8o w. E. COOKE, M.A., F.R.A.S.: 
History of the Perth Observatory. By W. E. 
Cooke, M.A., F.R.A.S. (Read May 29th, 1912.) 
The advisability of taking meteorological observations 
was first officially recognised in 1876, when a meteorological 
branch was added to the Surveyor-General ol the depart- 
ment and readings of the barometer, temperature, etc., were 
commenced under the direction of the late Sir Malcolm 
Fraser. In the following year Mr. M. A. C. Fraser was 
appointed Observer, and continued to hold that office 
until February, 1896, when it was decided to establish an 
Astronomical Observatory and to transfer the charge of the 
meteorological department thereto. 
Meanwhile the system had been extended by placing 
instruments in the hands of the postal officials in country 
towns, and at the end of 1895 there were fifteen of these 
contributing regular returns. After the establishment of 
the Observatory this branch was reorganised and extended. 
Regular inspections were made, and daily bulletins and 
forecasts issued. Steady growth and progress was made, 
and on January 1st, 1908, the Federal Weather Bureau 
was created and all the State services transferred thereto. 
Coming back now to 1896, plans of the Observatory 
were prepared by the Public Y\ orks Department and the 
foundation stone laid in November of that year. It may 
be interesting to record that amongst a few odds and ends 
which were placed beneath that stone is one of the very first 
X-ray tubes, the science of radiography having only just 
started. 
The main equipment of the Observatory consisted of two 
instruments, viz., a six-inch transit circle, by Simms, and an 
astrograph of the standard pattern, by Grubb. 1 his latter 
had two telescopes, mounted equatorially, with parallel 
tubes. The object glass of the photographic telescope is 
thirteen inches in diameter, and of the guide telescope ten. 
All the work of the Observatory revolves round these two 
instruments, and all other equipment such as clocks, chrono- 
graphs, etc., is subservient thereto. 
Whilst the instruments were being erected and ad- 
justed, and before a definite programme of work had been 
arranged, a letter was received by the Western Australian 
Government from the Permanent Committee of the Inter- 
national Astrographic Congress, asking the Perth Observa- 
tory to co-operate in the great star-cataloguing and charting 
scheme then in progress. As the geographical position and 
equipment of the Perth Observatory were exactly suited to 
such work, an affirmative reply was given and the zone of 
32°-40° south declination was definitely assigned to our 
Institution. 
