Waiting for the transit of Venus

On the 24th of November 1874 a group of Sydney astronomers landed their pre-fabricated observatory, tents, instruments, bricks and cement at Two-Fold Bay in New South Wales. They were their to observe the Transit of Venus and over the next few days managed to lay down the building piers for the 7.5 inch Merz telescope and erect the wooden observatory we can see here with the numbered planks.

Sitting in the chair is Rev. Scott Sydney Observatory’s first astronomer and standing next to him is W. J. MacDonnell next to the 4.5 inch Cooke equatorial. Further along we can see Mr. Watkins next to a 3.5 inch equatorial, Mr. Sharkey a photographer from the Government Printing Office and finally, in the background, the unnamed carpenter who accompanied the expedition.

Photography by John Sharkey, Eden, New South Wales, 1874
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Post by Geoff Barker, Assistant Curator