Two of these letters in December 1932, one from the Reverend Walter Walters (Rector of Scottsdale) and another from Mr. W.H. Schneider (lecturer in Engineering at the University of Tasmania), advocated the formation of an astronomical society in Tasmania. This culminated with Mr. Evan Williams, Senior Master of Friends School, visiting Mr. Hull and offering free use of a room at the school for holding meetings, should a society be formed.

An initial meeting of several enthusiasts was called on 1934 May 19 at Friends School and it was agreed at that meeting to form the Astronomical Society of Tasmania. Present at that initial meeting were Mr. Evan Williams, Mr. John Hull, Colonel C.H. Elliott, Mr. W.H. Schneider, Mr. H.J. Exley, Mr. M.G. Sprent, Mr. H. Nicholls and Mr. N. Westbrook.

The first official meeting of the Astronomical Society of Tasmania was held at Friends School on 1934 June 9. On that occasion there were 17 present (see inset for a report of the first meeting published in "The Mercury", reproduced with their permission).

At the July 1934 meeting, 27 were present and appropriate talks on eclipses of the Moon were given as a partial eclipse of the Moon was to occur a week later. Subsequent meetings in 1934 covered such topics as "Telescopes", "Celestial Movements" and "Planets and Their Satellites".

The Society was off to a fine start, and during 1935 the meetings mainly concentrated on discussing the various planets of the Solar System.

In 1936, the Society became affiliated with the British Astronomical Association, and received their publications on a regular basis. John Hull recalls that in August of that year, a comet called Peltier A was visible to the naked eye on several nights, and that on October 20 an occultation of Jupiter by the Moon was observed under excellent conditions; also, a brilliant aurora was seen on June 19.

In 1937, many of the meetings took the form of a "study circle" using different chapters from a book called "The History of Astronomy" by George Forbes. In 1938 one of the most interesting lectures was given by Dr. A.N. Lewis MHA. Who, as a geologist, gave an enlightening address about the Earth and its six known cycles of geological history.

During the war years (1939-1945) activities of the Society were naturally on a lower key, but reports of auroral observations and other astronomical events were collated and forwarded to other societies. A noteworthy event during those years was the great auroral display of 1941 March 1 which was probably one of the greatest on record - at midnight the whole sky in Hobart was ablaze with pulsating rays and draperies in red and green that reached a climax at 12:55 am and so bright that many stars were obscured by the overall glow. Our reports of this event compared very interestingly with those in New Zealand at the time.

It was also in 1941, in February, that a new comet was observed and for some time mistakenly identified as a return of Cunningham's Comet, which also appeared at the time but was a very much fainter object. Then again, in December 1947, another new comet appeared, the brightest since Comet Halley in 1910. It was clearly seen with the naked eye and had a tail varying up to 10 degrees long. However, it was only seen on a couple of nights due to its rapid movement, but where there were clear skies the sight of the comet created considerable public interest.

In 1947 there was a change in officers of the Society. Mr. John Hull was elected President, Colonel Elliott became the Correspondence Secretary, while Mr. R. Douglas took the position of Recording Secretary.

The meeting place at Friends School was changed to the lending room at the old State Library in Argyle Street in 1947. In November 1948 a meeting at the Royal Society of Tasmania rooms saw an interesting film on atomic physics by Mr. (later to become Professor) G. Newstead. At that meeting the Governor, Sir Hugh Binney, attended as Patron. It was during the years 1947-48 that plans were prepared by the AST for submission to the Public Works Department for the erection of a small observatory on top of the public buildings in Davey Street (this was later changed to the eventual establishment of an observatory on Canopus Hill by the University of Tasmania).

In 1948 Mr. C.E. Bisdee took over as Correspondence Secretary. In 1950, the system of having two secretaries was dropped, and Mr. Bisdee became the Secretary, a position which he held until 1975. Also in 1950, Mr. B.Y. Whitham was elected President, followed by Mr. H.J. Acton in 1951, and Mr. John Hull in 1953. During 1953 a series of lectures was conducted by the Society in conjunction with the Adult Education Board, aimed at providing the novice with an interesting insight into astronomy. Each attendant was provided with a kit of leaflets detailing each subject as it developed and the course was conducted over a period of eight weeks. The course was well attended, and resulted in increasing the Society's membership.

During the 1950s, Dr. Grote Reber, who was a pioneer in radio astronomy in the USA, and frequently visited Tasmania for lengthy periods to continue his research here due to Tasmania's favourable conditions, attended meetings of the Society and gave lectures and carried out observations at Mr. Bisdee's observatory.

In 1952, the Governor, Sir Ronald Cross, became Patron; and also in that year, the meeting venue was changed to the WEA rooms in Macquarie Street. In 1955, the venue became the Adult Education rooms on the corner of Elizabeth and Macquarie Streets, and from mid-1957 until 1971 the main venue was Mr. Bisdee's observatory in Sandy Bay.

In 1959, Mr. H.J. Symons became President of the Society, and in the following year Professor G.H. Newstead became Patron. Mr. Symons, in collaboration with the Adult Education Board, obtained some excellent films on astronomy and space research, which were shown in the Lord Mayor's Courtroom in the Town Hall. Three meetings were held there, and the public were admitted. Mr. Symons also persuaded the director of Adult Education, Mr. Kenneth Brooks, to buy a Zeiss Planetarium Projector for 7000 pounds after it had been exhibited at a trade exhibition in Sydney. It was housed originally in the Adult Education Building in Argyle Street and was finally moved to the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery in Launceston, where it is still in regular use today.

In 1963, the Friends School Science Block was built, and Mr. Symons, together with Mr. Alec Nightingale, persuaded the Board of Governors to include an observatory on the roof, which was built by Charles Davis to Mr. Symons' design. It was the first fibreglass dome in Tasmania. Unfortunately, Mr. Symons died in 1963 before he could use it.

During the 1960s several meetings were held at Friends School and members were able to use the observatory, which initially housed a 6-inch reflector, later replaced by a 4-inch refractor.

After the death of Harold Symons in 1963, Mr. Ken Brown served as President until 1964, when Mr. D.E. Briggs took on the position, followed by Mr. Doug Shaw in 1966.

The May 1966 meeting was held at the Planetarium in the old Reference Library in Argyle Street, where Mr. N. Bills, Southern Regional Officer of the Adult Education Board, operated the Zeiss Projector.

In 1969, Professor G.R.A. Ellis became Patron, a position he has held ever since. Mr. Shevill Mathers joined the Society in 1968, and became President in 1970. Shevill brought out his 12-inch mirror from England and erected an observatory at his home in Glenorchy. Occasionally, meetings were held at his observatory and members obtained many excellent views of astronomical objects. Shevill was very interested in astrophotography and obtained many fine photographs, especially of Mars, one of his favourite subjects.

During 1971, the main meeting venue once again became Friends School. Most meetings were held in the Wilfred Asten Memorial Lecture Theatre, which provided excellent facilities for speakers. Occasionally, on clear nights, members were able to use the School's observatory. The author was elected President in 1973 and Secretary in 1975, in which year Mr. Brian Jarvis became President. The author was re-elected President in 1977 and held that position continuously until 1993. Miss E.J. Hickman was Secretary in 1977, and in 1978 Mrs. Hilary Wilson became Secretary.

In October 1976 a total solar eclipse which was to be visible from South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales attracted the attention of many AST members. However, of nine who travelled to the mainland only two, Shevill Mathers and Paul Jackson were successful.
Shevill Mathers travelled to Ballarat in Victoria and managed to photograph and observe the full duration of totality and most of the eclipse through broken cloud. His location was the old Ballarat airfield."
Paul Jackson observed the eclipse from Mount Gambier in South Australia. A party comprising Brian Jarvis, Jane Hickman, Jan Boersma and the author travelled to Omeo in eastern Victoria but were disappointed by 100 percent cloud cover.

It was decided in 1977 that the Society would hold an annual dinner in January of each year. The first dinner was held at the Bavarian Tavern in Liverpool Street in January, 1978, and had an attendance of about 17. Subsequent dinners, held at various restaurants around Hobart and, more recently, on two occasions at Ross in the Midlands, have been equally well attended.

During mid-1977, the meeting venue became the Physics Department at the University of Tasmania, and in 1978 we were fortunate to be given the use of the BP Theatrette in the CML Building on the corner of Argyle and Liverpool Streets.

Our Society's most distinguished visitor to date has been Professor Bart Bok, the noted Milky Way authority, who attended a special meeting held at the University of Tasmania in 1978. Members were most fortunate to meet and speak with Professor Bok on an informal basis after the meeting.

The BP Theatrette was used as the main venue until the end of 1982, when we moved to the South Hobart Primary School. In 1980, the Society held a very successful public observing evening at the Weld Street Hall, and although it was mostly cloudy, about 200 people attended to see displays and slide shows. The popularity of the evening encouraged the AST to hold more, with several taking place at the South Hobart Primary School during the 1980s, including an evening in Ulverstone in 1982. One, in 1988, was held at the Mount Nelson Progress Association Hall. In 1989, the AST arranged with the Physics Department at the University of Tasmania to move the public nights to the University's Canopus Hill Observatory, where visitors have enjoyed views through the 16-inch telescope in addition to the many instruments brought along by our members. The most successful of these evenings to date was on 1992 May 9, when over 400 people turned up.

In addition to public evenings, the AST has, since the 1980s, been in demand to speak at gatherings such as school assemblies, Scout and Cub meetings. For a few years during the early 1980s, the AST also gave Sunday afternoon lectures at the Tasmanian Museum.

In 1981 occurred the most significant solar eclipse to be visible from Tasmania since the total eclipse of 1910. Although not total, the eclipse was annular with 98.3 percent of the Sun's disc obscured by the Moon. Many astronomers from the mainland, and also Dr. Alan Fiala of the United States Naval Observatory, attended with the aim of observing Baily's Beads. Unfortunately, few people saw the eclipse due to cloud. The lucky ones were those on top of Mount Wellington, near the northern limit, and a few in Southport, at the southern limit.

The 1970s had seen the formation of various common-interest sections within the Society. Organisation of the sections was formalised in 1982 when they included Auroral, Computing, Observing, Photography and Telescope Making. The Computing Section, under the leadership of Jim Palfreyman, instigated the production of an annual ephemeris in 1985 and this has now become a regular feature. Members of the Observing Section in the north began to hold regular meetings in 1985, at the instigation of Launceston member Martin Harvey, who was elected President in February 1994. Hobart Observing Section meetings are currently held at the AST's Observatory in Sandy Bay (see below), while meetings of the Northern Observing Group, as it is called, are held at Four Springs Reserve, near Selbourne. Within the Observing Section have appeared groups involved in occultation timing in the early 1980s and, in 1992, in variable star work, coordinated by Martin George and Alan Seath, respectively. A major success for the occultation observers was the occultation of a star by the asteroid Metis in 1989 which, in conjunction with observations from New Zealand, yielded the first- ever direct measurement of Metis' diameter and which to date has been the best observed event of its kind from the southern hemisphere. The Space Flight Section was created in 1989, coordinated by David Benn, and the Radio Astronomy Section was inaugurated in 1991, coordinated by Millard Ziegler.

In 1983 the author moved to Launceston to run the Planetarium at the Queen Victoria Museum. At that time, the majority of AST members were from the Hobart area, but the increased public profile of the Planetarium saw many new members joining in Launceston. The AST maintains a close relationship with the Planetarium, with Martin Harvey, Peter Daalder and Peter Brake using their expertise in astronomy to run shows on Saturdays on a volunteer basis.

In 1986, Miss Karenne Barnes was elected Secretary. It was also in 1986 that the AST hosted the Twelfth National Australian Convention of Amateur Astronomers, which was held at the Westside Motor Inn in Hobart, with about 70 people attending from around Australia.

In 1988, Hobart member Jim Rogers kindly suggested that the Society could use part of his land to erect an observatory for the AST. This was constructed as a sliding roof observatory using a double garden shed as a basis; it was officially opened on 1989 May 30 by the Society's Patron, Professor G.R.A. Ellis. A Meade 20-cm Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope purchased from a member in 1989 led to that being the main instrument used at the observatory. In 1992, member John Henry kindly constructed a permanent pier for the telescope.

1991 January 16 saw the second of two annular solar eclipses to be seen from Tasmania within ten years. This time, the central line crossed the north of the state, passing near Launceston. In Launceston, the centre of attraction was the public viewing session run by the AST outside the Planetarium. The conditions in Launceston were ideal, with everyone treated to a spectacular view of the ring of sunlight. Unfortunately, members who travelled to the south - to observe Baily's beads - were not so fortunate with the weather, and no bead timings could be made.

The 1990s are seeing increased society activities outside of Hobart. in Launceston. In September 1991, the first general meeting was held at the Queen Victoria Museum, and the holding of the September general meeting in Launceston instead of Hobart has become a permanent fixture. October 1991 then saw the first public astronomy night in Launceston, held at the Museum and the adjoining Royal Park, and it has also become an annual event. In November 1993, the Society held its first public night on the west coast at the Zeehan Scout Hall.

1992 saw a change of venue for the main meetings. After ten years at the South Hobart Primary School, a move was made to the Conference Room at The Hutchins School in Sandy Bay.

1994 Start of the close association between the AST and the University of Tasmania Physics Department, with the use of the 16" telescope at the Canopus Hill observatory. Adult education classes conducted by the AST began.

1995 the AST Website was setup by Jim Lovell, transferring to Peter Daalder, March 1996. Paul Jackson took over and gave it a new look and started the TAAO website in 2000.

1999 The AST Observatory was transferred to Canopus Hill and renamed 'Jim Rogers Observatory'.

2000 New AST "The Bulletin" designed & edited by President/Editor, Shevill Mathers.

2001 .'Night Sky Explorer' astronomy courses run entirely by the Society (2001)

2004 75th Anniversary of the Astronomical Society of Tasmania Inc. The AST hosted the 21st NACAA at Wrest Point Convention Centre in Hobart.Convenor, Paul Jackson.

Space obviously prevents me from listing every activity, such as the many displays to which the Society has contributed. However, it is important to mention that the Society is greatly indebted to the services of many of its officers, including the late Colonel C.H. Elliott who was President of the Society for many years in its early stages; the late Mr. Evan Williams, who made possible the opportunity for a meeting place in those early years; the late Mr. H.J. Symons, who was President for four-and-a-half years up to the time of his death in 1963, and who was responsible for the building of an observatory at Friends School which was used by members of the Society; also Mr. C.E. Bisdee, who passed away in 1986 but earlier had been Secretary, Treasurer and Editor for over 20 years and kept the Society going through some of its most difficult times, and also built an observatory which was used by Society members both for meetings and observational work during the 1950s and 1960s. There were also many others who contributed in no small way to the development of the Society and they, too, deserve the Society's gratitude. Without the work of those pioneering people the Society could not have continued to exist over such a long period of time.

Part of the above article first appeared in the May/June 1984 Bulletin which was the Society's 50th Anniversary Issue. The author would like to thank all who assisted with the preparation of this article, in particular Mr. John Hull and Mr. Alec Nightingale who provided much information on the early history of the Society.

Updated December 2003.

From the historical information kindly supplied by Martin George, Karenne Barnes, Laurie Priest and Peter Daalder and Shevill Mathers.

To be continued......