01/25/2008 | Observatory

Wellington's Dominion Observatory. The stone and brick building which, from its lofty perch in the Botanic Gardens, once kept the time for the whole of New Zealand had been closed since 1995. It is being leased by the Salamanca Group, a technological incubator working in conjunction with VUW Link, the commercial arm of Victoria University of Wellington, specialising in incubating information, communication and technological start-up businesses.

A World War One German Krupp Gun, restored by Wellington City Council, has been mounted next to the building.

Built in 1907, the Dominion Observatory was the place where the time of day was accurately determined for the whole of New Zealand using astronomical observations. It also played an international role as part of a global network of timekeeping observatories. Accurate time was essential for many activities including telegraph, railway, and maritime navigation.

There was also a direct cable link to Parliament and the wooden Government Building’s clock to ensure that both politicians and the public servants would be consistently on time.

From 1916 the building was also the site of New Zealand’s first seismic research.

(From http://www.doc.govt.nz/templates/page.aspx?id=34145)

08:50 Posted in Wellington, New Zealand | Permalink | Comments (0)