Person

Cooke, William Ernest (1863 - 1947)

Born
25 July 1863
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Died
7 November 1947
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Occupation
Astronomer and Meteorologist

Summary

William Cooke became the first government astronomer of Western Australia in 1896 and until 1908 was also government meteorologist. During his tenure the Observatory gained an international reputation for its astronomical work. He was the first to plot the route of a tropical cyclone across the State and issue warnings. In 1912 Cooke became both government astronomer of New South Wales and Professor of Astronomy, University of Sydney until the 1930s. Cooke was responsible for the publication of star catalogues in both Western Australia and New South Wales. He also pioneered the use of wireless time signals over long paths

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Details

Chronology

1878 -
Career position - Civil Service Cadetship attached to the Adelaide Observatory
1882 -
Career position - Senior Assistant, Adelaide Observatory
1883
Education - Bachelor of Arts (BA), University of Adelaide
1889
Education - Master of Arts (MA), University of Adelaide
1896 - 1908
Career position - Government Meteorologist, Western Australia
1896 - 1912
Career position - Government Astronomer, Western Australia
1909 - 1912
Career position - Member of Council, Natural History and Science Society of Western Australia
1912 - 1926
Career position - Government Astronomer, New South Wales
1912 - 1936?
Career position - Professor of Astronomy, University of Sydney
1913 - 1947
Award - Honorary Member, Royal Society of Western Australia
1919 -
Career position - Foundation Councillor (Astronomy), Australian National Research Council
1926
Life event - Retired

Related Corporate Bodies

Archival resources

Perth Observatory

  • William Ernest Cooke - Records, 1896 - 1912; Perth Observatory. Details

Private hands (Cooke, M.G.)

  • William Ernest Cooke - Records, 1863 - 1947; Private hands (Cooke, M.G.). Details

Published resources

Books

  • Utting, Muriel, Windows to the southern skies ([Perth, W.A.]: Murdoch University and Perth Observatory, 1991), 44 pp. Details

Book Sections

Journal Articles

  • Edgeloe, V. A., 'Four Nineteenth Century Graduates', Journal of the Historical Society of South Australia, 14 (1986), 137-148. Details
  • Hutchison, David, 'William Ernest Cooke: First Government Astronomer [in Western Australia]', Early Days, 8 (4) (1980), 93-114. Details
  • Hutchison, David E., 'William Ernest Cooke, Astronomer 1863-1947', Historical Records of Australian Science, 5 (2) (1981), 58-77. https://doi.org/10.1071/HR9810520058. Details
  • Tasker, Ian, 'Power, politics and personalities in Australian astronomy: William Ernest Cooke and the triangulation of the Pacific by wireless signals', Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, 22 (1) (2019), 113-21. http://www.narit.or.th/en/files/2019JAHHvol22/2019JAHH...22..113T.pdf. Details
  • Wood, H., 'Sydney Observatory 1858-1983', Proceedings of the Astronomical Society of Australia, 5 (2) (1983), 273-281. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1323358000017094. Details

Resources

Resource Sections

Theses

  • Stevenson, T., 'Measuring the stars and observing the less visible: Australia's participation in the Astrographic Catalogue and Carte du Ciel', Thesis, University of Sydney, 2015, 381 pp. Details

See also

Gavan McCarthy [P004098] and Helen Cohn

Created: 20 October 1993, Last modified: 24 January 2024

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