Parramatta Observatory Transit Stones

[sharonr]

Has anyone noticed that the Transit Stones, the only remains of the Parramatta Observatory, are not currently accessible to the community? A tent that is not open to the public covers the site.
The Parramatta Park Trust has informed me that the Transit Stones were stabilised in 2012 by the Trust and the Minister for Public Works Stonework Conservation Program. As the Transit Stones originally supported a transit telescope within the observatory they have now been “out in the weather” for almost 170 years. Following the stabilisation of these damaged historic objects, a design for a permanent structure to protect the Transit Stones is under discussion.
Although this is very exciting news, I do have a concern that the “powers that be” may not allow or ask for input into the design of the proposed covering.
As Parramatta Observatory is an integral part of Australia’s astronomical history it is imperative that these remains are aptly displayed to the wider community.
If you would like to contact Parramatta Trust regarding this venture here are the details.
Contact Parramatta Park Trust
Business hours

Phone: (02) 8833-5000
Fax: (02) 9689-1452

regards,
Sharon.

[Wavytone]

Hi Sharon,

The trouble is there is nothing else of astronomical interest there so I'm fairly sure no-one bothers - I only stumbled on them by accident once long ago when attending a BBQ in Parramatta park.

I know this may seem heretical to you, but unless there is something of considerable astronomical interest - sufficient to draw visitors regularly, they may as well not be there at all.

I came to this conclusion long ago - in 1989 I toured Europe for 3 months and among other things set out to see as many things as I could of astronomical historical interest in England and France.

Among many things, I visited the site of what had once been the old Paris observatory, where nothing remained except the stone pier of a meridian telescope. I was so disappointed after a fair journey to find it that I concluded that unless you have something actually worth showing, it's better to show nothing at all. Pretending that a lump of stone - or in your case, two - are worth visiting out of some sort of historical interest is just dishonest.

I visited to Europe again last year and among other things visited Greenwich. It was very very sad to see it renamed a "museum of time" and the vast majority of the exhibits I saw in 1989 had been removed. As I had taken my wife hoping to show her many of the things I had once studied as a student (she is interested) I felt sorely annoyed that most of the point of the trip was gone - and if I had known, we wouldn't have wasted a day going there. A shop in the basement selling badly-made replica junk (imported from India BTW) is no substitute for the real exhibits.

This reinforced that to me - as one who originally trained in physics and astronomy and has an enduring interest for 40 years - that the real interest lies in the equipment and records - the buildings themselves are of little interest, and if they are to be left empty they may as well close the museum.

In your case, a couple of stones aren't enough to draw visitors.

Better to simply admit that the interesting bits - the telescopes and observatory - are all gone. Pull up the stumps and send them to Sydney observatory where they can display them in a glass case, if you think it's worth it (I don't).

If on the other hand you had the funds to put a decent small observatory in the park with a nice refractor in it, and open that to the public for a look at the moon and planets on clear nights, that might actually draw some interest. Having the stones outside would be a nice touch. You'd probably even find someone keen enough to operate it for you, at no cost.

But I'm guessing that finding the funds for that would be beyond you.

[sharonr]

Well, I must admit I am stunned at your response. I've always considered astronomy more than the "tools of the trade".

I'm also surprised at your disappointment with visiting Paris. Why did you not visit the Observatoire de Paris? This is the worlds oldest working observatory and built before Greenwich. They do allow tours. You just need to write a request and be ready for the first Saturday of the month they have available.

[mental4astro (Alexander)]

Glenc has done a lot of academic work on James Dunlop, the fellow who operated the Parramatta Observatory. Glen has also started many threads promoting Dunlop, his discoveries and the Parra' Obs. This particular thread focuses on historically significant sites, and the Parramatta site is one of them - see post No. 3.

The discoveries Dunlop made of DSO's is confirmed with the nomeclature of his discoveries with the list of The Dunlop Objects. Glen has written an article on The Dunlop Ojects.

If you are interested in the Parramatta Observatory, drop Glen a PM.

On a side note, one of Glen's threads deals with which of the Dunlop objects are best placed in the sky at a given time of the year. I'm contributing sketches I make of the Dunlop Objects as I go along. I'm struggling to find the thread though,

Alex.

[mental4astro (Alexander)]

HA! Found that thread: Article: The Dunlop Objects. It's the thread in the Obs Forum that announced the article that Glen wrote.

[mental4astro (Alexander)]

What is even more surprising, for all the work that Dunlop put in, he still doesn't have a lunar crater named after him.

Brisbane, his employer and an acredited astronomer does have a crater named after him! Off the back of Dunlop's work. Yet, because Dunlop was his assistant, and without and "offical" astronomical credentials, he's left out.

I think there's more chance in having a crater named after Dunlop than making anything of the Paramatta stones.

[Wavytone]

Sharon,

I am puzzled about the purpose of your mission. Are you just concerned about the stones rotting away or being vandalised ? Hoping to attract astronomically-minded visitors to the park to see them ? Upset because people can't see them ?
Or is this supposed to be a memorial ?

There already is a memorial (the modern obelisk) and neither it nor the remaining stones hold any interest to the astronomically-minded.

So if you are concerned about the stones, call the Powerhouse Museum or Sydney observatory. The curators at the museum would have the best idea what to do (take them out of the weather and put them in storage).

As for history of Parramatta observatory there is a summary here, with a list of references:

http://www.southastrodel.com/Page032.htm

Unless you have the observatory building (or a replica) AND displaying the actual telescopes, eyepieces and micrometers etc, and hopefully some of the records (diaries, observation logs etc) then quite frankly no-one will be interested.

This is what is wrong with Greenwich - in 1975 and 1989 it was a fascinating place to visit, but now that they have removed almost all the telescopes and astronomical instruments it holds almost no interest to me now, and was utterly uninformative for my wife. A shop selling replica trinkets for idiots, a powerpoint slide show and a tawdry plastic GOTO planetarium was of no use whatever.