Dominion Observatory, Wellington

The Dominion Observatory is a historic observatory in the Botanic Gardens in Wellington, New Zealand. It was the second observatory in Wellington. It was built in 1907 and originally named the Hector Observatory after James Hector until 1925.[1] It was built to replace the Colonial Observatory which was located in the Bolton Street Cemetery.[2]

Dominion Observatory
Dominion Observatory
Map
General information
Architectural styleEdwardian Baroque
LocationWellington's Botanic Gardens
Town or cityWellington
CountryNew Zealand
Coordinates41°17′02.9″S 174°46′05.6″E / 41.284139°S 174.768222°E / -41.284139; 174.768222
Completed1907
Design and construction
Architect(s)John Campbell
Designated25 September 1986
Reference no.4700

The observatory was primarily used to maintain New Zealand Mean Time for the Time Service based on astronomical observations.[3]

It was designed by architect John Campbell in the Edwardian Baroque style.[3]

The observatory was vacant in 1993, and in 2003 it was refurbished by the Department of Conservation to be used by private businesses.

It is listed by Heritage New Zealand as a Category 1 Historic Place.[4]

References

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  1. ^ Coote, Briony (2010). "History of Carter Observatory of Wellington". Archived from the original on 8 May 2019. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  2. ^ "Search the List | Dominion Observatory | Heritage New Zealand". www.heritage.org.nz. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
  3. ^ a b Dominion Observatory (PDF), Department of Conservation, 2007
  4. ^ "Dominion Observatory". Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
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