CASS opens new office in Perth, WA

CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science is expanding its ‘footprint’ through a new presence in Perth, Western Australia (WA), complementing its existing ASKAP and SKA project support facilities at Geraldton, home to 15 CASS staff, and at the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory (MRO) in the Mid-West of WA.

“We see a CASS presence in Perth as vitally important for our future radio astronomy activities” said CASS Chief, Lewis Ball. “A locally based team is necessary to support frequent and high-level interactions with the WA Government and the many other stakeholders we have in Western Australia, and to demonstrate Australia’s long term intent with respect to astronomy, the SKA project, and associated Australian SKA Host Country Headquarters.”

The new CASS office will be in the Australian Resources Research Centre (ARRC) located six kilometres south of Perth city, and close to Curtin University and the Pawsey Centre which provides supercomputing facilities critical for the next-generation of radio astronomy facilities. This presents an ideal opportunity for CASS to quickly establish an office accommodating some 10-12 staff, led by CASS’s current Business and Strategy Manager – Dr Phil Crosby.

Other important drivers for the new CASS office include facilitation of interactions with WA industry and increasing CSIRO’s collaboration with Curtin and UWA scientists, particularly in low-frequency radio astronomy in which we plan to grow our involvement.

Initial staffing of the Perth office will comprise a science group, a computing and data archive group, and other staff concerned with MRO-based projects (ASKAP), and CSIRO’s SKA pre-construction effort.

“I’m very much looking forward to the job of establishing this strategic new centre for CASS”, said Phil Crosby, “however my near term challenge will be the drive across the Nullarbor with the car full of boxes and suitcases!” Phil is due to commence at the ARRC building on Monday 25th November.

Added by Tony Crawshaw on 2013-11-20