1917 'Hoskins' Telescope restoration

In March 2005 I visited Macquarie University with Dr Nick Lomb, who was then Curator of Astronomy and Sydney Observatory. In a large shed there were many boxes of pieces of telescopes, which had been in the custodianship of Dr Alan Vaughan since 1983, when Sydney Observatory ceased operating as a research observatory.

Some of the boxes included parts of a large metal open truss telescope made by George Herbert Hoskins in 1917 in Beecroft, north west of Sydney. George Hoskins was the longest serving member of the New South Wales Branch of the British Astronomical Association (now Sydney City Skywatchers), having been a member for over 50 years.

Sydney City Skywatchers donated the Hoskins telescope to the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences in 2008 and you can read the research into George Hoskins and the telescope through this link. Andrew Jacob, who is the Astronomy Curator and Curator of Sydney Observatory, advised us that the telescope is being restored and he has recently updated us of the progress. The photographs above were taken in the Museums Castle Hill conservation workshop. We look forward to one day using this telescope or at least seeing it complete.