Office of the Government Astronomer and Superintendent of Geodetic Survey

Full description

R J Ellery was appointed by the Government in 1853 as the first Government Astronomer to establish an observatory at Williamstown. Initially, the main purpose was the supply of accurate time to shipmasters. After the recognition by the Government that basic surveys on trignometrical principles were essential for accurate mapping and survey, the operations of the Geodetic Survey were commenced in 1858 by starting a meridian line from Hobson's Bay to the Murray River.

As well as the determination and the laying out of the meridians of longitude and the parallels of latitude, a trignometrical survey was initiated simultaneously with a base line of five miles being determined on the plains near the Werribee River and a triangulation commenced aided by the points and stations erected on the most conspicuous mountain tops. Although far from complete the geodetic survey was, apart from the mapping of the Victoria - New South Wales border, abandoned in 1868.

The observatory moved from Williamstown to Domain Park with the Melbourne Observatory ready to commence work at the end of 1863. Initially, observations were limited to the requirements of the geodetic survey. In 1866 the Observatory took up a share of the observations for a southern survey catalogue of the stars and continued routine work for time and the determination of star positions.

R J Ellery was succeeded as Government Astronomer in 1895 by P Baracchi. From 1915 until 1943 Dr J M Baldwin was Director of the Observatory. From 1943 the Commonwealth Government supervised the work of the Observatory as the Victorian Government had made the decision to close it. Until 1945, when the Observatory was closed by the Commonwealth, magnitude and time-service data continued to be supplied.