Campbelltown Rotary Observatory is owned by Western Sydney University and is located in the appropriately named Milky Way, behind the University in the new residential suburb of Macarthur Heights.
It was founded by its Director, Dr Ragbir Bhathal and was constructed with considerable support from Campbelltown Rotary and other organisations. It was originally opened on 15th July 2000.
In 2013, the Observatory was temporarily closed while the hill it was then situated on was bulldozed to make way for the new housing estate.
In 2015 it was reopened about 150 metres away from its original location. It is now closer to the University and is a stunning visual feature at Macarthur Heights.
Public observing sessions are conducted over the winter period each year, in collaboration with Macarthur Astronomical Society. For details go the Macarthur Astronomical Society website.
2015-01-15 Campbelltown Rotary Observatory – steps up.2016-05-14 Campbelltown Rotary Observatory – steps down from the Observatory to the “Gates of Light” sculpture.2016-05-14 Campbelltown Rotary Observatory: Moon in the clouds.2015-12-05 Dome-1 in the sunset.2016-05-14 Campbelltown Rotary Observatory: Dome-1 open2016-05-14 Campbelltown Rotary Observatory domes in white light.2015-12-05 Dome-2 on a public night in red light.2015-12-05 Public Night: MAS members setting up telescopes next to the Observatory.2016-05-14 Campbelltown Rotary Observatory domes in red light.2015-11-23 Campbelltown Rotary Observatory in white light.2015-12-05 The Domes Public Night: Dome-1 & stairs2015-11-23 Campbelltown Rotary Observatory twin domes.2015-12-05 The Domes: Public night, steps in red light.2015-11-23 Campbelltown Rotary Observatory plaque put in place in 2015. It makes scant mention of the original Observatory opening on 15th July 2000, at a location approximately 150 metres away (at a bearing of 245° – see Google Earth). A few months after the plaque was installed, the University rearranged its name to Western Sydney University.2015-11-23 Campbelltown Rotary Observatory domes.2015-11-23 Campbelltown Rotary Observatory Dome-1.2015-01-21 “The Gates of Light” sculpture below the observatory2015-01-15 Campbelltown Rotary Observatory day view from Milky Way.2015-12-05 The Domes on a public night: Dome-1 with seat.
The Original Observatory Location:
Here is where the observatory was between 2000 and 2013 (left), compared with its current location (right). Of course, the roads did not exist then:
Campbelltown Rotary Observatory: Old and New locations.
This is what the since bulldozed hilltop looked like then:
The Observatory in 2009, when it was in its original location. Viewed from Narellan Road.
EDIT (1st July 2019):
Added two additional images of the Observatory at its old location – plus weblinks and two relevant historical documents:
2009-07-04 – The twin-domed UWS Rotary Observatory at its original location. Since the relocation, UWS has been renamed WSU and the Observatory itself has been called Campbelltown Rotary Observatory.2009-07-04 – my image of the OSETI Plaque which was placed at the original observatory to record that the location of the first Optical Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence was in Campbelltown, NSW. The whereabouts of the plaque since the re-opening of the Observatory is unknown to me. One candidate “laser-like” signal was detected but has not been replicated.
