Charles Todd gathers first weather data for Australia-wide system from 1870s at the Adelaide Observatory
Adelaide Observatory complex, in the parklands near West Terrace, Adelaide city, included Charles Todd's family home.
Image courtesy State Library of South Australia
The Adelaide Observatory, built between 1860 and 1873 for Charles Todd, as South Australia’s superintendent of telegraphs, postmaster general and meteorologist, reflected his most beloved task as government astronomer.
The observatory complex, including the Todd family home and weather recording equipment, was next to West Terrace between Currie Street and Waymouth streets in the city parklands. It included a tower with tripartite blind windows and transit room, and a domed equatorial room.
The Adelaide Observatory had refracting and transit telescopes, a time service and a seismograph. This enabled Todd to do geodetic surveys and watch comets and planetary satellites. He closely observed Venus in 1874 and in 1882 when he set up a temporary station at Wentworth, New South Wales, to get better results. Todd’s notes on Jupiter’s satellites were published in the Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society, that made him a fellow in 1864.
Todd’s love of astronomy (he also designed Western Australia’s observatory) drove his enthusiasm for an Australia-wide telegraph network to set up observation stations but had the spinoff benefit of giving the continent its first weather information and maps. Adelaide observatory became hub for meteorological stations reporting daily using the telegraph system. Regular forecasts and maps were published from the data collected.
Todd’s meteorological system spread to all colonies and New Zealand. He sought systematic interchange of information and pioneered weather maps. When he retired, there were 510 rainfall stations in South Australia and the Northern Territory, 22 of them equipped for all meteorology.
The Adelaide Observatory was joined by the Commonwealth Weather Bureau building in 1941. But the complex was demolished by 1952 to make way for the Adelaide Boys High School. Its weather bureau role was transferred to Kent Town.
