From The Desk Of The Program Manager

by Paul Wadham

It has been a busy year at the Observatory with projects arising from our Lotterywest grant plus the activities from the State Government Grant via the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation (JTSI). Below I have detailed some of the highlights and changes that have taken place at the Observatory this year.

The state grant funding and approvals from The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) has enable us to make some great improvements to the Observatory. Possibly the most significant has been the transformation of our Board room into a Classroom equipped with new furniture, a large touch screen and new equipment storage cupboards.

Before

Image Credit: Paul Wadham

After

We have also made improvements to our public toilet block, giving it a much-needed facelift.

Before

Image Credit: Paul Wadham

After

For years now the trip to the public viewing area was poorly lit with old and broken 12-volt lights, this year with the aid of the State grant we were able to start upgrading the lights. It is still a work in progress but the first section from the back lawn to the Meridian dome has been completed with the rest to follow in the new year.

Before

ul Wadham Im age Credit: Pa

After

The grant has also allowed us to buy some much needed equipment for our school day tours, night tours, and some office equipment. Next year’s funding will continue the gradual improvements to the Observatory to improve the customer experience and provide better equipment and facilities for our amazing volunteers and staff.

There are still three projects running from our 2018 Lotterywest grant the most exciting being the refurbishment of our museum. Work commenced on schedule on the 17th of October to decommission the existing Museum. The room has now been painted, and preliminary electrical work completed. The frames for the displays were delivered on the 16th of November, and work continues as the displays are being installed. We expect it to be finished in mid-January.

Image Credit: Paul Wadham Image Credit: Paul Wadham Image Credit: Paul Wadham

The second project is our new outdoor interpretative signage, the signs were designed inhouse and the frames were designed and created by “Angry Panda” a local metalwork artist. The design is based on the Perth Observatory logo.

The need for inclusivity was identified as part of the POVG’s 2018 Lotterywest grant. Due to the physical requirements for optical telescope viewing at the Observatory, some visitors are unable to negotiate the stairs or ladders to view our amazing southern sky’s. The Lotterywest grant has enabled us to purchase AV equipment that will make it possible for the POVG volunteers to display and transmit audio and video throughout the site. It will make live images of the night sky or the Sun accessible from various locations onsite without the need to climb stairs or ladders. It also creates the potential for live streaming via the internet for those unable to get to the observatory, making the whole experience more accessible.

The final project I would like to mention is the Hallway gallery project. The relocation of the Hallway doors in the eastern hallway has made a significant improvement to the layout of the admin building. It has opened up the hallway to produce a 22m long gallery to display educational material and art works. The longer hallway has also provided more space for the school Day Tours on rainy days, as the space is also used as an activity area and the newly created Classroom is now accessible without having to leave the hallway doors open creating a secure “Staff” section of the building during activities in the hallway and the classroom.

The POVG would like to thank Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation, The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions and Lotterywest for making all these improvements possible. I would also like to thank all the staff and volunteers who have worked hard to help turn our plans into reality.

Image Credit: Paul Wadham

The Orion Nebula M42