Editing Perth Observatory (section)

===<abbr title="Western Australian">WA</abbr> Government Astronomers===
====William Ernest Cooke====

[[William Ernest Cooke]] was appointed the first [[Western Australian Government Astronomer]] in 1896 after a similar posting at the [[Adelaide Observatory]]. On arrival in Perth, his first task was to determine the exact latitude and longitude of the colony. He was also able to determine the time of day with greater accuracy. Before his arrival clocks could vary by up to half an hour. The [[Time signal|time]] was announced each day by a cannon still present on the grounds. The design was by the government architect, [[George Temple-Poole]], and features a bold combination of [[Australian architectural styles|styles]].{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}}

====Harold Burnham Curlewis====
Cooke's successor as [[Western Australian Government Astronomer|Government Astronomer]] was [[Harold Curlewis]] who wrote in 1929:
<blockquote>Since the prevailing winds blow over the huge extent of King's Park, its excellence for astronomical work is not impaired by its proximity to the city, as is so often the case with other observatories. ...A glance from the tower, from which a wonderful panorama of Perth may be obtained, shows that no growth of the city can ever adversely affect observing conditions<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Civil Service Journal|date=20 July 1929|title=The Perth Observatory|pages=73–74|author=H B Curlewis}}</ref></blockquote>

=====Curlewis and the WA border=====
{{See also|Western Australia border}}

In 1920 and 1921 Curlewis was involved with the [[South Australian Government Astronomer|Government Astronomer of South Australia]], Dodwell, in determinations to fix positions for marking of the [[Western Australia border|West Australian border]] on the ground with the [[South Australian borders|South Australian border]] at [[Deakin, Western Australia]]. In 1921 the same group from the Deakin determinations travelled by the State Ship, MV ''Bambra'' to Wyndham, where they were guided by [[Michael Durack|M.P. Durack]] to a point on Rosewood station near [[Argyle Downs]] close to the [[129th meridian east]] [[longitude]] (<abbr title="129th meridian east longitude">129° east</abbr>). They used the relatively new technology of the day, wireless radio time signals, and other methods to fix a position for the [[Northern Territory borders|Northern Territory border]] with Western Australia.<ref name="notstraight" />

These early determinations led to the 1968 agreement for the formation of [[Surveyor Generals Corner]].

The WA border is not straight ''(see [[Western Australia border]])''; at the [[26th parallel south]] (<abbr title="26th parallel south latitude">26° south</abbr>) there is an approximately {{convert|127|m|adj=on}} "sideways" section of the <abbr title="Western Australian">WA</abbr>/<abbr title="Northern Territory">NT</abbr> border, which runs east–west.<ref name="notstraight" />

====Hyman Solomon Spigl====
Curlewis's successor as [[Western Australian Government Astronomer|Government Astronomer]] was Hyman Solomon Spigl between 1940 and 1962. Spigl, who was from a surveying background, progressed rebuilding a post war ravaged Observatory by rejuvenating the time service, seismology services, completing the Astrographic Catalogues, became involved in the [[International Geophysical Year]] by installing a Markowitz Moon camera and restarted the publications for the Royal Astronomical Society. Additionally, through a National Science Foundation of America grant, he was in the process of refurbishing the Observatory's {{convert|6|in|mm|adj=on|order=flip}} meridian transit circle to recommence meridian observations. While he never achieved this before his death, and it was never used again, the instrument sits in the foyer of the Perth Observatory now fully refurbished.

In 1958 Spigl was awarded a [[Robert Gledden|Gledden]] Travelling Fellowship by the [[University of Western Australia]]; Spigl spent 12 months travelling in the US, UK and Europe. Spigl was actively searching for a new site for the Perth Observatory as a result of the decision for it to be relocated as an outcome of the implementation of the 1955 [[Metropolitan Region Scheme|Stephenson-Hepburn Report]]. Spigl spent many years lecturing in surveying at the University of Western Australia and was involved in the Astronomical Society of Western Australia.

====John Bertrand Harris====
Upon the death of Spigl on 20 August 1962, John Bertrand Harris, who had been Spigl's assistant since 1957, became the fourth [[Western Australian Government Astronomer|Government Astronomer]] of the Perth Observatory between 1962 until the end of 1974.<ref>{{Cite book | chapter-url=https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/harris-bertrand-john-10433 | title=Australian Dictionary of Biography| chapter=Harris, Bertrand John (1925–1974)| publisher=National Centre of Biography, Australian National University}}</ref> Harris had to step in to the position of Government Astronomer at a time when the Perth Observatory was on the move to its new site in the Darling Range, [[Bickley, Western Australia|Bickley]], some {{convert|24|km}} east of its original position in the City of [[Perth]]. Clearing of the land in the State Forrest in Bickely commenced in February 1964, with excavations commencing in May 1964 and construction works on buildings continuing through 1965; staff moved in on 19 December 1965.

With the new Bickely site complete, in 1967, Harris oversaw the installation of a [[meridian circle]] telescope at the Observatory as part of an expedition by [[astronomer]]s from the Hamburg Observatory in Germany. The expedition worked on the international Southern Reference Stars program that resulted in a revised, larger and more accurate meridian catalogue of the [[Southern Hemisphere]]: the Perth 70 meridian catalogue. In 1970 Harris was successful in forming a dedicated Perth Observatory Meridian section to assist the German expedition in their work. After the German expedition left over the 1971/72 Christmas/New Year period, Harris successfully negotiated the loan of the Hamburg telescope indefinitely and obtained funding from the [[Government of Western Australia]] to increase the Meridian staff numbers. This Perth Observatory Meridian team continued and expanded on the German expedition work, resulting in the Perth 75 meridian catalogue.

In 1967, Harris worked with the [[University of Western Australia]] to install a {{convert|16|in|mm|order=flip|adj=on}} telescope at the Observatory that was built and used by the University of Western Australia staff and students, as well as Perth Observatory astronomers.

Harris then moved the astrographic telescope, which had been in storage since August 1963, to the new site after arranging its refurbishment; the telescope recommenced observations on 29 March 1968, taking second [[Epoch (astronomy)|epoch]] photographic plates for [[proper motion]] studies.

In 1968, the [[Lowell Observatory]] of Flagstaff Arizona USA, located a {{convert|24|in|mm|order=flip|adj=on}} [[Boller and Chivens]] telescope at the Perth Observatory as part of the [[International Planetary Patrol Program]]. The program was designed to collect [[35 mm format|35-mm format]] photographic data on the atmospheric and surface features of Solar System planets, mostly Mars, Jupiter and Venus; Harris was to be a regular observer outside his normal daytime Government Astronomer role.

Harris was successful in increasing the technical and astronomical staff numbers at the new Bickley Perth Observatory as its role moved to that of more of a scientific function, however Harris also restarted the public tours on 23 October 1966 and maintained the provision of information services to Western Australia. Harris also continued [[Standard time|time]] and [[tide]] services for Western Australia, however as had been the case in 1908 for Meteorology, the move saw [[seismic]] monitoring activities being relocated to Mundaring under the Commonwealth Government control.

Harris was responsible for the August 1973 [[International Astronomical Union|IAU]] Symposium No. 61 in Perth on "New Problems of Astrometry". Like his predecessor, he died at an early age, 49, but had raised the standing of the Perth Observatory to a well respected scientific institution within Australia and internationally.{{citation needed|date=January 2016}}

====Dr Iwan (Ivan) Nikoloff====
With the death of Harris on 23 December 1974, Nikoloff was to act in the role of [[Western Australian Government Astronomer|Government Astronomer]] of the Perth Observatory until 30 May 1979 when he officially became the fifth Government Astronomer of the Perth Observatory.

After arriving in Australia in 1964, he commenced at the Perth Observatory as an Astronomer Grade II on 1 May 1964 and worked on the Observatory's [[astrograph]]; his previous experience also saw him set up and calibrate the recently acquired Zeiss plate measuring machine. With the relocation of the Perth Observatory from Perth to Bickley, Nikoloff's surveying skills were extensively used in setting up the new Observatory during 1965.

Nikoloff worked with the German Hamburg Observatory [[meridian circle]] telescope expedition on the Perth 70 catalogue, from 1969 until 1971, before the expedition [[astronomer]]s returned to Germany that Christmas.

In 1971, with funding by the [[Government of Western Australia]] and negotiations for the loan of the Hamburg telescope, Nikoloff was placed in charge of the newly formed Perth Observatory Meridian Section. Dr Nikoloff commenced a new observing program of FK4 and FK4 Supplementary stars that would result in the Perth 75 catalogue of 2549 stars. The catalogue not only extended the well revered Perth 70 catalogue, but provided valuable [[Southern Hemisphere]] information for the construction of the new FK5 reference frame sought by the international astronomical community.

As Government Astronomer, Nikoloff passed on the Meridian Section to D. Harwood, but kept a keen involvement in the construction of the subsequent Perth 83 meridian catalogue. While daily administrative duties kept him busy, Nikoloff continued observing on all the Observatory's telescopes at night and on weekends.

Nikoloff maintained a good relationship with the [[University of Western Australia]], was a Foundation member and Fellow of the [[Astronomical Society of Australia]], a life member of the Astronomical Association of Western Australia and a member of the [[International Astronomical Union|IAU]]'s original Commission 8 (Astrometry) and I (Fundamental Astronomy); he also continued the Observatory's public information services and tours. He retired on 4 January 1985 and died on 8 April 2015.