Person

MacDonnell, William John ( - 1910)

Born
Ireland
Died
22 September 1910
Occupation
Astronomer and Bank Manager

Summary

William MacDonnell was viewed by many as the father of astronomical science in Australia. He was a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, built at least two private observatories and at his death had one of the finest libraries in the field in New South Wales.

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Archival resources

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

  • William John MacDonnell - Records, 1871 - 1887; Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales. Details

Published resources

Journal Articles

  • Orchiston, Wayne, 'William John Macdonnell: an Early Branch Stalwart', The Astronomers' Bulletin, 3 (9) (2000), 183. Details
  • Orchiston, Wayne, 'William John Macdonnell and the Development of Astronomy in New South Wales', Journal of the British Astronomical Association, 111 (2001), 13-25. Details

Resources

See also

  • Lomb, Nick, 'Australian solar eclipse expeditions: the voyage to Cape York in 1871', Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, 19 (1) (2016), 79-95. Details
  • Lomb, Nick; and Stevenson, Toner eds, Eclipse chasers (Clayton South, Vic: CSIRO Publishing, 2023), 216 pp. Details

McCarthy, G.J.

Created: 20 October 1993, Last modified: 28 February 2018

EOAS ID: biogs/P001510b.htm

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