Assembly of the Great Melbourne Telescope, Melbourne Observatory, 1869

Great Melbourne Telescope Restoration

What: EXHIBITION
When: Open 10am to 4.30pm daily
Tickets: Included with museum entry
$0 to $15

The Great Melbourne Telescope was the first ever large, fully steerable telescope designed to see beyond our galaxy, allowing astronomers to look deep into our nearest galactic neighbours, the large and small Magellanic Clouds.

The telescope was built in Dublin, Ireland, in the 1860s, then shipped out to colonial Melbourne, funded by the Victorian gold rush. The telescope was at the forefront of modern astronomy for 134 years, from its first light in Melbourne in 1869, right through to its use (after modernisation) in the search for dark matter at Mount Stromlo, ACT, in the 1990s.

Following the tragic end of the telescope’s scientific life in the 2003 Canberra bushfires, volunteers from the Astronomical Society of Victoria and Museums Victoria staff have been restoring the telescope to working condition, for public viewing experiences.

The restoration can be seen on daily display in the South Pumping Station, accessible via the Pumping Station central courtyard. Volunteers progress restoration works on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.