COLLEGE OBSERVATORY

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 220, 11 June 1921, Page 7

COLLEGE OBSERVATORY

HISTORY OF ITS FOUNDATION. "The Wellingtonian,” the magazine of tho Wellington Boys’ College, referring to the Observatory, now to be removed from its present site, has the following notes on its history:— "As tho building of the proposed new Girls’ College will necessitate the removal of the College Observatory, we give hero a short summary of its history. On August 11,. 191.1, in a lecture to tho debating society, Mr. Gifford pointed out the excellence of the present site, and suggested that tho college should crown it with an observatory. Mr. Firth immediately offered to give £5O towards it if the boys could induce four others to do the same. A circular was sent out ten days later, and met with a very gratifying response. As, however, there were no claimants for tho four posts of honour beside Mr. Firth, he made his donation unconditional, and headed tho list. Messrs. Penty and Lawrence gave their services free of charge, and did all the architectural work in connection with the Observatory. Tho telescope was ordered on December 14, and on May 30. 1912, Messrs. M’Lean and Gray’s tender for tho equatorial room was accepted. Three weeks latei a most opportune donation of £4O from the Hon. A. M. Myers enabled theboard to sanction the addition of a small transit room and porch. The contractors started to level the site on July 1. and a week later the first load of bricks arrived. A considerable saving in the expenditure was effected through the boys carrying up the hill all the bricks required for the building. This was a great piece of work, which extended over nearly a month, being delayed by a fortnight’s almost continuous rain. Many unforseen difficulties arose in the course of the construction, the most serious being the impossibility of procuring suitable rollers for the dome to run on. These had to be made specially m V ellingtoil. „ . . , . . ,v „ “The building was- finished about the eno of the year, nnd the telescope arrived on January 23, 1913. II was packed in five cases, three of which weighed over 4001 b. apiece. It was then found necessary to enlarge the mam concrete pedestal' This having been done the telescope was set up on February 24 and the first observations made through it. Since then the Observatory has been m regular use. It has been open for ohserration on 566 occasions, and over 4<oo boys and other visitors, have taken advantage of the opportunity.