Person

Tebbutt, John (1834 - 1916)

Born
25 May 1834
Windsor, New South Wales, Australia
Died
29 November 1916
Windsor, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation
Astronomer and Meteorologist

Summary

John Tebbutt was born at Windsor, New South Wales, where he grew up on his father's properties. He began his observations in the 1850s and in 1863 built his first observatory. He became probably Australia's leading astronomer in his day.

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Archival resources

Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales

  • John Tebbutt - Records, 1860 - 1875, ML DOC 1142; Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales. Details
  • John Tebbutt - Records, c. 1847 - c. 1871, A3728; Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales. Details
  • John Tebbutt - Records, 1853 - 1910, A3729-3746, 3780; Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales. Details
  • John Tebbutt - Records, 1853 - 1859, A3745; Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales. Details
  • John Tebbutt - Records, 1864 - 1989, A3747-3757; Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales. Details
  • John Tebbutt - Records, 1899 - 1902, A3758; Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales. Details
  • John Tebbutt - Records, 1882 - 1901, A3759; Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales. Details
  • John Tebbutt - Records, 1862 - 1905, A3760-3774; Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales. Details
  • John Tebbutt - Records, 1885, A3777; Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales. Details
  • John Tebbutt - Records, 1885 - 1903, A3776; Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales. Details
  • John Tebbutt - Records, A3775; Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales. Details
  • John Tebbutt - Records, 1882, A3778; Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales. Details
  • John Tebbutt - Records, 1862 - 1863, A3779; Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales. Details
  • John Tebbutt - Records, A3781; Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales. Details
  • John Tebbutt - Records, A3782; Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales. Details
  • John Tebbutt - Records, A3783-4; Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales. Details
  • John Tebbutt - Records, 1859 - 1863, A3785-6; Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales. Details
  • John Tebbutt - Records, 1863 - 1913, A3787-99; Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales. Details
  • John Tebbutt - Records, 1857 - 1869, ML MSS 59; Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales. Details
  • John Tebbutt - Records, 1847 - 1915, A3682-3799; Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales. Details

Published resources

Books

  • Bhathal, Ragbir S., Australian Astronomer John Tebbutt: the Life and World of the Man on the $100 Note (Kenthurst: Kangaroo Press, 1993), 111 pp. Details
  • Orchiston, W., John Tebbutt: rebuilding and strengthening the foundations of Australian astronomy (New York: Springer, 2016), 555 pp. Details
  • Tebbutt, John, Astronomical Memoirs (Sydney: F. W. White, 1908). Details

Book Sections

  • Lomb, Nick, 'Early advances in observing eclipses' in Eclipse chasers, Lomb, Nick; and Stevenson, Toner, eds (Clayton South, Vic.: CSIRO Publishing, 2023), pp. 25-53. Details
  • Orchiston, Wayne, 'Tebbutt vs Russell: Passion, Power and Politics in Nineteenth Century Australian Astronomy' in History of Oriental Astronomy, S.M.R. Ansari, ed. (Dordrecht: Kluwer, 2002), pp. 169-201. Details
  • Wood, Harley, 'Tebbutt, John (1834-1916), astronomer' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 6: 1851 - 1890 R - Z, Bede Nairn, ed. (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1976), pp. 251-252. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A060268b.htm. Details

Conference Papers

  • Kimpton, C., 'John Tebbutt - Amateur Astronomer', in 9th National Convention of Amateur Astronomers (Geelong: 1980), pp. 89-94.. Details

Journal Articles

  • Bhathal, Ragbir, 'Australia's Great Comet Hunter', Astronomy and Geophysics, 51 (1) (2010), 1.23-1.25, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1468-4004.2010.51123.x/abstract. Details
  • Lomb, Nick, 'Australian eclipses: three "men of science" and the Sydney eclipse of 1857', Journal of astronomical history and heritage, 24 (3) (2021), 619-28. Details
  • Orchiston, W., 'John Tebbutt: an Australian Astronomer of Note', Astronomy Now, 2 (5) (1981), 11-16. Details
  • Orchiston, W., 'Astronomical Memoirs by J. Tebbutt', Australian Journal of Astronomy, 2 (2) (1987), 79-81. Details
  • Orchiston, W., 'Illuminating Incidents in Antipodean Astronomy: John Tebbutt and the Sydney Observatory Directorship of 1862', Australian Journal of Astronomy, 2 (1988), 149-158. Details
  • Orchiston, W., 'Illuminating Incidents in Antipodean Astronomy: John Tebbutt and the Founding of the Windsor Obeservatory', Journal of the British Astronomical Association, 89 (6) (1988), 287-293. Details
  • Orchiston, Wayne, 'Illuminating Incidents in Antipodean Astronomy: John Tebbutt and the Great Comet of 1881', Journal of the Astronomical Society of Victoria, 34 (6) (1981), 78-92. Details
  • Orchiston, Wayne, 'Illuminating Incidents in Antipodean Astronomy: John Tebbutt and the abortive Australian Association of Comet Observers', Journal of the Astronomical Society of Victoria, 35 (5) (1982), 70-83. Details
  • Orchiston, Wayne, 'John Tebbutt and the Whakatane Eight Inch Refractor: a review of 'The Australian Connection'', Southern Stars, 29 (8) (1982), 215-244. Details
  • Orchiston, Wayne, 'John Tebbutt: Australian Astronomer Extraordinaire', Australian Journal of Astronomy, 2 (1) (1987), 44-46. Details
  • Orchiston, Wayne, 'The Astronomical Register, John Tebbutt, and Astronomy in the Antipodes', Journal of the British Astronomical Association, 100 (1990), 212. Details
  • Orchiston, Wayne, 'Comets and Communication: Amateur-Professional Tension in Australian Astronomy', Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia, 16 (1999), 212-221. Details
  • Orchiston, Wayne, 'John Tebbutt of Windsor, New South Wales: a Pioneer Southern Hemisphere Variable Star Observer', Irish Astronomical Journal, 27 (2000), 47-54. Details
  • Orchiston, Wayne, 'Politics and Personalities in Australian Astronomy: the Russell-Tebbutt Feud', AAO Newsletter, 95 (2000), 8-11. Details
  • Orchiston, Wayne, '"Sentinel of the Southern Heavens": the Windsor Observatory of John Tebbutt', Journal of the Antique Telescope Society, 21 (2001), 11-23. Details
  • Orchiston, Wayne, 'John Tebbutt and Observational Astronomy at Windsor Observatory', Journal of the British Astronomical Association, 114 (2003), 141-154. Details
  • Orchiston, Wayne, 'Highlighting the History of Nineteenth Century Australian Astronomy: the Tebbutt Collection in the Mitchell Library, Sydney', Journal of Astronomical Data, 10 (2004), 59-79. Details
  • Roser, S. R.; and White, G. L., 'John Tebbutt's Observations of Halley's Comet in 1910', Proceedings of the Astronomical Society of Australia, 6 (1986), 354-358. Details
  • White, G. L., 'John Tebbutt and the Astronomy at Windsor Observatory', Proceedings of the Astronomical Society of Australia, 3 (6) (1979), 408-411. Details

Resources

See also

  • Moyal, Ann, 'Creative foundations: the Royal Society of New South Wales, 1867 and 2017', Journal and Proceedings of The Royal Society of New South Wales, 150 (2) (2017), 232-45. Details
  • Serle, Percival, Dictionary of Australian biography (Sydney: Angus & Robertson, 1949). Details

McCarthy, G.J.

Created: 20 October 1993, Last modified: 4 February 2010

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