P000530 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

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 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 1993-10-20 human Gavan McCarthy [P004098] and Helen Cohn updated 2026-03-17 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P000530b.htm person Kay Joseph Henry FRS AACR2 1815 17 July 1875 Place of Birth London, England Place of Death South Yarra, Victoria, Australia Magnetician Geophysicist Naval officer Joseph Kay was a naval officer who came to Tasmania as Lieutenant with the British Antarctic Expedition. During the Expedition's first visit to Hobart Town August to November 1840, Kay was involved with the Expedition's commander, James Clark Ross, and the Lieutenant Governor John Franklin in the establishment of the Rossbank Magnetic Observatory. Kay left the Expedition to become Director of the Observatory. For the next 13 years he conducted a program of research on the Earth's magnetic field, transmitting his observations to the Royal Society in London. When the Royal Navy withdrew funding for the Observatory in 1853, Kay was recalled. He later went to Victoria where he held various Government positions including aide to the Governor and Secretary to the Executive Council, which post he held at the time of his death. Kay was a foundation member of the Royal Societies of both Tasmania and Victoria. 1827 1827 Career event - Entered the Royal Navy 1839 12 November 1840 Career position - Lieutenant, H.M.S. Terror, British Antarctic Expedition November 1840 1853 Career position - Director, Rossbank Magnetic Observatory, Hobart 1843 1843 Career event - Foundation Member, Royal Society of Tasmania 1845 1855 Career position - Private Secretary to the Governor of Victoria 1846 1875 Award - Fellow, The Royal Society, London (FRS) 1849 1849 Career event - Promoted Commander 1854 1855 Award - Honorary Member, Philosophical Society of Victoria 1855 1859 Award - Honorary Member, Philosophical Institute of Victoria 1855 1875 Career position - Clerk, Victorian Executive Council 1859 1875 Award - Honorary Member, Royal Society of Victoria 1865 1865 Career event - Promoted Captain on the reserve list H.M.S. Terror, Royal Navy (1813 - 1848?)

Lieutenant September 1839 - November 1840

 Philosophical Society of Victoria (1854 - 1855)

Honorary Member 1854 - 1855

 Philosophical Institute of Victoria (1855 - 1859)

Honorary Member 1855 - 1859

 Royal Society of Victoria (1859 - )

Honorary Member 1859 - 1875

 Royal Society of Tasmania (1843 - )

Foundation Member 1843

 Rossbank Observatory (1840 - 1854)

Director 1840 - 1853

 British Antarctic Expedition [I] (1839 - 1843)

Lieutenant, H.M.S. Terror 1839 - 1840

Wikidata

 Kay, Joseph Henry (1815-1875)

Trove

 'Kay, Joseph Henry', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Kay, Joseph Henry Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Resource Section: Kay, Joseph Henry Kay, Joseph Henry Australian Science Archives Project 1995 Physics in Australia to 1945 R.W. Home, with the assistance of Paula J. Needham Book Section: Kay, Joseph Henry (1815-1875), naval officer and scientist Green, Ronald Kay, Joseph Henry (1815-1875), naval officer and scientist Melbourne Melbourne University Press 1967 Australian dictionary of biography, volume 2: 1788 - 1850 I-Z Douglas Pike 34 Journal Article: Observations made for determining the geographical position of the magnetic Observatory at Hobart Town, Van Diemens Land Kay, Commander [J. H.] Observations made for determining the geographical position of the magnetic Observatory at Hobart Town, Van Diemens Land 1852/4 Report, papers and proceedings of the Royal Society of Van Diemens Land 1852/4 264-87 Journal Article: Meteorological tables, Royal Observatory, Hobart Town Kay, Commander [J. H.] Meteorological tables, Royal Observatory, Hobart Town 1852/4 Report, papers and proceedings of the Royal Society of Van Diemens Land 1852/4 292-307 Journal Article: On the aneroid barometer Kay, J. H. On the aneroid barometer 1851 Papers and proceedings of the Royal Society of Van Diemens Land [1] 83-7 Journal Article: On solar radiation, with a description of the actinometer Kay, J. H. On solar radiation, with a description of the actinometer 1846 Tasmanian journal of natural science 2 397-402 Journal Article: Terrestrial magnetism Kay, J. H. Terrestrial magnetism 1842 Tasmanian journal of natural science 1 124-35 Journal Article: Description of the instruments employed at the Magnetic Observatory, Tasmania Kay, J. H. Description of the instruments employed at the Magnetic Observatory, Tasmania 1842 Tasmanian journal of natural science 1 207-24 Journal Article: The History of the Rossbank Observatory, Tasmania Savours, Ann and McConnell, Anita The History of the Rossbank Observatory, Tasmania 1982 Annals of Science 39 527-564 Conference Paper: Return to Rossbank: Magnetism and Meteorology at Hobart in Theory and Practice, 1840-54 Savours, Ann and McConnell, Anita Return to Rossbank: Magnetism and Meteorology at Hobart in Theory and Practice, 1840-54 Durham Department of Geography, University of Durham in collaboration with Royal Meteorological Society 1997 Colonial Observatories and Observations: Meteorology and Geophysics: Proceedings of a Conference held at St. Mary's College, University of Durham, 8-10 April, 1994 Kenworthy, Joan M. and Walker, J. Malcolm 49-58 Resource: Science and the making of Victoria Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre Science and the making of Victoria 2001 Joseph Henry Kay - Records Archives Office of Tasmania Joseph Henry Kay - Records NS 37 1841 - 1847 Extracts from inward letters to Kay as Director of the Rossbank Observatory on instruments used at the observatory and various instructions on the use of instruments 1841-47 [in the Rossbank Magnetic Observatory collection NS 37/76]. See also material in NS 218.