Early Years

Through Adversity to the Stars: 100 Years of Mount Stromlo Observatory

Despite the Federal Government’s commitment in principle in 1914 to establish a Commonwealth Observatory, it was not until April 1923 that the government finally committed funds, with Walter Duffield officially appointed inaugural director on 1 January 1924. 

When Duffield arrived back in Australia from England in November 1924, it had been 18 years since he first began lobbying for the Observatory. While construction took place, Duffield and his family, including wife Doris, daughter Joan, and sons Peter and Michael, lived at Hotel Canberra (also known as Hostel No 1 and now the Hyatt Hotel). Duffield set up a small temporary observatory in the hotel while he oversaw construction work at Stromlo and frequently travelled to Melbourne to liaise with representatives from the Department of Home Affairs and Territories. The temporary observatory at the hotel occupied six rooms and was used for pyrheliometry, pyranometry, atmospheric potential gradient (electric field) recording, sunspot sketches, clocks and time signals, objective prism stellar spectroscopy, night-sky luminosity observations, and microphotometry (Bhathal, Sutherland & Butcher, 2014).  

Construction was painfully slow, with building materials transported by tractor up winding and narrow roads. It wasn’t until December 1926 that the main Observatory building, and some staff cottages were completed, with the Director’s House (originally Observatory House) not completed for a further two years. The observational equipment used by Duffield at Hotel Canberra was transported to Stromlo by horse and cart, but construction work continued for years. The Observatory building comprised east and west wings that included a laboratory, a covered tunnel for a large spectrograph, lecture room, library, and workshops. The dome for the 15cm Farnham Telescope was constructed atop the electrical substation. The Oddie Telescope dome housed a recording pyrometer, and the Kite House became the centre for meteorological observations.      

British astronomer William Bolton Rimmer was appointed Assistant Solar Observer and Deputy Director at Stromlo in 1924. He was the only qualified astronomer on staff, with all other original staff being physicists or geophysicists including A.L. Kennedy, Arthur Higgs, William Duncanson, Arthur Hogg, and W.H. Love, although Love soon resigned and was replaced by Clabon (Cla) Allen. The team was occupied assembling, repairing, and calibrating equipment but their early work included observations of the luminosity of the night sky, spectroscopic studies, sun studies, studies of variable stars and the photometry of planets and their satellites, and a time service for observatories around the world.  

Finally in 1928, Duffield and his family moved to Stromlo. Walter and Doris Duffield were very active in the local community. Both played in the Stromberra Quintet – Walter played double bass and Doris the violin. They were both also involved in the local Rotary Club and Doris was the first president of the Canberra Mothercraft Society. 

Tragedy struck in the winter of 1929. During a particularly cold winter Walter Duffield contracted influenza which developed into pneumonia. With the heavy snowfall, the road to Stromlo was inaccessible and he was unable to be transported to hospital. After a 9-day illness Duffield tragically passed away on 1 August 1929 at the age of just 49. He was laid to rest at Stromlo in specially consecrated ground 800 metres from the Observatory. Such was the respect for Duffield that despite the steep, narrow road up to Stromlo and the need to walk half a mile along a wet, rocky, and precipitous track to his grave site, his funeral was very well attended by the Canberra community and included Commonwealth officials, local Rotary and RSL members and Observatory colleagues, six of whom carried his coffin. The simple wooden cross marking the grave was enamelled with the Royal Flying Corps coat of arms and motto “Per ardua ad astra” (“Through adversity to the stars”). Duffield had served with the RFC during the First World War. 

The Duffield Family stayed in Canberra following Walter’s untimely death, and daughter Joan had a lifelong association with the Observatory, including funding a scholarship program through the ANU Research School of Astronomy & Astrophysics and funding repairs to the Observatory’s Heliostat following the devastating 2003 Canberra Bushfires. Joan celebrated her 100th birthday at the Observatory. She died in 2014 at the age of 104. 

 

Doris and Walter Duffield, 1920s (ANUA592-1).

Doris and Walter Duffield, 1920s (ANUA592-1).

Doris and Walter Duffield, 1920s (ANUA592-1).
Doris and Walter Duffield, 1920s (ANUA592-1).
Hotel Canberra, 1920s (N60-YC).

Hotel Canberra, where Walter Duffield lived and set up a temporary observatory while the Commonwealth Solar Observatory was under construction, early 1920s (N60-YC).

Hotel Canberra, 1920s (N60-YC).
Hotel Canberra, where Walter Duffield lived and set up a temporary observatory while the Commonwealth Solar Observatory was under construction, early 1920s (N60-YC).
Plan of Hotel Canberra showing section used as observatory (ANUA119-49)

Plan of Hotel Canberra showing section used as observatory, early 1920s (ANUA119-49).

Plan of Hotel Canberra showing section used as observatory (ANUA119-49)
Plan of Hotel Canberra showing section used as observatory, early 1920s (ANUA119-49).
Plan of Hotel Canberra showing section used as observatory, early 1920s (ANUA119-49).

Plan of Hotel Canberra showing section used as observatory, early 1920s (ANUA119-49).

Plan of Hotel Canberra showing section used as observatory, early 1920s (ANUA119-49).
Plan of Hotel Canberra showing section used as observatory, early 1920s (ANUA119-49).
Duffield and Rimmer making first observations of sun spots at Stromlo, April 1925 (ANUA592-102).

Walter Duffield and William Rimmer making the first observations of sun spots at the Commonwealth Solar Observatory, April 1925 (ANUA592-102).

Duffield and Rimmer making first observations of sun spots at Stromlo, April 1925 (ANUA592-102).
Walter Duffield and William Rimmer making the first observations of sun spots at the Commonwealth Solar Observatory, April 1925 (ANUA592-102).
Joan Duffield with Mount Stromlo Observatory Director Harvey Butcher celebrating her 100th birthday, 2010 (Courtesy of ANU RSAA).

Joan Duffield with Mount Stromlo Observatory Director Harvey Butcher celebrating her 100th birthday, 2010 (Courtesy of ANU RSAA).

Joan Duffield with Mount Stromlo Observatory Director Harvey Butcher celebrating her 100th birthday, 2010 (Courtesy of ANU RSAA).
Joan Duffield with Mount Stromlo Observatory Director Harvey Butcher celebrating her 100th birthday, 2010 (Courtesy of ANU RSAA).
Grave of Walter Duffield at Mount Stromlo, 1929 (ANUA592-105).

Grave of Walter Duffield at Mount Stromlo, 1929 (ANUA592-105).

Grave of Walter Duffield at Mount Stromlo, 1929 (ANUA592-105).
Grave of Walter Duffield at Mount Stromlo, 1929 (ANUA592-105).
Doris Duffield and children at Mount Stromlo Observatory, c. early 1920s (ANUA592-3).

Doris Duffield and children at Mount Stromlo Observatory, c. early 1920s (ANUA592-3).

Doris Duffield and children at Mount Stromlo Observatory, c. early 1920s (ANUA592-3).
Doris Duffield and children at Mount Stromlo Observatory, c. early 1920s (ANUA592-3).
Plan of Laboratory and Sun Telescope (Heliostat), Mount Stromlo Observatory, 28 April 1926.

Plan of Laboratory and Sun Telescope (Heliostat), Mount Stromlo Observatory, 28 April 1926.

Plan of Laboratory and Sun Telescope (Heliostat), Mount Stromlo Observatory, 28 April 1926.
Plan of Laboratory and Sun Telescope (Heliostat), Mount Stromlo Observatory, 28 April 1926.
Construction of the Reynolds Telescope, Mount Stromlo Observatory, c. late 1920s (ANUA119-49).

Construction of the Reynolds Telescope, Mount Stromlo Observatory, c. late 1920s (ANUA119-49).

Construction of the Reynolds Telescope, Mount Stromlo Observatory, c. late 1920s (ANUA119-49).
Construction of the Reynolds Telescope, Mount Stromlo Observatory, c. late 1920s (ANUA119-49).
Mourners gathered at the funeral for Walter Duffield, Mount Stromlo, August 1929 (ANUA592-105).

Mourners gathered at the funeral for Walter Duffield, Mount Stromlo, August 1929 (ANUA592-105).

Mourners gathered at the funeral for Walter Duffield, Mount Stromlo, August 1929 (ANUA592-105).
Mourners gathered at the funeral for Walter Duffield, Mount Stromlo, August 1929 (ANUA592-105).
Postcard advertising the Commonwealth Solar Observatory, 1920s (ANUA592-71).

Postcard advertising the Commonwealth Solar Observatory, 1920s (ANUA592-71).

Postcard advertising the Commonwealth Solar Observatory, 1920s (ANUA592-71).
Postcard advertising the Commonwealth Solar Observatory, 1920s (ANUA592-71).