The Commonwealth Solar Observatory was established in 1924, on Mount Stromlo, on the outskirts of Canberra. Founded mainly to study the sun and support research into geophysics, the complex included residences, plant and maintenance buildings as well as scientific observation and recording equipment. This fact sheet provides information on the National Archives’ holdings relating to the construction and maintenance of the complex.
Records relating to Mount Stromlo Observatory
Records held by the National Archives relating to Mount Stromlo include correspondence files, photographs, and architectural plans and drawings dealing with the design, construction and maintenance of the complex. A selection of records is listed below.
| Title or description of record | Date range | Series, item number |
|---|---|---|
| Mount Stromlo – Observatory buildings | 1925–29 | CP698/30, 1 |
| Mount Stromlo – general file | 1925–28 | CP698/30, 1/1 |
| Mount Stromlo – Director's residence | 1920–25 | CP698/30, 1/2 |
| Mount Stromlo – buildings | 1927–28 | CP698/30, 1/3 |
| Mount Stromlo Observatory – estimates only | 1927 | CP698/30, 1/4 |
| Title or description of record | Date range | Series number |
|---|---|---|
| Small dome on Mt Stromlo looking northeast | 1926 | A3560, 4 |
| Cottages under construction at Mt Stromlo | 1926 | A3560, 201 |
| Administrative building on Mt Stromlo | 1925 | A3560, 909 |
| Cottages on Mt Stromlo | 1926 | A3560, 1642 |
| Pine plantation on Mt Stromlo | 1926 | A3560, 2623 |
| Construction site – Mt Stromlo with Mason crane | 1927 | A3560, 3597 |
| Observatory dome under construction | 1927 | A3560, 3602 |
| Director’s house under construction | 1927 | A3560, 3621 |
| Observatory dome | 1928 | A3560, 4194 |
| Observatory dome and administration buildings | 1928 | A3560, 4414 |
| Buildings at Mt Stromlo | 1928 | A3560, 4654 |
| Director’s residence – Mt Stromlo | 1929 | A3560, 5386 |
| Administrative building – Mt Stromlo | circa 1921–34 | A3560, 7460 |
| Telescope | 1928 | A3560, 7532 |
| Workmen on Solar Tower – Mt Stromlo | 1928 | A3560, 7535 |
| Workmen on dome over Farnham telescope | 1928 | A3560, 7543 |
| Office buildings at Stromlo under construction | 1927 | A3560, 7561 |
| Title or description of record | Date range | Series number |
|---|---|---|
| Details of senior mechanic's residence – Mt Stromlo | 1925 | A2502, AB429 |
| Layout of buildings | 1924 | A2502, AB430 |
| Detail of bronze lettering | circa 1924–30 | A2502, AB649 |
| Lavatory – Oddie House – Mt Stromlo | 1929 | A2502, AB747 |
| Steelwork to laboratory and Sun Telescope Building | 1924 | A2502, AB835 |
| Garages, fuel stores | 1927 | A2502, AB881 |
| Stromlo pump house | 1927 | A2502, AB968 |
| Additions to staff quarters (AC1202) | 1926 | A2503, folder 6 |
| Reynolds Reflector house (AC1389) | 1926 | A2503, folder 7 |
| Director’s residence (AC1445) | 1927 | A2503, folder 7 |
| Reynolds Reflector house (AC1475) | 1927 | A2503, folder 7 |
| Excavation to store building site (AC1485) | 1927 | A2503, folder 7 |
| Temporary Farnham house (AC1504) | 1927 | A2503, folder 8 |
| Details of lab and sun telescope building (AC1548) | 1927 | A2503, folder 8 |
| Sub station and Farnham telescope building (AC1554) | 1927 | A2503, folder 8 |
| Detail of workshop store and office (AC1645) | 1927 | A2503, folder 8 |
| Architectural drawings with AG prefix | 1930 | A2506 |
| Residence ‘A’ | 1930 | A2506, AG164 |
| Residence ‘H’ | 1930 | A2506, AG164 |
| Groundsman’s cottage | 1930 | A2506, AG167 |
| Remodelling of the Administration building | 1930 | A2506, AG171 |
| Reynolds Reflector House – details of reinforcements to concrete | 1930 | A2506, AG324 |
| Aperture cards for ACT architectural plans and drawings | 1921–59* | A9663 |
| Bingar dome | undated | A9663, M1957D |
| Timing gear details | undated | A9663, M8381 |
| Dome for 48 inch telescope | undated | A9663, 19927 |
| Building for cosmic rays | undated | A9663, 4788 |
| Variations to addition | undated | A9663, 13747 |
| Optical munitions annexe | undated | A9663, 15114 |
| New bachelor quarters | undated | A9663, 19435 |
| Restoration of fire damaged building | undated | A9663, 22028 |
| Proposed dome and annexe for CATTS 20 inch telescope | undated | A9663, 23338 |
| New ionospheric station | undated | A9663, 20866 |
* Most items in this series are not individually dated. The series date range provides some indication of when individual items were created.
For more information
You can obtain more information about the record series listed above (and the items within the series) from RecordSearch, the National Archives database. As well as records relating to the complex and its maintenance, you should be able to identify records relating to solar and astronomical observations, and other scientific activity and research undertaken at Mount Stromlo (including the Observatory’s wartime role in optical munitions production).