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During the summer of 2003 The ACT experienced the worst bushfires in recent history and, amongst much other damage, the Mt Stromlo Observatory was almost completely gutted. As well as the obvious setbacks to scientific programs, several large historic telescopes were destroyed. None of these telescopes can be restored, but it seems fitting that their remains continue to serve some useful purpose.
The National Institute of Physical Sciences, ANU, is sponsoring a project by artist Tim Wetherell to construct sculptures from the fire damaged telescope parts.
Phase one of this project was the construction of a giant Sun (approximately two metres in diameter) using shattered glass from the Great Melbourne Telescope. This glass has been thermally stress fractured into thousands of fragments ranging from a few mm to several cm in size. The first job was removal of the glass from the site, but this operation was made more difficult by the dangerous state of the burnt out buildings and the presence of some toxic materials. The collected fragments had to be cleaned on site to remove as much debris as possible and then broken down into smaller pieces along the existing fracture lines by tapping with a hammer. The resulting pieces of glass have a natural beauty rather like diamonds or crushed ice, but unfortunately also have razor sharp edges. These dangerous edges were removed by tumbling in an airtight container before final washing. The resulting glass covers the surface of the giant perspex sun. The natural granularity of this glass surface resembles that of the real sun especially when internally lit by an electronic fire effect designed by the RSPhysSE Electronics Unit.
Phase two of the project is to use one of the great setting circles from the Yale Columbia to create one, or possibly two, large
outdoor sculptures that encapsulate something of the feel of the telescope and also to preserve part
of the instrument essentially intact. Originally the sculpture was going to be abstract but two
factors have influenced us to reconsider this. Firstly, the Right Ascension drive gear was damaged in
removal to the extent that the original design was impossible. Secondly public feedback has made it clear that a figurative sculpture more in the style of Tim's other work, would have a wider appeal .
The pose and gesture of the iron figure will speak of astronomy and examining the heavens, whilst
the riveted plates give strong ties to the appearance and "flavour" of the original 1920's telescope.
From an artistic standpoint, the iron man on a tall pole has overtones of the famous English
contemporary sculptor Antony Gormley's work. In this way, the piece aims to find a balance between
a historical monument and an artwork that sits comfortably within the broader framework of
contemporary sculpture. The rusted, riveted construction also enables a seamless blend of historic
and new components and makes reference to the current condition of the burnt out remains.
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More information about phase two (the Yale Columbia Sculpture)
Click Here for a print resolution version of the pahse two booklet (5Mbytes)
More information about the now completed phase one
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