P007990 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

All key entry types: Awards; Concepts; Corporate Bodies (Organisations); Cultural Artefacts; People; etc

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 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Cultural Object created 2026-03-02 human Gavan McCarthy updated 2026-03-02 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P007990b.htm culturalArtefact William Dawes' Observatory, Sydney Cove AACR2 Dawes' Observatory, Port Jackson March 1788 c. 1791 Start Place Sydney Cove, New South Wales, Australia End Place Sydney Cove, New South Wales, Australia Astronomy or Space Science Observatory William Dawes, an astronomer on the British First Fleet to the Colony of New South Wales, came with instructions from the Astronomer Royal, Dr Nevil Maskelyne (1732-1811) to establish an astronomical observatory. With the help of the French, who were in Port Jackson at the time, he began work on building the observatory in March 1788. Dawes left the colony in 1791 taking with him some of the astronomical instruments on loan from the Board of Longitude. He had a back up plan that Watkin Tench 1758-1833) would take over the observatory but this did not come about as Tench also left for England in 1791. Archival research by Richard de Grijs has shown that the last mentions of the observatory were in 1796. Dawes, William (1762 - 1836) Parramatta Observatory, Colony of New South Wales (1822 - 1848) Sydney Observatory, Colony and State of New South Wales (1858 - ) 'William Dawes' Observatory, Sydney Cove', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology William Dawes' Observatory, Sydney Cove Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Journal Article: The unexpected appearance of Dawes' observatory on the "1808 Sydney Cove map" de Grijs, Richard The unexpected appearance of Dawes' observatory on the "1808 Sydney Cove map" 2022 Journal of astronomical history and heritage 25 1 83-90 Journal Article: Sydney's scientific beginnings: William Dawes' observatories in context de Grijs, Richard; and Jacob, Andrew P. Sydney's scientific beginnings: William Dawes' observatories in context 2021 Journal of astronomical history and heritage 24 1 41-73 Journal Article: Gravitational conundrum: confusing clock-rate measurements on the "First Fleet" from England to Australia de Grijs, Richard Gravitational conundrum: confusing clock-rate measurements on the "First Fleet" from England to Australia 2022 Journal of astronomical history and heritage 25 4 737-44 Journal Article: Sydney's Scientific Beginnings: William Dawes' Observatories in Context de Grijs, Richard; Jacob, Andrew P. Sydney's Scientific Beginnings: William Dawes' Observatories in Context Cornell University 2021 arXiv:2101.08974 [physics.hist-ph] Book: William Dawes: scientist governor, abolitionist: caught between science and religion de Grijs, Richard; and Jacob, Andrew William Dawes: scientist governor, abolitionist: caught between science and religion Cham, Switzeland Springer 2023