The goal of the Great Melbourne Telescope project is to restore the telescope to working order so that it may be used for educational and public viewing.

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The Great Melbourne Telescope was one of the largest telescopes in the world in the 19th century, and the largest in the southern hemisphere.

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Erected at Melbourne Observatory in 1869, this ‘giant of science’ was an icon of Melbourne during the boom decades following the 1850s goldrush.

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The telescope symbolised to Melburnians that their city was a city of learning and civilization, not just of economic wealth.

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Relocated to Canberra in 1944, it was heavily modified for modern astronomy. The 2003 Canberra bushfires destroyed the modern equipment, but left the original parts relatively unscathed.

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The original parts of the telescope have now been returned to Melbourne. About 90 percent of the original telescope has survived.

https://greatmelbournetelescope.org.au/

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