Biography of James Dunlop

glenc (Glen) · #1 22-10-2012, 09:45 AM

Three astronomers William Herschel, John Herschel and James Dunlop discovered most of the bright NGC and IC objects.
These three astronomers found in total 70% of the NGC and IC objects brighter than magnitude 13.

James Dunlop is third when it comes to finding bright deep sky objects and he did so from Parramatta, NSW, Australia in 1826.
The attached file lists people who found more than 25 bright NGC and IC objects.
The last column gives the place where they were found and the size of the telescope.

There is a short biography of James Dunlop at:
http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/dunlop-james-2008

Reference http://www.klima-luft.de/steinicke/ngcic/ngcic_e.htm

glenc (Glen) · #2 22-10-2012, 09:50 AM

John Service wrote a 95 page biography of James Dunlop called,

Thir Notandums, Being the Literary Recreations of Laird Canticarl of Mongrynen:
To Which is Appended a Biographical Sketch of James Dunlop (Edinb, 1890).

I decided to scan it and put it on the web. You can view the 6MB file here:
https://docs.google.com/folder/d/0B9...lUaTlXb0U/edit

glenc (Glen) · #3 22-10-2012, 11:38 AM

You can also view John Service's biography of James Dunlop here
https://picasaweb.google.com/1100488...MKz3uzX3fbMRg#

The first 5 pages show the location of Dunlop's house.
It was in the long narrow block below 22 D.P. in this map, above the R in (HUNTER) STREET
https://picasaweb.google.com/1100488...20350639751970

You can compare the old map with this Google map.
http://goo.gl/maps/ZNqCb

The house is also mentioned on page 146 in the biography.
https://docs.google.com/folder/d/0B9...GdkaHp1MlFjZ1U

I would like to see a plaque placed outside this building honouring James Dunlop.
http://goo.gl/maps/NHfsT

The first catalogue of southern galaxies was made here.

glenc (Glen) · #4 22-10-2012, 11:51 AM

John Service, 1851-1916, son of David Dunlop Service, arrived in New South Wales in 1885 and practised medicine in various localities.
He published a Biographical Sketch of James Dunlop (Edinburgh, 1890).
http://acms.sl.nsw.gov.au/item/itemD...?itemID=422595

Rodstar (Rod) · #5 22-10-2012, 08:44 PM

James Dunlop is buried at my church at St Paul's Kincumber, on the central coast of NSW. The gravestone is near the door to the old sandstone church at the round about for anyone interested in taking a look....

glenc (Glen) · #6 23-10-2012, 04:45 AM

Thanks Rod. His grave is on the western side of this cemetery.
http://goo.gl/maps/pLzVc
https://picasaweb.google.com/1100488...39824304837954

glenc (Glen) · #7 24-10-2012, 06:29 AM

"Sir Thomas’s first observatory was completed in 1808 at his estate in Brisbane Glen, near Largs in Ayrshire, Scotland.
It was one of only two Scottish observatories then, and was the best equipped." John Bonsor, Scotland
http://www.sydneyobservatory.com.au/...-in-australia/
http://goo.gl/maps/h6v72
http://binged.it/PoLMqE

"In the Brisbane Glen, there is another smaller pillar in the field near to his observatory,
which was originally a device through which the 3 Sisters could be sighted, and due north established."
http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/sc-7312-brisbane-mains-meridian-pillar-largs
http://www.largsonline.co.uk/3sisters.html
http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co...ers-meridian-p
http://goo.gl/maps/hPFPs
The 3 sisters were used to find due south from Brisbane's observatory, not due north.

glenc (Glen) · #8 26-10-2012, 04:09 PM

In 1943, during WW2, aerial photos of Sydney were taken.
Dunlop's house is not shown, the lot was vacant then.
It was at lat -33.8154, long 151.0019.

The 1943 images can be viewed using SIX viewer.
https://six.nsw.gov.au/wps/portal/!u...0c6McFQFnMU1_/

glenc (Glen) · #9 27-10-2012, 06:55 AM

Yesterday I wrote to Parramatta council asking them to put up a plaque in Hunter St to honour James Dunlop. James Dunlop's house was here.
http://goo.gl/maps/NHfsT

The attached file shows that only two people found more bright NGC and IC objects than Dunlop.

For more information see NGC/IC observers by Dr. Wolfgang Steinicke at
http://www.klima-luft.de/steinicke/ngcic/obs_e.htm

glenc (Glen) · #10 05-11-2012, 05:52 AM

Reminiscences of General Sir Thomas Makedougall Brisbane
https://play.google.com/books/reader...=en&pg=GBS.PP1

His time in Sydney
https://play.google.com/books/reader...en&pg=GBS.PA43
9th Nov 1823. — [Brisbane] Had inexpressible satisfaction in sparing the lives of twenty- six fellow-creatures condemned to death by the late criminal court ..."

Observatories
https://play.google.com/books/reader...en&pg=GBS.PA65

Brisbane employed Dunlop from 1821 to 1825.