Dunlop, James (1793 - 1848)

Summary

James Dunlop was an instrument maker who started making telescopes in 1810. He became interested in astronomy through his acquaintance with Thomas Brisbane and accompanied him to New South Wales in 1821. When Brisbane established the Parramatta Observatory Dunlop started to work there with Carl Rümker. Among the observations they made was of the comet Encke, which attracted international attention for the Observatory. Dunlop recorded thousands of stars, providing the basis for the Catalogue of 7835 stars from observations made at the Observatory at Parramatta (1835). He also worked on nebulae, star clusters and double stars. Between 1823 and 1827 he was in charge of the Observatory, Rümker having retired to his farm. For four years from 1827 Dunlop worked at Brisbane's private observatory at Roxburgh in Scotland. In 1831 he was appointed Superintendent of the Parramatta Observatory and returned to New South Wales. Working with instruments that were not always of the highest quality he continued until 1847, although his declining health affected his work.

Details

Chronology

1821 - 1827

Career position - Assistant astronomer, Parramatta Observatory

November 1821

Life event - Arrived in New South Wales

1827 - 1831

Career position - Astronomer, private observatory of Thomas Brisbane, Roxburgh, Scotland

1828

Award - Gold medal, Royal Astronomical Society

1831 - 1847

Career position - Superintendent, Parramatta Observatory

Related entries

Archival resources

Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales

• Christian Carl Ludwig Rümker - Records, 1825 - 1845, MS Q569; Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales. Details
• James Dunlop - Records, 1832 - 1840; Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales. Details
• Phillip Parker King - Records, 1848 - 1856, MS Q299; Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales. Details

Published resources

Book Sections

• Gavine, David, 'James Dunlop, 1793-1848' in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004). Details
• Wood, Harley, 'Dunlop, James (1793-1848), astronomer' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 1: 1788 - 1850 A-H, Douglas Pike, ed. (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1966), p. 338. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A010322b.htm. Details

Journal Articles

• Bhathal, Ragbir, 'Some Scientific Aspects of Parramatta Observatory', Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales, 145 (2012), 111-27. Details
• Cozens, Glen, Walsh, Andrew and Orchiston, Wayne, 'James Dunlop's Historical Catalogue of the Southern Nebulae and Clusters', Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, 13 (1) (2010), 59-73. Details
• Dunlop, J., 'A catalogue of nebulae and clusters of stars in the southern hemisphere', Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society, 118 (1828), 113-51. Details
• Dunlop, J., 'Approximate places of double stars, in the southern hemisphere, observed at Paramatta [sic] in New South Wales', Memoirs of the Astronomical Society of London, 3 (1829), 257-75. Details
• Herschel, J. F. W., 'An address delivered at the Annual General Meeting of the Astronomical Society of London, on February 8, on presenting the honorary medals to Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane and James Dunlop, Esq.', Memoirs of the Astronomical Society of London, 3 (1829), 403-4. Details
• Russell, H.C., 'Astronomical and Meteorological Workers in New South Wales, 1778-1860', Report of the first meeting of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, 1 (1888), 45-94, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15813133. Details
• Rutledge, S., 'For Further Consideration: Mr James Dunlop, Esq. ', Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales, 142 (2009), 17-28 . Details
• Saunders, Shirley D., 'Sir Thomas Brisbane's Legacy to Colonial Science: Colonial Astronomy at the Parramatta Observatory, 1822-1848', Historical Records of Australian Science, 15 (2) (2004), 177-209. https://doi.org/10.1071/HR04009. Details
• Tyler, Peter J., 'Seeing Stars in the City: a History of Early Astronomy in Sydney', Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales, 142 (3/4) (2009), 1-14. Details

Resources

• Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q375158. Details
• VIAF - Virtual International Authority File, OCLC, https://viaf.org/viaf/7776545. Details
• 'Dunlop, James (1793-1848)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-1468509. Details

See also

• Federation and Meteorology, 2001, http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/fam/index_d.html. Details
• Richardson, William, A catalogue of 7385 stars: chiefly in the southern hemisphere, prepared from observations made in the years 1822, 1823, 1824, 1825 and 1826, at the observatory at Paramatta, New South Wales, founded by Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane, the computations made, and the catalogue constructed by William Richardson (London: His Majesty’s Stationery Office, 1835), 311 pp. Details
• Serle, Percival, Dictionary of Australian biography (Sydney: Angus & Robertson, 1949). Details