31º 57' 09.63"s 115º 50' 32".86e, Transit Circle Telescope—Perth, Australia - Permanent Geographic Coordinates on Waymarking.com

Back in the last years of the Nineteenth Century an astronomical observatory was constructed in the city of Perth. Dedicated in 1896, Perth Observatory overlooked what was then a small town, to the west. The Observatory operated here until the mid 1960s, until light pollution, and the growing value of the land, compelled a relocation to a new site far to the east.

The main building of the original observatory still stands, home to the National Trust, Western Australian branch, but the telescope buildings were demolished. One of these housed a "Transit Circle" telescope, used to determine the position of stars. This is commemorated by a plaque that lists the latitude and longitude of the telescope. The site of the former telescope is the entrance to a carpark (sad).

4.5 metres north of this plaque is a disc
marking the position of
The Transit Circle of the first observatory
in western Australia. It was established in 1899
from astronomical observations taken by
W.E. Cooke Government Astronomer
and the following values were obtained
latitude 31º 57' 09.63" south
longitude 7h 43m 21.74s east
115º 50' 26".10
The transit circle formed the basis of
Western Australian surveys until 1966 when
the Australian geodetic survey was completed
this established new values for the position
latitude 31º 57' 13.63" south
longitude 7h 43m 22.19s east
115º 50' 32".86

Type of structure: Structure Difference between the post coordinates and your GPSr reading: Within expected range of error. Reason for the coordinates: Commemoration of a telescope.

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Date Logged Log   07/10/2013 blingg visited it