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 Watson
Rd, Millers Point
Phone (02) 9217-0485
Web: Sydney
Observatory
Entry:
free, at night: adults AUS$ 10; children/concessions AUS$ 5; family
AUS$ 25
Open:
Mon-Fri 2 pm - 5 pm, Sat-Son 10 am - 5 pm, night tours Thu-Tue (reservation
required)
closed on Good Friday, Christmas Day and New Year's Eve
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The most interesting attractions are guided night tours. Through
a state-of-the-art 40 cm telescope the sky can be observed.
The museum invites visitors to interact. There are exhibitions
which show how Australia's first astronomers, the aboriginals, explained
the creation of the southern sky.
At daytime the park is an ideal spot for a picnic under the trees
with a breath-taking view of the harbour.
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The
first plans for the Sydney Observatory designed a simple tower with
a time ball. It should be built near the signal station (also on the
site of the observatory). At 1 pm the ball drops to show the correct
time to the city and the harbour. At the same time a cannon is fired
at Fort Denison. Soon it was agrreed to expand the tower to an observatory.