation to enhance the observing
capacity of the existing telescopes. They were also involved in the development of exceptionallycomplex projects and commissions, building whole instruments from the ground up. …The workshop
complex … was completely destroyed in the 2003 firestorm. After taking up temporary lodgings on
the ANU Acton Campus - the workshops were replaced by the new Advanced Instrumentation andTechnology Centre.
Over time the balance has shifted at Mount Stromlo from on-site astronomy to on-site technology,
particularly since the 2003 bushfire, with astronomical observation moving to the prime observing site at
Siding Spring. The new facilities and new research and engineering capacity at the Advanced
Instrumentation and Technology Centre (AITC) enable the design and manufacture of key instruments andadaptive optic systems at Mount Stromlo for some of the world’s largest telescopes, including the Giant
Magellan Telescope, being assembled in Chile.

1 Tanner 2004 Executive Summary
2 Mount Stromlo Observatory Heritage Trail, ANU 2014, p20 One Stop Shop

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2 Nomination Letter
Learned Society Advisor
Engineering Heritage Australia
Engineers Australia
Engineering House
11 National Circuit
BARTON ACT 2600
Name of work: Mount Stromlo Observatory

The above-mentioned work is nominated to be awarded an Engineering Heritage National Marker.
The Mount Stromlo Observatory is located as follows:
Research School of Astronomy & Astrophysics
Mount Stromlo Observatory
Cotter Road
Weston Creek ACT 2611
AUSTRALIA
Grid reference of the Observatory Visitors Centre is:35.32087o south, 149.0007o east.
Owner:The Australian National University
Acton ACT 2601
AUSTRALIA
The owner has been advised of this nomination and a letter of agreement is to be available.
Access to site: The site is open to the public.
The Nominating Body for this nomination is Engineering Heritage Canberra

Phil Willis
Chair
Engineering Heritage Canberra

January 20185

3 Heritage Assessment
3.1 Basic Data
Other/Former Names:
Commonwealth Solar Observatory
Commonwealth Observatory
Location: Approximately 40ha, on the summit of Mount Stromlo, 15km west of Canberra,comprising that part of Block 38, Stromlo, bounded on the north and east by the blockboundary and on the west and south by 745m above sea level.
Address: Mount Stromlo Road, Weston Creek, Australian Capital Territory 2611
State/Territory: ACT
Local Govt. Area: Stromlo
Owner: Australian National University
Current Use: headquarters of The Australian National University's (ANU) Research School of
Astronomy and Astrophysics (RSAA).
Former Use: Solar observatory; Optical Munitions Factory
Designer: Federal Capital Commission for the initial structures (involvement of JS Murdoch and
HM Rolland), various ANU architects, engineers, astronomers for other structures.
Maker/Builder: Various
Year Started: 1911 for the site with Oddie Telescope Dome, 1924 for Solar Observatory
Year Completed: Ongoing
Physical Description: Mount Stromlo Observatory Precinct, an optical astronomical researchcomplex arranged across the ridge of a mountain, is a significant cultural landscape. Despite
serious damage by the January 2003 bushfire, significant elements continuing to contribute to
the heritage values of the place include the standing and remnant structures of the telescope
dome buildings, the administration buildings, housing, gardens, workshop, the Duffield grave,
utility structures, remaining landscape features, and the layout pattern of the complex3.
Physical Condition: The precinct is well maintained as an operational research facility of the
ANU. Following bushfire damage in 2003 the Administration Building has been fully restored(2007), the Director’s Residence has been partially restored and interpreted (2015), and the
Visitor’s Centre has been refurbished (2016). The workshops have been replaced in adifferent location on the site by the Advanced Instrumentation & Technology Centre, and while
the remnant structures of the destroyed research telescopes remain, in some, new telescopes
have been installed for community outreach. In 2006, the first phase of construction wascompleted on the Advanced Instrumentation Technology Centre (AITC) which continues thedesign and manufacturing of astronomical instruments and testing of space equipment.
Modifications and Dates: After the 2003 bushfire, the research observation function was
primarily transferred to Siding Spring Observatory near Coonabarabran NSW which had
operated in parallel with Mount Stromlo since 1965. The only operational telescopes atMount Stromlo are for community outreach to school and amateur astronomy groups, anda satellite laser ranging telescope operated by Electro-Optic Systems (EOS).

3 Commonwealth Listed Place ID 105309, 2004

6

3.2 History
3.2.1 The Oddie Telescope Trial: There was early interest among the astronomy fraternity in
Melbourne in establishing a solar observatory in Canberra. In February 1910 theCommonwealth government invited Pietro Baracchi, the Victorian Government Astronomer,
and a party of four to the Canberra area to select a suitable site for an astronomical
observatory4. With a telescope donated by James Oddie, Baracchi established a small
observatory on Mount Stromlo in May 1911.
Within months of the proclamation of the Federal Capital Territory, astronomers from
Melbourne had installed the 9-inch Oddie Refractor on the summit of Stromlo in order to sitetest the mountain.
Baracchi regularly visited the site until 1913 when he reported that it 'fulfilled the mostessential requirements for any class of delicate astronomical work'.
The Oddie Dome was among the first Federal buildings to be constructed in the ACT. It was
designed and constructed by the Department of Home Affairs.
Astronomers later used the telescope to take spectra of southern stars, gathering informationon their age, size and chemical composition; measure the orbits of binary stars; and search
for remnants of supernovae in the Milky Way5.
3.2.2 The Solar Observatory: Despite lobbying since around 1905, after World War 1 thecampaign to create a national observatory was taken up again. Astronomer Walter Geoffrey
Duffield was the main driving force in efforts to fill the latitude gap between the USA andIndia that would allow the Sun to be kept under constant observation. The Commonwealth
Government gave final approval in 1923, and Duffield was appointed as the foundation
Director of the new Commonwealth Solar Observatory in January 1924.
The building was designed to become the focal point, the administrative centre and thesocial heart of the Observatory. The building included two octagonal towers. The one at theeastern end was to carry the heliostat or sun telescope and one at the western end was for aconventional telescope (occupied by the Farnham telescope). The main building wasconstructed between 1924 and 1926. Work on the solar laboratories, including a long tunnel
to house a spectrograph, took another 2 years to complete due to the blasting needed to
excavate the basement and tunnel. During this period the Observatory was based in a wingof the Hotel Canberra (now the Hyatt).
The Heliostat was the main instrument of the Commonwealth Solar Observatory from 1931
to 1946. It was housed in a small dome above a vertical tower, which led to the solar
laboratory in the basement. The Heliostat used two flat mirrors inside the dome to track the
Sun and pass its light down the tower through a 12 inch lens. At the bottom of the tower, thelight beam was reflected by another flat mirror to focus in one of the measuring instruments.
The main instrument was a 3-prism spectrograph, regarded as one of the best in the world.
This instrument was used to produce the Atlas of the Solar Spectrum which became theprime reference in the field of solar research for many years. Research was also carried out
on the interaction between solar flares, sunspots and their effects on the Earth, particularly
the upper atmosphere.

4 Australian Dictionary of Biography, Baracchi, Pietro
5 Telescopes of Mt Stromlo » The Oddie Refractor

73.2.3 Wartime Precision Manufacturing: The Second World War dramatically changed the roleof the observatory6. The Commonwealth Solar Observatory operated as an Optical Munitions
Factory, designing and manufacturing gun-sights and other equipment to aid the war effort.
The Observatory swelled in size with a number of new workshops being constructed, and thestaff numbers grew from 10 to 70. Mount Stromlo was the only Optical Munitions Factory inAustralia equipped with the expertise and facilities to both design and manufacture
munitions. Many of the new engineers were German Jews, released from a prisoner-of-war
camp under the care of Director Richard Woolley.
The Observatory also acquired responsibility for the Commonwealth Time Service in 1944
and this responsibility remained until 1968.
3.2.4 Transition to Stellar Astronomy: While the main focus of the observatory in the early years
was on the study of the sun, parallel work was undertaken on observation of the stars. The 6
inch Farnham Telescope7 was installed in 1928 in the dome on the west wing of the building.
Because of its small size, the Farnham had only limited use, but some of the earliest
spectroscopic classification of southern stars was done with it and in the 1940s it was used
to investigate variable stars.
A 30 inch Reynolds Reflector telescope was donated to the observatory in 1924 and was
erected between 1927 and 1929 in a separate dome near the Solar Observatory building. It
was the first reflecting telescope at Mt Stromlo and until the 1950s it was the largest
operational telescope in the southern hemisphere. During the 1940s the Reynolds reflector
was used for some of the first detailed surveys of southern stellar types, and in the 1950s to
study stars in the Magellanic Cloud galaxies8.
After the Second World War the research efforts of the Observatory changed from solar tostellar astronomy and the Heliostat gradually fell into disuse.
3.2.5 Big Stellar Telescopes9: The Observatory acquired the Great Melbourne Telescope in1944 in pieces. The dome to house the Great Melbourne 50 inch Telescope was built andthe instrument installed in the following decade.
Other telescopes were added through collaborative arrangements, government funding andself-help within the establishment at Mount Stromlo.
The 26-inch Yale-Columbia Telescope10 was made operational on the site in 1955. It began
operation in Johannesburg in 1925, as Yale University's Southern Station. Columbia
University joined the telescope's research program in 1943, but increased light pollution
forced the American universities to look for an alternate location. By invitation, thetelescope moved to Mt Stromlo and recommenced operation as a foreign station for US
astronomers. The universities donated the telescope to Mount Stromlo in 1963.
In 1955 Stromlo's largest telescope commenced operation, the 74-inch reflector built by
Grubb Parsons in the UK. As the site's largest and most advanced telescope, it was theObservatory's primary research instrument throughout its lifetime.

6 Mt Stromlo Heritage Trail » Timeline of Mt Stromlo, See also

http://rsaa.anu.edu.au/observatories/telescopes
7 Telescopes of Mt Stromlo » Farnham Telescope
8 Telescopes of Mt Stromlo » Reynolds Reflector
9 Mt Stromlo Heritage Trail » Timeline of Mt Stromlo
10 Telescopes of Mt Stromlo » Yale-Columbia Refractor

8In conjunction with the University of Uppsala in Sweden, the Uppsala Schmidt telescope
was erected at Mt Stromlo in 1955, (but later relocated to Siding Spring).
Around this time The Australian National University assumed control of the Observatoryfrom the Department of the Interior and the name was formally changed to Mount Stromlo
Observatory in 1957.
The various telescopes conducted different aspects of research11. The Oddie did the firstmeasurement of brightness, colour and spectral classification of southern stars. The
Farnham was mainly used to test instruments or used as a guide telescope for wide angle
cameras. The Heliostat was used for solar observations, and the lens is now used in the
Duffield heliostat in the visitor centre. The Great Melbourne telescope was adapted tosearch for dark matter. The Reynolds Telescope was used for surveys of southern stars
and galaxies. The Schmidt telescope in the Uppsala Dome was used for surveys of theSouthern Milky Way and Magellanic Clouds. The Yale Columbia telescope surveyed the
distribution of stars and their motions and provided NASA with orbits for the moons ofSaturn. The 74 inch Telescope was used to track the life cycles of stars.
From 1957 Mount Stromlo astronomers began looking for a better observing site free fromcity light pollution and by 1962 Siding Spring Mountain near Coonabarabran was selected
for a new field station and officially opened in 1965. After the jointly funded AngloAustralian Telescope was constructed at Siding Spring was opened in 1974, withsignificant scientific and engineering input from Mount Stromlo staff, Uppsala Schmidt
telescope was relocated in 1981, and a new 2.3 m telescope was designed and built at
Mount Stromlo to be opened at Siding Spring in 1984.The project received and Engineering
Excellence Award the following year.
3.2.6 Laser Ranging and space debris tracking: A Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) Observatory
was installed on Mt Stromlo in 1998 adjacent to the Observatory. It was built and operated
by Electro Optic Systems Pty Ltd for Geoscience Australia, in collaboration with the Mount
Stromlo Observatory12. The initial facility was destroyed by fire in 2003, but theredevelopment that was already in progress enabled a new facility to be opened in 2004.
The shared research centre incorporates a number of functions including the tracking ofspace debris to avoid collision with satellites, the Geoscience Australia laser ranging
facility, a telescope test facility and an atmospheric monitoring facility. Laser ranging isused by Geoscience Australia as part of a world-wide network of stations to determine theprecise orbit of reference satellites and thereby to monitor changes in the position of thestations on the Earth’s surface.
3.2.7 Astronomical Achievements: The first notable research achievement was with the
Heliostat and spectrograph were used by Clabon Allen in the 1930s to produce an Atlas of
the Solar Spectrum. By analysing the intensity of the dark lines that cross the Sun's
spectrum, Allen made a significant contribution to the understanding of the elements thatmake up the Sun' atmosphere and developed a Solar Atlas which gained the Observatoryinternational recognition and became an important reference to solar researchers for many
years.
In the 1950s astronomer Ben Gascoigne used the Reynolds telescope to study stars in the
Magellanic Cloud galaxies, leading to the discovery that the universe was twice the size
and age than previously thought. This work was supported by Gerald Kron, a US engineer
turned astronomer who was expert in constructing instruments for astronomical purposes,
especially photoelectric photometric instruments13.

11 Australian Heritage Database Mount Stromlo Observatory Precinct –History
12 http://rsaa.anu.edu.au/research/highlights/eos-we’re-working-business-and-satellite-technology
13 Bhat, Sutherland & Butcher p85

9

In 1957, Stromlo research engineer Kurt Gottlieb captured the first Western photograph of
the Soviet Union’s Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite. The image graced the cover of the
New York Times.
In 1984 Stromlo scientists Mike Bessell and John Norris discover the oldest star, a record
which stood for over 20 years. The same team reclaimed this title in 2014.
Stromlo astronomer Ken Freeman was one of the first people to suggest the presence ofan invisible mass in the Universe. In 1970 he ‘weighed’ some spiral galaxies by calculating
the mass of all the visible objects, revealing that there was not enough visible mass tocreate enough gravity to hold the galaxy together. The missing mass was called ‘dark
matter’, which we now know makes up about 25% of the Universe. In 1992 Mt Stromlo
embarked on the MACHO project (Massive Astronomical Compact Halo Objects), in an
attempt to identify the source of the mysterious 'dark matter'. The project ruled out
MACHOs as an adequate explanation, and also led to the first discoveries of exoplanets(planets beyond our own solar system).
From 1994, Mount Stromlo Director Jeremy Mould led the team that used the Hubble
Space Telescope to accurately determine the Hubble Constant (the rate of the Universe’s
expansion). From this finding, the age of the Universe was recalculated to be about 13
billion years old.
In 1998, following observations of supernovae using the Reynolds Reflector, Mt Stromlo
researcher Brian Schmidt (along with two other astronomers from the United States)
published evidence that the Universe is expanding at an accelerating rate. This observation
led to the team’s discovery of ‘dark energy’, which accounts for about 70% of the Universe.
Professor Schmidt was named a joint winner of the 2011 Nobel physics prize for his
ground-breaking research on supernovae and the expansion of the universe.
3.2.8 Destruction: In 2003 a bushfire which started in NSW spread to the Cotter catchment anddeveloped into a firestorm which devastated Mount Stromlo and Canberra suburbs, mostnotably Duffy and other Weston Creek and Tuggeranong suburbs close to Mount Stromlo.
The firestorm severely damaged the Mount Stromlo observatory, its telescopes, workshops
and associated laser ranging facility.
The firestorm hit Mount Stromlo on 18 January 2003 and the report of 20 January in the
Sydney Morning Herald encapsulated the story of devastation:
A third of Australia's world-leading astronomy program was wiped out when theCanberra bushfires gutted the Mount Stromlo Observatory14. The flames destroyed fivetelescopes, the workshop, eight staff homes and the main dome, causing more than
$20million in damage. The historic 1.3 metre-diameter Great Melbourne Telescope,
built in 1868 and upgraded in 1992 to become one of the most sophisticated inAustralia, was lost, as was a larger, 1.9-metre instrument. The Great Melbourne had
been used in 1993 for world leading research into dark matter.
It was the belief at the time of Professor Brian Schmidt that the inferno had devastated
Australia's hopes of becoming a world leader in the building of advanced technology used in
the world's biggest telescopes. A $5million imaging spectrograph had been destroyed in
Mount Stromlo's workshop that was almost ready to be installed in Hawaii's gigantic Gemini
Observatory, one of just two 8.1-metre-diameter telescopes in the world. A month earlier
Mount Stromlo had won an international competition to build a second instrument, a$6.3million camera to be fitted to the second Gemini telescope, in Chile.
Mount Stromlo had been damaged in earlier bushfires (notably in 1952), but to a much lesser
extent. After it came under threat in 2001 the university established a project to reduce therisk15. An external fire engineering study recommended clearing vegetation from the western
14 Richard Macey and Michael Bradley, Sydney Morning Herald 20 January 200315

http://facilities.anu.edu.au/index.php?pid=132

10

side of the mountain, installing external sprinklers and improving the water pressure. Much ofthis work had been undertaken by January 2003, but with the severity of the fire front it wasof limited benefit. The Visitors Centre was saved as there was little fuel to feed the fire, andthe Duffield and Woolley Buildings were saved by internal sprinklers. But more than a dozenbuildings, five telescopes and residences were left in ruins. Restoration work has been
carried out on the historic administration building and others repaired or replaced, butdamaged telescopes have not generally been replaced on site, with the alternative site of
Siding Spring near Coonabarabran being a better technical option.
3.2.9 On-site Research and Off-site Observation: The Observatory had just refitted the 50 inch
Great Melbourne Telescope as an automated sky survey instrument when the bushfire swept
through the area. Although the telescope’s destruction was a major research setback, it alsopresented an opportunity to design a better replacement survey telescope known as
SkyMapper16. Growing light pollution in Canberra and improvements in communications
technologies led to the decision to site SkyMapper at the Siding Spring Observatory.
Skymapper is state-of-the-art both in terms of the 1.35m diameter optics and the 268
megapixel detector designed and built at the ANU. SkyMapper’s main task is to conduct thefirst ever systematic survey of the entire southern sky to produce a detailed digital map. Datais transmitted to the ANU supercomputer facility for processing. The telescope is fully
automated, with the astronomers working from the Mount Stromlo Observatory.
3.2.10 Astronomical instrumentation: The destroyed workshop at Mount Stromlo was replaced
temporarily by shared facilities elsewhere and the first stage of the new Advanced
Instrumentation and Technology Centre17 was completed in 2006. It included optics
workshops and a large assembly hall in a world-class facility for developing and testing
astronomical instrumentation, small satellites, and space payloads.
The facilities in the new centre have enabled many technical projects to be completed,including a new spectrograph for the 2.3m telescope at Siding Spring, a second instrument
for the Gemini Observatory telescope in Chile, and the wide-field imaging camera for the
Siding Springs SkyMapper telescope.
More recent facilities include a computer-controlled “shaker” capable of exerting acceleration
forces of several tons on instruments under test before they are launched into orbit, or
ensuring telescope parts can withstand the rigors of land transport. Another new facility is athermal vacuum chamber measuring three metres in diameter and four metres long that cansimulate the airless environment of space and test performance at extreme temperatures.
There are also a number of clean rooms, workshops and a large screened chamber capableof blocking out background radio noise. The test facility is creating new opportunities forAustralian science and industry to engage more strongly in the rapidly expanding field ofspace exploration.
Australia’s partnership in the Giant Magellan Telescope currently being built in the Andes mountains of Chile will guarantee ANU astronomers a 5% share in what will be the largest
and most powerful telescope in the world. The ANU contribution to the telescope design andfuture instrumentation projects will take place at the Advanced Instrumentation andTechnology Centre. A major aspect of the ANU’s current work involves adaptive optics18, atechnology that is essential to the success of high-resolution observations with the next
generation of large ground-based telescopes. Adaptive optics systems correct for the
distorting effects of turbulence in the atmosphere, using deformable mirrors that precisely
cancel out the wavefront distortion enabling a telescope to resolve images of faint distantobjects much more clearly. Because the atmospheric structure changes thousands of times
each second, it would be impossible to deform the massive primary mirrors of the Giant
Magellan Telescope quickly enough to compensate. So, it will be the adaptive secondary16

http://sciencewise.anu.edu.au/articles/skymapper
http://rsaa.anu.edu.au/research/highlights/things-are-taking-mount-stromlo-observatory
18 http://sciencewise.anu.edu.au/articles/jitters17

11

mirrors that will accomplish this task with 672 individual actuators to precisely deform themirror surfaces at very high speeds.
3.2.11 Engineering expertise: The equipment needed to make precise astronomical observations
is highly specialised and, as a result, much of it is specifically designed for individual
applications. The Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics has a long history oftechnical research and development, and is equipped with specialised engineering facilities
for astronomical instrumentation. These include a mechanical engineering design office andsophisticated mechanical workshop, an electronic design and manufacturing group, optics
design and manufacturing laboratories, and a software group that develops and implements
control systems for telescopes, instruments, and data processing.
Much of the early impetus for ongoing development of engineering expertise at Mount
Stromlo can be credited to Alexander Rodgers, the sixth Director of the Observatory from1987-1992. His career at Mt Stromlo had started 32 years earlier. In 1954, Rodgers won ascholarship to complete his PhD at the ANU. Rodgers ended up staying and he spent his
entire astronomy career at the Mt Stromlo Observatory. His passion for engineering was a
key influence on his Directorship. He argued very strongly that Stromlo's engineering
capability was a vital part of its identity and its role in the future. Rodgers' ensured that Mt
Stromlo maintained its scientific leadership through his focus on developing new
instrumentation, such as a custom-built spectrophotometer and photon-counting arrays.
Workshop staff have reflected on the innovation that happened daily within the workshops noting that the expertise of the staff allowed old equipment to be innovated, modernised andmade useful long after its original purpose was superseded. They were also involved in thedevelopment of exceptionally complex projects and commissions, building whole instrumentsfrom the ground up. Such work included the construction of the highly advanced 2.3m
telescope at Siding Spring Observatory and the Near-Infrared Integral Field Spectrographwhich was being constructed for the Gemini Telescope in Hawaii, and was tragically lost in
the 2003 fire just days after its completion.
The earliest engineering staff member was Kurt Gottlieb, who was recruited in 1940 as a
refugee by Richard Woolley soon after he became Observatory Director. Woolley committee
the observatory to the war effort and was desperate for skilled staff in optics and mechanics.
Kurt Gottlieb, from an Austrian middle class Jewish family, had escaped Nazi anti-Semitism.
However his engineering degree was not recognised in Australia and he enrolled in atechnical college draftsman’s course, where he came under notice from Woolley who offered
him employment at Mount Stromlo. He worked as a mechanical designer and became
research engineer during war19. When his academic qualifications in mechanical engineering
were recognised, Gottlieb was made a Research Fellow at Mount Stromlo Observatory andwas also put in charge of the workshops20. Among many other achievements he designed
an electron multiplier photometer with Cla Allen for the Reynolds telescope in 194721, and in1957 he managed to secure the first photo of Sputnik taken in the west as it passed over
Mount Stromlo. The associated publicity and cold war concerns were used by Director Bart
Bok to gain political and funding support for the observatory22.
Another well-known Stromlo engineering identity is Hermann Wehner, the longest serving
and extremely loyal engineer who joined the staff at Mount Stromlo in 195223 He officiallyretired in 1980, after which he was re-employed as a casual engineer, was called in to workon various projects and finally worked as a volunteer guide at the Visitors Centre.

19 Stromlo, an Australian Observatory, Tom Frame & Don Faulkner, 2003, p84
20 http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/exhib/omp/people/gottlieb.htm
21 Frame & Faulkner p100
22 Mt Stromlo Observatory, From Bush Observatory to the Nobel Prize, R Bhat, R Sutherland & H

Butcher,2013, p110
23 Oral History recording https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/handle/1885/117119

12After training as an instrument maker, working at the solar observatory at Gőttingen
University and undertaking formal engineering studies in Munich from 1949-52, Wehner wassponsored by the Mt Stromlo Director, Professor Woolley, to immigrate to Australia. His firstmajor task, with Kurt Gottlieb (by then head of engineering design) was to rebuild the 1868
Great Melbourne Telescope which had been bought in 1944 when the Melbourne
Observatory closed, but was still in pieces. Hermann Wehner worked on it for a number ofyears, including installing it within its dome. He also worked on the 74 inch Grubb Parsons
telescope commissioned at Mount Stromlo in 1955 before embarking on more demanding
work to establish the Siding Spring Observatory. The task over the period 1967-1975
involved providing technical advice during the planning negotiations for a joint venture
telescope with the British government and subsequently project managing the construction
and Australian adaptation of its realisation as the 3.9 metre AngloAustralian telescope at
Siding Spring. Another telescope he was closely involved with was the 2.3 metre Advanced
Technology Telescope, built in 1976-7 for the Siding Spring Observatory. Designing andbuilding this innovative telescope required a team of four engineers which he led.
In his retirement role as a tour guide Wehner would focus on the technology and science
aspects, explaining what the telescopes represented and their capabilities. On the day of the2003 fires, the 79 year old was working at the Visitors Centre, taking a tour to see the 74”
telescope in its dome, where he had recently installed a multi-focus viewer capacity. One
visitor on the tour asked how long the telescope had been there, to which he replied that it
had been there for 50 years and it was good for another 50. This was on the same day thetelescope and dome had been destroyed by the fire.
Many younger engineers worked with Wehner, shared in development projects andcontinued on his work, including optical design engineer Gabe Bloxham and mechanicaldesign engineer John Hart24. They commenced at Mount Stromlo about 20 years later andare still key staff members. A career collaborative highlight was in the 1980s when the 2.3 m
Advanced Technology Telescope was initiated and designed at Mount Stromlo and built inAustralia (more than 95 % local content), particularly by the engineering and technical staff in
the Observatory workshop. Computer control allowed a change in design from the previous
heavy equatorial axis style to alt azimuth arrangement of tracking in two directions, withmounting in a building that rotated and could therefore be made more compact. John Hart
was principally responsible for the telescope design, Hermann Wehner for the rotatingbuilding and Gary Hovey for the control systems. Opened in 1984 at Siding Spring, theproject won the IEAust Canberra Division Engineering Excellence Award the following year.
After more than 20 years of valuable service, the 2.3 m telescope was becoming less reliablewith scarcity of spare parts, particularly for the drive system electronics, but it needed tocontinue in service for several years until the SkyMapper Southern Sky Survey could becompleted. The team that built the telescope was reassembled, led by Hermann Wehner
who was again brought out of retirement, to refurbish the telescope with minimal budget butwith great dedication25.
In contrast to the engineering and technology staff levels when Mount Stromlo concentrated
on being an observatory, the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, including theAdvanced Instrumentation and Technology Centre, now employs 57 astronomers with 17
engineers, seven instrumentation scientists and five technical managers among the support
staff. The engineers who make up a significant component of the team are classified as optomechanical, electronic and software engineers26.

24 Interviewed jointly for the ANU oral history program

https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/handle/1885/117112
25 Bhat, Sutherland & Butcher p 271
26 http://rsaa.anu.edu.au/people?title=&tid=34&=Search13Since the 2003 fire, the site has been rebuilt with a commitment to supporting world-class
Australian research through the development of the next generation of instrumentation for
astronomy and space science. This includes increasing national and international
collaboration, growing capability for the manufacture and testing of advanced
instrumentation, supporting stronger collaboration with industry, and training our futurescientists and engineers.
The Advanced Instrumentation and Technology Centre was established as a national facility
for the assembly, integration and testing of precision instrumentation and small spacecraft.
The Centre is designing and manufacturing key instruments and adaptive optic systems forsome of the world's largest telescopes including the Giant Magellan Telescope in Chile,
South America. It is also using adaptive optics to help track and de-orbit space debris
through the Space Environment Research Centre.
New facilities and new research and engineering capacity ensure that Mt Stromlo
Observatory continues to grow as a world-class facility, representative of the highest levelsof technology and innovation internationally.

3.3 Heritage Listings
For each heritage listing:Name: Register of the National Estate (RNE) (Non-statutory archive)
Title: Mount Stromlo Observatory Precinct
Number: 13353
Date: Registered 11/8/1987
The RNE ceased to have statutory effect in February 2012 and the RNE listing does notprovide direct legal protection or prescriptive requirements for management. The RNE isretained by the Commonwealth as an archival database of places. The RNE citation
matches the CHL citation
Name: Commonwealth Heritage List (CHL)
Title: Mount Stromlo Observatory Precinct
Number: 105309
Date: Registered 22/6/2004
The site has statutory protection under the EPBC Act. The official citation determines that
the Mount Stromlo Observatory Precinct meets the threshold for listing on the CHL for six ofthe nine Commonwealth Heritage criteria. The 2014 GML Heritage Management Plan
reassesses the heritage values against the Commonwealth Heritage List criteria.
Name: National Trust of Australia ACT Registration of Classified Places 1979-2004
Title: Mount Stromlo Observatory
Date: Registered 24/11/1980
The National Trust (ACT) no longer classifies places, but nominates them to the ACT
Heritage Register which legally recognises and protects significant heritage places within theAustralian Capital Territory. However the Mount Stromlo Observatory Precinct was rejected
for provisional listing by the ACT Heritage Council because the site is located on National
Land, under the control of the Commonwealth.

14

4 Assessment of SignificanceAs noted above, the 2014 GML Heritage Management Plan carried out a detailed
reassessment of the significance of the Mount Stromlo Observatory against theCommonwealth Heritage List criteria. Where relevant to this nomination, the assessment by
GML has been used, with editing as considered appropriate to the narrower focus being
applied in this nomination for the Engineering Heritage Recognition Program.

4.1 Historical Significance: The Mount Stromlo Observatory Precinct is highly significant to thecourse of Australia’s cultural history. It is the earliest example of Commonwealth scientificendeavour located in Canberra and demonstrates the role that the Commonwealth has
played in scientific research from the period shortly after Federation. The creation of theAustralian Capital Territory provided a focus as the location for such activity and theObservatory is associated with the early period of development of the National Capital. The
Observatory reflects both the Commonwealth's interest in science and a vision for Canberra
as the location for scientific institutions, as well as general government administration. The
Mount Stromlo Observatory is one of a number of scientific buildings or complexes
commenced by the Commonwealth in the Territory in the years following Federation. The
Mount Stromlo Observatory Precinct is a complex landscape incorporating structures from all
historic phases of development of the site; pre-1923, 1924–1938, 1939–1955, 1956–1977,
1978–2003 and 2003–Present. The Oddie Telescope Dome was constructed in 1911 tohouse the first telescope on site; it is one of the earliest purpose built Commonwealthbuildings in the ACT, and was established to test the site for its suitability as an observatory.
The Mount Stromlo Observatory Precinct is significant for its outstanding scientific researchin optical astronomy and astrophysics, as well as telescope design and engineeringachievements. It has retained its continuity of use since its establishment as a research
institution and in the ongoing development of instrumentation. During World War II the
Observatory played a vital role as an optical munitions factory contributing substantially at ascientific level to the war effort in the manufacturing of optical instruments. The expansion of
the site in the 1950s with considerable telescope acquisition reflects the importance of
science at that time, and is demonstrated through the remnant telescope dome buildings.
The scientific research undertaken at the site has resulted in notable achievements. This
includes the comprehensive photometric atlas of the solar spectrum produced by Clabon
Allen, the highly acclaimed 1960s MACHO Project which focused on resolving missing massin the universe, and the discovery of the Magellanic Stream. The 2003 construction of themodern state of the art Advanced Instrumentation Technology Centre (AITC) continues thefunction of the site for scientific research and the development of astronomical
instrumentation for Australia and internationally.
The 2003 firestorm is a historically significant event in the history of the Mount Stromlo
Observatory, which destroyed most of the buildings and workshops, research telescopes,
instruments, important research and records on site, as well as the vegetation, including thesurrounding pine plantation. The evidence of the ruined buildings and domes demonstrates
the extent of the devastation27.

4.2 Historic Individuals or Association (including biographies of relevant historicalindividuals): The place is significant for its strong association with scientists who have madea substantial contribution to astronomy and astrophysics. Notable among these wasProfessor Brian Schmidt who was a co-recipient of the Nobel Prize for Physics 2011 for the
discovery that the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate.
The 10 directors of the Observatory since its establishment in 1924 have played vital roles inthe development of the site and their contribution to astronomical science;
27

GML p100 Revised Heritage Values Assessment Criterion (a)

15















the first Observatory Director, Walter Geoffrey Duffield (January 1924-August 1929), waspivotal in the establishment of the site. Duffield studied science in Adelaide, obtained anengineering scholarship to Cambridge University and later a Doctor of Science for researchin spectroscopy in Manchester, where he gained experience and influence to pursue theidea for an Australian solar observatory that he had held since 190528.
the second Director, Richard Woolley (December 1939- December 1955), was selected by apanel of eminent astronomers in the UK . He On arrival in Australia he engaged with theGovernment in leading the Observatory devote its resources to the production of opticalmunitions during World War II.Wooley subsequently changed the focus of the observatoryfrom solar to stellar astronomy and oversaw the largest telescope acquisition to the site
during the 1950s, before returning to England to become Astronomer Royal.
Bart Bok (March 1957-March 1966) was born and studied in Holland before working at
Harvard on both optical and radio astronomy. He accepted an invitation an invitation from
ANU as an opportunity to pursue his passion in mapping the Milky Way29. He advanced thedevelopment of optical astronomy in Australia and its integration with the field of radio
astronomy. He was passionate about public education in the promotion of astronomy, andestablishing a thriving international graduate program at Stromlo. Bok obtained funding toadvance high resolution spectroscopy and digital computing at Stromlo, and established adark sky field observatory at Siding Spring with three telescopes operated before the Anglo
Australian telescope was negotiated.
Olin Eggen (July 1966-September 1977) was born in the US and became a highly regarded
academic in astrophysics in the UK and US. He had made two extended observing visits toMount Stromlo during his early career before becoming its fourth Director. During his tenure
he worked tirelessly if somewhat reclusively on research, and facilitated the construction of
new instruments, including image intensifying and infrared astronomy. The Anglo–Australian
Telescope was built at Siding Spring. His directorship was a period of growth for opticalastronomy and by the end of his term, Australia was recognised as a major player ininternational astronomy30.
Donald Mathewson (April 1879-May1986) was the first Australian born Director, having
graduated from University of Queensland and subsequently studied for his PhD at
Manchester University, worked with the CSIRO Radiophysics Division, he was appointed
from within the staff of Mount Stromlo. He was regarded as an entrepreneur, and while his
own research work involved radio astronomy, he directed the design and construction of theAdvanced Technology Telescope using Mount Stromlo scientific and engineering staff.
Alexander Rogers (June 1987-December 1993) was also Australian born, was recruited to
Mount Stromlo by Wooley in 1954 with a post graduate scholarship, spent virtually all his
notable career at Stromlo and was the first Mount Stromlo graduate to be appointed
Director31. He had always been heavily involved in the development of astronomical
instruments through the Stromlo workshop and argued that Stromlo’s engineering capability
was a vital part of its identity and role in the future32. During his term new instrumentation
was developed for the 2.3 m telescope and dark matter research was undertaken. Rogers
advocated for a large Australian optical telescope, but no suitable site could compare with
Chile or Hawaii.
Jeremy Mould (December 1993-January 2001) had also undertaken his PhD at Mount
Stromlo and after many years in a wide range of overseas observatories he returned toStromlo as its seventh Director. He saw the future path as international collaboration in large
optical telescopes since Australia would not be host to its own. The Government initially
blocked such a partnership, but by supporting Australian observing time in the Gemini
telescopes in Hawaii, Australia gained contracts for the design and construction of

28 Bhat, Sutherland & Butcher p5
29 Frame & Faulkner p136
30 Obituary written by Ken Freeman, http://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/eggen-olin-jeuck-343
31 Frame & Faulkner p124
32 Bhat, Sutherland & Butcher p188

16







spectrographic instruments in the Stromlo workshops. Mould was also involved in a joint
Antarctic research project and established the Stromlo Visitor Centre to bring astronomy
back to the public. He also led specific observations and analysis from NASA’s Hubble
Telescope. During his tenure Brian Schmidt joined the strong research team at Stromlo
leading to his discovery that the universe expansion was accelerating.
Penny Sackett (July 2002-May 2007) was educated in the US and had a record of researchon galaxies and the search for extra solar planets. She had spent a sabbatical working at theAnglo-Australian Observatory before being encouraged to apply for the Mount Stromlo
Directorship and was keen to see Australia involved in one of the giant telescope projects. It
was through her initiative that Australia is now part of the Giant Magellan Telescope
construction33. About six months into Sackett’s directorship Mount Stromlo was devastatedby bushfire, destroying research facilities including telescopes, library facilities, andworkshops where staff had built instruments for their own and other organisations. One of
the major challenges after arranging to reconstruct the NIFS order for Hawaii was to rebuild
the workshops which had always been an integral part of Mount Stromlo. A modern
Advanced Instrument Technology Centre was built in Stages. Sackett responsible for thebuilding of Stage 1 which was opened in in 2006 with laboratories large enough to handle
production and testing of instruments and subsystems for the Giant Magellan Telescope34.
Harvey Butcher (September 2007-January 2013) was an American who had undertaken his
PhD at Stromlo and returned more than three decades later to take up the directorship when
Penny Sackett became Australia’s Chief Scientist. With his long experience in technology
management, Harvy Butcher revitalised the engineering group at Mount Stromlo, andvigorously pursued the opportunities for instrumentation for the Giant Magellan Telescope35.
Butcher continued two internationally important projects begun during Sacket’s years, thewide field spectrograph and Schmidt’s Skymapper to produce a map of the southern skies.
Matthew Colless, graduated from University of Sydney and undertook his PhD at the Instituteof Astronomy at Cambridge (1988) and was based at the Mount Stromlo Observatory as a
researcher from 1993 to 2004, returning as tenth Director (2013-present). He was a key
member of the international team working on the 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey, a greatscientific achievement measuring the amount of dark matter in the universe36. His researchuses large redshift surveys of galaxies to understand their evolution, the large-scale structureof the universe, and the cosmological model. Colless is also the vice chair of the Giant
Magellan Telescope Organisation Board37.
No individual engineer has been given credit in the Heritage Listings referenced, or either of
the Conservation Management Plans for a significant historical role, although PT Owen was
mentioned in passing in the Tanner 2004 plan38, while giving full credit to his subordinate
John Smith Murdoch as the architect for the Main Observatory Building. Engineer Col Percy
Owen was Inspector-general of Works (1903-1909), Director-general of Works (from 1909 to
1924), and subsequently Chief Engineer in the Federal Capital Commission (1925 to 1929)
covering the whole period of the selection of the site of Canberra, the establishment of the
Oddie Telescope (1911) through to the establishment of the Solar Observatory (1924), thecompletion of the Main Observatory Building (1929) and the roads, electricity, water andother services associated with Mount Stromlo. While such engineering did not involve direct
engagement with the astronomers who made Mount Stromlo internationally known, it wasnone the less important. But it was the many unnamed engineers, instrument technicians,

33 Bhat, Sutherland & Butcher p225
34 Bhat, Sutherland & Butcher p238
35 Bhat, Sutherland & Butcher p253

36

GML p104 Revised Heritage Values Assessment Criterion (h)37 http://www.anu.edu.au/about/governance/committees/professor-matthew-colless
38 Tanner p49, 51

17

trades and associated scientific staff working in close collaboration and teamwork on sitewith the astronomers that made their achievements at Mount Stromlo possible.

4.3 Creative or Technical Achievement: The Mount Stromlo Observatory demonstrates a highdegree of technical achievement through the continuous use of the site for astronomical
observations, research and technological development. The design and manufacture of
optical equipment during World War II resulted in the improvement of visual (telescopic) andcommunication technology that greatly enhanced operations in the field. The early telescopedomes and buildings provide an understanding of the advanced technology required for
optical observing. The 74inch Dome was the equal largest dome in the southern hemispherefrom its construction up until 1974. As well as telescopes the site was developed withintegrated ‘one stop shop’ workshops with engineers and technicians to design and develop
equipment and instrumentation to support scientific research. This onsite technical expertiseand purpose built facilities resulted in little work being contracted out, for example the designand construction of the 2.3 metre telescope and its rotating building which was designed andbuilt at Mount Stromlo for installation at the Siding Springs Observatory. Scientific research
and work undertaken at Mount Stromlo Observatory demonstrates a high level of technicalachievement, including the MACHO Project and the contribution of the RSAA’s research andengineering to international projects such as the Giant Magellan Telescope and the Gemini
Telescopes. The advancement of technology has resulted in the need to develop purpose
built and state of the art facilities at the site. The modern AITC reflects the ongoing need toaccommodate the changing requirements in astronomical technology. The Mount Stromlo
Observatory is recognised for significant technical achievements in the development of
optical munitions during World War II, contributions to national and international scientificunderstanding in the field of astronomy, astrophysics and solar aspects; and it continues tobe associated with many scientists who are highly respected in their field of scientificendeavour39.

4.4 Research Potential: The overall archaeological potential of the Mount Stromlo Observatory
Precinct is relatively low. Generally the creation of archaeological deposits across the site
during its use is likely to have been low. Any deposits that accumulated prior to thebushfires would have been disturbed in the subsequent clean-up40.

4.5 Social: The Mount Stromlo Observatory has significant social values to the scientificcommunity, ANU staff and researchers, amateur astronomers and the broader Canberra
community who have a strong association with the place, demonstrated by the numerous
publications, social events, site functions, scientific reports, news articles, art shows andhistorical exhibitions. The scientists, staff and their families who lived and worked on site
due to the initial remoteness and isolation of the site formed a unique community.
Communal activities such as tennis, and social events held at the Director’s Residence
provided occasions for social interaction. The ongoing provision of accommodation in theresidential precinct located on the south side of the ridge retains a sense of community lifeat the site. The Mount Stromlo Observatory demonstrates a community spirit establishedfrom perseverance through the adversity of fires, both in 1952 and 2003. The broader
Canberra community who were affected by the 2003 fires have strong associations to thesite. This is demonstrated through commemorative events and exhibitions including thePast, Present and Future display and the 10 year anniversary of the 2003 fires, held at
Mount Stromlo. The donation of public funds to the establishment of Outreach Telescope
Domes following the fires demonstrates the importance that the community holds in theability to use the site for observation purposes. Public visitors to the site who experience
the views, photograph the structures, partake in astronomical observing events, undertake
recreational activities or visit the cafe all have a close connection to the site41.
39 GML p103 Revised Heritage Values Assessment Criterion (f)40 GML p79
41 GML p103 Revised Heritage Values Assessment Criterion (g)18

4.6 Rarity: Mount Stromlo Observatory Precinct is a rare example of an optical observatorycomplex in Australia42.
The Mount Stromlo Observatory Precinct is one of two optical observatories managed by
the ANU (the other being Siding Spring Observatory near Coonabarabran), and is one ofseveral observatories established in Australia and internationally. It has continuously
provided the function of astronomical observation and research in its location since 1911.
The layout of the Observatory and its key buildings on a ridge, set away from light sources(initially), with its telescope domes, residences and workshop buildings set out in distinct
functional precincts remains evident to this day. During the period from 1944 to 1968 thesite was the home of the Commonwealth Time Service, established by Ben Gascoigne andRichard Woolley, using the transit telescope, quartz clocks to track stars passing the zenithline and setting the time for Australia. The Mount Stromlo Observatory is one of the early
purpose-built Commonwealth complexes in the nation’s Capital. It demonstrates theCommonwealth Government’s commitment to scientific endeavour through theestablishment of a self-sufficient institution with a range of functional buildings including
research buildings and domes, workshops and residences43.

4.7 Representativeness: The Mount Stromlo Observatory is representative of purpose built
Commonwealth institutions established following Federation. The separate functional areas
and the complex of buildings demonstrate the need for a self-sufficient site and thehierarchical division of building types (residential, scientific and administration). The
Observatory is characteristic of other national and international observatories, with similarscientific and site specific facilities, functional layout, setting on a hill or ridge, and typicaldome structures44.

4.8 Integrity/Intactness: The built elements at the Mount Stromlo Observatory are in various
levels of physical condition. The buildings which were not affected by the 2003 fires, werereconstructed, or are newly built are in good condition; while the structures that are
heritage ruins with only minor clearing or stabilisation works are in poor condition andrequire structural assessments to ensure their stability and management as heritage ruins.
It is important to note that deterioration in condition does not necessarily correspond to aloss of heritage value45.

4.9 Statement of Significance: Mount Stromlo Observatory is significant for its outstanding
scientific research in optical astronomy and astrophysics, as well as telescope design andengineering achievements. During World War II it played a role as an optical munitions
factory. It has retained its continuity of use as a research institution since its establishment,
achieving international recognition for its advancement of science in the structure andevolution of stars and galaxies, the origin and development of the Universe as a whole, andthe physics of the material between stars. This has been coupled with the development,
design, production and testing of world leading scientific instrumentation.
From an engineering perspective Mount Stromlo Observatory is significant as a selfcontained research, development and manufacturing facility built on more than 90 years ofteamwork involving astronomers and research scientists with highly skilled engineers,
instrumentation scientists, technicians and trades staff. This synergistic arrangement has
led not only to the world leading advances astronomy and astrophysics for which Mount
Stromlo is renowned, but has also enabled outstanding advances that would not alone
have been possible in Australian optics, instrumentation and software being incorporated
into the world’s largest optical telescope.

42 GML p94 Commonwealth Criterion (b)43 GML p101 Revised Heritage Values Assessment Criterion (b)44 GML p102 Revised Heritage Values Assessment Criterion (d)45 GML p122

19

4.10 Area of Significance: Three way cooperation between scientific, engineering andtechnical staff to achieve world leading research and production.

5 Interpretation Plan
5.1 General Approach:
ANU has been exploring interpretation opportunities to provide an engaging experience for visitorsand site users through targeted interpretation methods including the Interactive Heritage Trail(launched 2014); the interpretive works undertaken as part of the conservation and stabilisation of
the Director’s Residence; and the opening of a new Visitor Centre in 2016. The site offers adiverse range of opportunities for presenting the heritage values through an understanding of thescience, research, history and development of the Observatory, as well as the devastation of thefires46.
Date and time of ceremony: To be determined in consultation with ANU
Site of Ceremony: Expected to be on site at Mount Stromlo
The interpretation panel location: Likely to be in the Mount Stromlo Visitor Centre

5.2 Interpretation Panel:
A title and sub title if proposed: Productive Collaboration; Engineering at Mount Stromlo.
Details of the panel will be developed in consultation with the ANU Heritage Officer.

6

References:

Australian Heritage Database, Mount Stromlo Observatory Precinct, Mt Stromlo Rd, Mt Stromlo,
ACT, Australia, Commonwealth Heritage List, Place 105309, 22/06/2004
Mount Stromlo observatory conservation management plan, Tanner Architects, 2004
The Mount Stromlo Observatory Precinct Heritage Management Plan, GML Heritage, July 2015
Mt Stromlo Heritage Trail, ANU 2014
http://msoheritagetrail.anu.edu.au/
http://msoheritagetrail.anu.edu.au/timeline
http://msoheritagetrail.anu.edu.au/telescopes
46 GML p128

20

ScienceWise - Autumn 2011, Taming the jitters: Developing the adaptive optics for the world’s
most powerful telescope, http://sciencewise.anu.edu.au/articles/jitters
ANU RSAA Instrumentation http://rsaa.anu.edu.au/research/themes/instrumentation
ANU Heritage Office Oral History Recordings, Interview with Hermann Wehner, 18 Feb 2014
https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/handle/1885/117119
Interview with Gabe Bloxman: optics specialist, and John Hart: engineer, 12 March 2014
https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/handle/1885/117112
Stromlo; an Australian observatory, Tom Frame and Don Faulkner, Allen & Unwin, 2003
Mount Stromlo Observatory; from bush observatory to the Nobel Prize, Ragbir Bhathal, Ralph
Sutherland and Harvey Butcher, CSIRO Publishing, 2013
ANU Mount Stromlo 2004 site interpretation brochure, formerly accessed at
http://www.mso.anu.edu.au/info/documents/MSOSignage2004.pdf and referred to in A Century ofCanberra Engineering, Keith Baker, Engineers Australia 2013, p79

7

Acknowledgments, Authorship and General Notes

7.1 Acknowledgments: The support and encouragement of Amy Jarvis, ANU Heritage Officer ,Jack Dunstan, Collections Officer, and Milica Symul and Brad Tucker of The ANU Research
School of Astronomy and Astrophysics is gratefully acknowledged.

7.2 Nomination Preparation: This nomination was prepared by Keith Baker
7.3 General Notes: Mount Stromlo Observatory has been previously assesses for its cultural
heritage values by the Commonwealth under the former Australian Heritage Commission,and the RNE citation subsequently used for its Commonwealth listing under the EPBC Act. It
has also been subject to two Conservation Management plans by consultants, so theassessment of cultural values has been taken from those documents where relevant. The
previous assessments have been presented with additional information and separately
assessed values in the standard format for the Engineering Heritage Recognition Program,
thereby giving a further perspective and establishing further significance that had not been
fully acknowledged in earlier citations.

21

22

Appendix 1. Photographs:
Note all images are from ANU Mount Stromlo Collection unless otherwise noted(a) Observatory History

National LibraryComparison of Mount Stromlo Observatory with completion of domes andadditional telescopes, October 1961.

23

Oddie Telescope 1911

Oddie Telescope Observatory Plan 1910

Commonwealth Solar Observatory 1926,
showing Farnham Telescope dome

CSO Heliostat completed 1931

Solar Observatory Heliostat basement control room

Clabon Allen using the Heliostat
Mt Stromlo Archive24

Optical Munitions 1942-45

Kurt Gottlieb with SpectrographInstalling the 74 inch reflector Mirror, 1950s

74 Inch telescope was the largest at Mount
Stromlo

Ben Gascoigne with the 30inch Reynolds
telescope 1948
Wikipedia

Commonwealth Time Service 1944-68

25

The 1868 Great Melbourne Telescope at
Melbourne Observatory prior to 1944

After rebuilding as 50 inch at Mt Stromlo

Installing the Great Melbourne Telescope at Mt
Stromlo 1950s

Director Olin Eggen at telescope 196626

50 Inch with camera mounted for Macho
Project, 1994

Ruins of 50 Inch telescope, a memory of thedestructive 2003 fire
K Baker

The Advanced Technology 2.3m Telescope
designed and built in the early 1980s at Mt
Stromlo

Advanced Technology 2.3m Telescope installed at
Siding Spring Observatory

EOS and Geoscience
Australia Satellite Laser
Ranging Facility
K Baker27

(b) Workshop History

Legend1 Laboratories
2 Workshops & Stores
3 Offices
Temporary workshop at Canberra Hotel 1924

Wing at front of Canberra (Hyatt) Hotel
where workshop initially located. K Baker

Plan showing Workshop located within Main
Observatory Building 1927

Main Solar Observatory Building 1928 with workshop at rear left

28

Main Observatory Building with Farnham Telescope
and Workshop Wing in foreground. Source: NCA A3560-4416

Workshop around 1945

ANU N Banham collection

Optical Workshop

Optical Workshop

No. 9 Mk III Telescope and case,
Manufactured at Mount Stromlo, used by longrange heavy artillery units of the Australianarmy and the RAN for coastal defence
installations
AWM.

Workshop Foreman Jim Banham in Workshop
destroyed in1952 Bushfire29New Workshops under construction 1954 on
north western ridge

Mechanical Workshop

Mechanical Workshop 1950s

National Library

ANU Norman Banham Collection,

Electronics Workshop 1960s

Electronics Workshop 1977

30

Mt. Stromlo (1940s) making oflenses for military instruments:
lens are mounted on spherical
block with pitch and then ground& polished on this revolving
wheel. A refugee from enemy
occupied country is engaged on
this delicate operation and does
not show his face for obvious
reasons. (negative by E Cranstone).

Optical grinding 1970s?

AWM

Workshop after destruction by 2003 bushfire

Advanced Instrument Technology Centre 200631

(c) Staff interaction

Director Woolley working with Workshop
Foreman Jim BanhamHart, Wehner and Hovey

Wehner, Director Bok, Astronomer Hogg,
Gottleib and Banham share a drink, 1950s

Design and construction team of Advanced Telescope,
1970s

32

Appendix 2 The Advanced Instrumentation and Technology Centre at
Mt Stromlo
The Advanced Instrumentation and Technology Centre (AITC) is a national facility in Canberra. It
was established to support the development of the next generation of instruments for astronomy
and space science. It is a world-class facility for developing and testing astronomical
instrumentation, small satellites, and space payloads and is available for collaborative work withgovernment, industry and other research organisations.
Located within the Mount Stromlo Observatory, it is an integral part of the Australian National
University Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics. AITC is a state of the art facility
constructed in two stages following the devastating 2003 bushfire which destroyed theobservatory’s engineering and optical workshops. The two storey space age facility consists of alarge heavily serviced assembly workshop and clean room with overhead cranes, screened
rooms, vibration and temperature testing and a vacuum chamber to simulate outer spaceconditions as well as offices and smaller laboratories for separate research projects.
AITC is now the home for the multi-disciplinary research and development work pioneered by the
Mount Stromlo Observatory staff over many years through collaboration between astronomers,
engineers, physicists and technologists to advance the capability of observatories worldwide. This
work has included and continues to enhance

Astronomical instrumentation, with particular expertise in optical and infrared
spectroscopy, integral-field spectroscopy, and wide-field imaging.
Adaptive optics, a technology essential to the success of high-resolution observations
with the next generation of large ground-based telescopes. Such systems correct for theeffects of turbulence in the atmosphere, which causes distortion to the images produced
by telescopes on the Earth. They employ laser sensing, high speed real time computing
and large numbers of actuators to dynamically change the shape of telescope mirrors tocounteract the distortion from turbulence.
Laser Communications employing technical experience in link acquisition and tracking,adaptive optics, and quantum encryption. By similarly using adaptive optics to correct foratmospheric turbulence, the technology enables high-speed ground-to-ground andground-to-space laser communications.

Completed projects include

two instruments for the twin 8m telescopes of the Gemini Observatory in Hawaii, ie the
Near-infrared Integral-Field Spectrometer and the Gemini South Adaptive Optics Imager
instrumentation for the facilities of Mt Stromlo Observatory and Siding Spring
Observatory, such as the Dual-Beam Spectrograph and Wide-Field Spectrographinstruments for ANU’s 2.3m Telescope (also built largely in house), and the wide-field,
238 megapixel SkyMapper camera.
The RSAA Telescope Automation and Remote Observing System, a software system thathas been designed and implemented to allow the ANU telescopes at a remote location to
be operated automatically, or interactively with authenticated control via the internet.

Current projects include

Adaptive Optics Demonstrator for space debris tracking, through a partnership with
Electro Optic Systems
Development and preparation for flight of a next-generation plasma thruster engine thatwas invented at ANU
33





Giant Magellan Telescope subsystems and instrumentation which will be part of theworld's largest and most powerful telescope when it is completed in Chile in 2020. ANU is
leading Australia's involvement in the GMT. A team of adaptive-optics andinstrumentation engineers and scientists at AITC are designing the laser tomography
adaptive optics subsystem which will use high-power lasers to generate artificial 'guide'stars in the sky, where their images can be measured to determine the distortions acrossa relatively wide area of the sky. A high-speed control loop will then continuously deformthe correcting mirrors to reduce the effects of the atmospheric blurring.
The corrected light collected by the telescope will be fed to back-end instruments thatanalyse and record the information contained. An Integral-Field Spectrograph will be oneof such instruments that is also being designed and built for the GMT by the technicalteam at AITC.

The expanded facilities at AITC also enable it build and test spacecraft.
One of these additional facilities is a computer-controlled “shaker” capable of exerting
acceleration forces of several tons on various instruments under test. This is vital foranything that is going to be launched into orbit, so that scientists can be confident that it
can survive the bumpy ride atop a rocket and still work properly when it arrives in space. It
can also be very helpful to be able to test the ability of huge telescope parts to withstandthe potentially damaging process of land transport.
Another facility is a 3m diameter, 4m long thermal vacuum chamber that can not only
simulate the airless environment of space, but can also heat or cool a test article assess
its performance at extreme temperatures ranging from -170C to +80C. Again this is usefulfor space projects, but it's also needed to test astronomical instruments and components,
many of which are operated in a vacuum.
The ANU Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics will reinforce its position at thecentre of the national space industry with a new agreement with UNSW Canberra onbuilding and testing satellites and space instruments. The new agreement will boost therole of the AITC as a key national resource for Australia's space industry.

The above summary is based on:
http://rsaa.anu.edu.au/aitc
https://reporter.anu.edu.au/shot-cupid%E2%80%99s-laser
http://rsaa.anu.edu.au/research/highlights/bigger-better-aitc-were-keeping-australia-space-ready34

AITC Building at Mount Stromlo

Integration Hall

Cube satellite testing

ANU RSAAANU RSAAK Baker

Integration Hall with cameras tested
in space
K Baker

Vacuum chamber in Integration Hall ANU RSAA

Design and building Astronomical Instrumentation
for Giant Magellan Telescope
ANU RSAA

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CHANGE CONTROLVERSION 1
13 JUNE 2017
VERSION 2
31 AUGUST 2017
VERSION 3
OCTOBER 2017
VERSION 4
VERSION 5
VERSION 6
VERSION 7

DRAFT NOMINATIONREVISED FOLLOWING ANU COMMENTADDED ATTACHMENT 2 THE ADVANCED INSTRUMENTATION AND TECHNOLOGYCENTRE AT MT STROMLOOCTOBER 2017
ADDED FURTHER OBSERVATORY PHOTOS AND WORKSHOP PHOTOS
28 OCTOBER 2017 TRACK CHANGES ACCEPTED, ADDED NOMINATION LETTER, MINOR REFORMATTING
BY OP. NOTE THAT SOME NOTES REMAIN TO BE RESOLVED BY KB.
28 OCTOBER 2017 SAME AS V5 BUT WITH NOTES REMOVED.
3 JANUARY 2018
DRAFT ENDORSED BY ANU HERITAGE ADVISOR WITH MINOR EDITS ACCEPTED

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