Editing Perth Observatory (section)

====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}}