ESTABLISHING A SOLAR OBSERVATORY IN AUSTRALIA 43 



Physics Committee of the Australasian Association for the Advancement 

 of Science, as well as the favourable reply from the Minister of Home 

 Affairs of the Fisher Ministry in response to their deputation upon the 

 subject, shortly before the Deakin Ministry came into power. 



In order to demonstrate the strong feeling throughout Australia that 

 this work should be undertaken, a public meeting was convened by the 

 Solar Physics Committee in the Melbourne Town Hall on October 26, 

 1909. Delegates were appointed by the Councils of the Universities 

 of Sydney, Melbourne^ Adelaide, and Hobart, the observatories of Mel- 

 bourne and Adelaide, the Koyal Societies of New South "Wales, Victoria, 

 and South Australia, and the Astronomical Societies of Sydney and 

 Adelaide. The meeting was presided over by the Earl of Dudley, 

 Governor-General of Australia, who concluded his opening address with 

 the words : — 



' It will be little short of a national misfortune if, for the sake of a 

 few thousand pounds, Australia fails to take the place amongst the 

 nations of the world in scientific research for which her geographical 

 position marks her out. The country appears destined by Nature for 

 the work, and it is doubtful whether it can be done anywhere else so 

 well as here. The location of the new station in Australia would mean 

 that three out of the four necessary links in the chain of observatories 

 would be within the Empire, and that all four — the American, the 

 British, the Indian, and the Australian — would be run by English- 

 speaking peoples. It would also show that Australia recognised her 

 responsibilities and her opportunities, and had taken her place amongst 

 the nations of the world, at any rate in the realms of science. ' 



The following resolution was put to the meeting and carried unani- 

 mously : ' That the establishment of a Solar Observatory in Australia is 

 desirable, and that the Federal Government be strongly urged to assume 

 the responsibility of carrying it into effect.' Sir Thomas Gibson- 

 Carmichael, Governor of Victoria, Sir George Reid, High Commissioner 

 for Australia, Sir John Madden, Chancellor of the Melbourne Uni- 

 versity, Professors David and Henderson, Mr. Baracchi, Government 

 Astronomer of Victoria, Mr. Hunt, Commonwealth Meteorologist, and 

 others spoke in favour of the establishment of the observatory. 



In response to a question asked in the Commonwealth Parliament 

 concerning the Government's intention of undertaking this work, the 

 Prime Minister, Mr. Deakin, replied : ' ... It appears to me that 

 the Commonwealth ought to do its share in this matter. I propose, 

 therefore, to ask my honourable colleagues to place on the Estimates a 

 sum sufficient for the maintenance of such an observatory. If neces- 

 sary, we may go further, but it is desirable that in the first instance the 

 wealthy men of Australia should ha^ve their attention called to the 

 opportunity now presented them for the erection and equipment of an 

 observatory whose results would be valuable to the world at large, and 

 incidentally to Australia. The Commonwealth Government would be 

 prepared to maintain it for the sake of science and Australian meteoro- 

 logy.' November 4, 1909. 



Mr. Deakin subsequently stated that the Cabinet had approved of 

 a proposal upon the above lines for submission to Parliament. The 



