Person

Peel, Charlotte Emily Fforde (1876 - 1974)

Born
1876
Australia
Died
1974
Caulfield, Victoria, Australia
Occupation
Astronomical observer

Summary

Charlotte Peel was a computer at the Melbourne Observatory for 20 years from 1898. She was one of the first six women employed as measurers for the Observatory's contribution to the Astrographic Catalogue, a collaborative international program to produce an all-sky star map. Having passed the public service entrance examination in 1896, Peel taught briefly the Patyah School before transferring to the Observatory. In time she rose to a supervisory position, calibrating instruments and overseeing the work of her fellow computers. In 1913 she was selected to assist Joseph Baldwin, then Chief Assistant at the Observatory, in observations of Comet C/1913 YI, one of the brightest comets of the 20th-century. On her marriage in 1918 Peel was required to resign her position at the Observatory.

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Details

Chronology

1896
Career event - Passed the Victorian State Government public service examination for non-clerical positions and switch operators
1897 - 1898
Career position - Teacher, Patyah School, Victoria
1898 - 1918
Career position - Assistant astronomical computer, Melbourne Observatory
1918
Career event - Resigned

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Published resources

Articles

  • Stevenson, T., 'Making visible the first women in astronomy in Australia: the measurers and computers employed for the astrographic catalogue', Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia, 31 (2014), 1-10, https://doi.org/10.1017/pasa.2014.12. Details

Journal Articles

  • Baldwin, J., 'Comet observations made in 1914 and 1915 at the Melbourne Observatory', Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 77 (1917), 474-7. Details
  • Stevenson, Toner, 'Melbourne Observatory's astrographic women: star measurers and computers', Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, 26 (2) (2023), 325-38. https://doi.org/10.3724/SP.J.1440-2807.2023.06.28. Details

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

Helen Cohn

Created: 15 February 2024

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