Pawsey and the Giant Radio Telescope, 1951–1956

Abstract

AbstractBy 1955, a decade after the first exciting observing projects, the landscape of radio astronomy had shifted considerably. With many more research groups now starting up, and the lines of research growing both more diverse and more specialised, remaining a global research leader required making riskier, more strategic decisions. In retrospect it can be seen that this was largely accomplished in Australia by the building of the now-iconic large “Dish” radio telescope at Parkes, NSW, and by the success of the research projects led by John Bolton through the 1960s. The funding and construction of the large dish took nearly a decade to achieve and was by no means certain through much of that time. Robertson has provided a thorough description of these events in his two books from 1992, Beyond Southern Skies—Radio Astronomy and the Parkes Telescope and in 2017, Radio Astronomer—John Bolton and a New Window on the Universe.