Dover Heights Ceremony - 20 July 2003

Rodney Reserve at Dover Heights is one of the most remarkable and most important astronomical sites in New South Wales. Between 1946 and 1954, this former WWII radar station was the leading field station of the CSIRO Division of Radiophysics, and was home to a succession of different radio telescopes that were used to make outstanding advances in the newly-emerging field of radio astronomy.

To commemorate the international scientific importance of Rodney Reserve, the CSIRO Australia Telescope National Facility (ATNF), Australia's national radio astronomical research facility and a successor to the Division of Radiophysics, is erecting a full-size replica of one of the early radio telescopes on this site, together with an interpretative display.

On Sunday, 20 July, the Australia Telescope National Facility, in collaboration with the Waverley City Council, will be holding an opening ceremony to coincide with the General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union which will be held in Sydney in July 2003. Her Excellency, Marie Bashir, Governor of NSW, will be the guest of honour at the ceremony.

The display and replica antenna will offer visitors to Rodney Reserve an insight into the pre-eminent position that Australia occupied in international astronomy during the 1940s and 50s and reveal the innovative work that our scientists undertook during the formative years of radio astronomy.

Added by John Sarkissian on 2003-07-06