Power and Politics in Nineteenth Century Australian Astronomy

Abstract

The period 1850-1910 was a “golden age” in Australian astronomy, with the establishment of professional observatories, substantial growth of popular interest in astronomy, establishment of a network of significant private observatories across the nation, and formation of Australia’s earliest astronomical groups and societies.During this period, amateur astronomers were able to make a significant contribution internationally to positional astronomy. This paper briefly examines amateur-professional relations in Australian astronomy at the time, and the interplay of power and politics.