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Robert L. J. Ellery, his Life and Times

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 April 2016

S.C.B. Gascoigne
S.C.B. Gascoigne*
Affiliation:
3 Anstey Street, Pearce, ACT 2607
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Extract

To present-day astronomers the name of Robert Ellery, by which our newly established lectureship is to be known, means little. A century ago it was a different story. Ellery was then one of the most respected scientists in the country, a leading astronomer who had been director of the Melbourne Observatory since it was founded in 1853, and who had taken it to a prominent position in international astronomy. Besides this he was a man of parts who spread his talents widely. He was a founder and long-term president of the Royal Society of Victoria, treasurer of the University Council, chairman of the committee of the Alfred Hospital, Trustee of the Public Library, the Art Gallery and the Museum, and he was an active member, latterly commander, of the local Torpedo and Signal Corps, a coastal defence unit manned by citizen soldiers. Late in life he became the first president of the Beekeepers’ Club. He was elected to the Royal Society and awarded a CMG: all in all, a man of character and achievement.

Type
History of Australian Astronomy
Information
Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia , Volume 10 , Issue 2 , 1992 , pp. 170 - 176
Copyright
Copyright © Astronomical Society of Australia 1992

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References

1 R. W. Home (with Paula Needham), Physics in Australia to 1945, (Melbourne, 1990). ‘EUery’s name does not appear on the register of any of the medical licensing authorities of Britain or Ireland of the period’.

2 The quotation is from Ellery’s Presidential Address to the Melbourne meeting of the AAAS, held in 1900. It was thus 43 years after the event, which obviously left a deep mark on him. The mutiny was a notable episode in convict history; see for instance: Robert Hughes, A Fatal Shore, chapter 15; Turner, H. G., A history of the colony of Victoria, ii, 102–104 (London 1904)Google Scholar; Argus, 27 & 28 March, 1857.

3 Second Annual Report (1861) page 7.

4 Astronomical Observations made at Williamstown Observatory, Melbourne, 1860-61-62; Introduction, page v. ‘The duties connected with the Geodetic Survey frequently demanding the Government Astronomer’s presence in the field, a large proportion of the observing and computation was performed by Mr White… The reduction and tabulation of all the Right Ascension observations, the construction of the catalogue, and a large proportion of the general computation … were performed by Mr White, whose zeal and assiduity has contributed in no small degree to the completeness of the present volume.’ (written by R. L. J. Ellery).

5 A similar collaboration between the Cape of Good Hope and Pulkova Observatories produced a parallax of 8″.96.

6 Third Annual Report, 1862, page 12 ‘The new fortifications, in which will be mounted some very heavy guns are just now completed, and I look forward with dread to the time when they are brought into use for drill and target practice. I have good reason to fear that the disturbances … will be almost fatal to the adjustments of our instruments.’ (written by R. L. J. Ellery).

7 For a much fuller account, see Home, R. W. and Kretzer, Hans-Jochen, Historical Records of Australian Science, 8(4) (June 1991)Google Scholar.

8 Verdon later went to London on State business, on his return becoming chairman of the Board of Visitors, a post he held for many years. The following quotation is from H. G. Turner, see 2 above, page 136:

‘[When in London].. he proved.. an excellent negotiator. He was well educated, well connected, and possessed of an exceptionally suave manner and address. His introductions were influential, and … he so far won his way with the authorities that he succeeded in obtaining £ 100,000 toward the cost of the Cerberus, an ironclad for harbour defence purposes’.

9 R. L. J. Ellery, The Progress of Astronomy, no. 9415 in the Ferguson Collection of the National Library.

10 J. L. Perdrix, Journal of the Astronomical Society of Victoria, 1961 ; also Australian Journal of Astronomy, 4(3) (April 1992). Hyde, W. Lewis, Proc. Astron. Soc. Aust., 7: 227 (1987)CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

11 Warner, Brian, Quarterly Journal R.A.S. 13(4): 502 (1982)Google Scholar.

12 It was possible to take these photographs only because with an object as bright as the moon exposures could be limited to a couple of seconds. With longer exposures irregularities in the drive, which could not be guided out, spoilt the definition.

13 Heamshaw, J. B., The Analysis of Starlight C.U.P. 1986, 94-95Google Scholar. The later survey of Ellery and Baracchi was carried out on an 8- inch refractor, not on the 48-inch as stated in this book. Le Sueur’s first paper was published in Nature, 1:157 (1869)

14 Specifically the Herschels, the Earl of Rosse, Nasmyth, Lassell.

15 Melbourne Observatory, Observations of Southern Nebulae made with the Great Melbourne Telescope from 1869 to 1885. Melbourne Government Printer, 1885.

16 Telescope observing Book B, IV, June 1866-, page 30.

17 The reductions for the last, vol 4, were carried out at Mt. Stromlo by Dr G. Simonov.

18 Eleventh Annual Report (1876), page 8.

19 Ellery, R. L. J., MNRAS 49: 439(1882)CrossRefGoogle Scholar; and ibid, 50: 66( 1890).

20 W. J. Gibbs, The Origins of Australian Meteorology, Australian Government Printing Service, Canberra, 1975.

21 Age, 25/5/1897 The numbers are from an extended article describing the activities and condition of the Melbourne Observatory.

22 The information on the Torpedo Corps is taken from the Melbourne Observatory files in the Public Records Office of Victoria. In 1874 the strength of the corps was 4 officers and 24 other ranks.

23 Australasian, 30/6/1887, page 820.

24 Argus, 15/1/1908.