TANIA MATHEWSON, daughter of the fifth director of Mt Stromlo Observatory, Don Mathewson, is moved to reminisce about her years growing up on ‘the mountain’.

Last year marked the anniversary of the 100th year of Mt Stromlo Observatory. What a milestone! I often revisit the director’s house, known as Observatory House, where we lived for 14 years. 

Completed in 1928, it was the residence for the observatory’s directors and their families, as well as a venue for social events. The house is now a museum. 

The garden is mostly gone except for the old English oak tree, which we all adored and sheltered under, a witness to the last 100 years. A survivor of bushfires. A constant companion throughout my time as the daughter of the fifth director of Mt Stromlo Observatory. 

I was brought to Mt Stromlo Observatory as a six-month-old in September, 1966. 

My father, Don Mathewson, accepted a fellowship at Mt Stromlo and Siding Spring observatories (MSSO) of the Australian National University.

Little did he know that this was the beginning of a star-dusted journey spanning 30 years.

It was a journey enriched by all the talented people of MSSO, politicians and prime ministers, chancellery of the ANU, television and radio networks and international collaboration with NASA and Canada to produce STARLAB, a space telescope project. 

Mt Stromlo Observatory gave my father a meteoric rise into a leadership position. Within just over 10 years of arriving on the mountain, he became acting director of MSSO in 1977, rising to director 18 months later in April 1979. 

The headlines read “First Australian director for observatories”. 

The ANU reporter continued that “he had many firsts to his name”, including the discovery of the Magellanic Stream. 

It was an exciting time for Australian astronomy with support from science ministers (including Sir Phillip Lynch and Senator John Button) that enabled greater international collaboration and recognition. 

Stromlo also gave us children the perfect playground. Our thoughts and imaginations soared high as we romped around the pine forest with the stunning backdrop of the blue hue of the Brindabella ranges to the west. 

Observatory House gave my father the perfect setting for promoting astronomy and inspiring politicians and business people to invest in “the last frontier”. 

I remember numerous meetings, buffets, dinners with NASA and Canadian engineers.

We had only just moved into Observatory House from another house on the mountain, when my father asked the then science minister Phillip Lynch to dinner and a tour around the telescopes to see the latest developments. The next day, a cheque for $3 million was given to support the ongoing Mount Stromlo Observatory projects! 

The dining room gave such a vibe of excitement, passion and enthusiasm for the infinite possibilities that the universe tantalises us with. 

My father had many long chats in that dining room with Pip Morgan, a top Hawker de Havilland engineer, and as a result of their discussions AUSPACE, the first Australian Space Company was born. 

It is written that “Don was largely responsible for taking Australia into the space age”, or in the words of his colleague Prof Michael Dopita, “kicking and screaming into the space age!”

I will never forget when all of parliament came up to Stromlo to observe Halley’s Comet on April 7, 1986. The mountain was alive with federal ministers from all parties bustling around like excited teenagers on a school excursion, as they were about to observe the comet remotely using telescopes at Siding Spring Observatory.

Afterwards my father got into the car to go to the telescopes with Prime Minister Bob Hawke and, to make room for him, Hazel Hawke sat on Bob’s knee.

She drily remarked: “It takes a comet to get me on Bob’s knee!” 

As I walk away from the old house, I can hear laughter and the clonk-clonk of croquet balls as many walks of life battle it out on the large green croquet lawn in front of the house.

Friends, family, engineers, accountants, university chancellors, ambassadors, heads of CSIRO departments, politicians all united under the stately presence of Observatory House and the watchful eye of the old oak tree. 

Don Mathewson (1929-2025) died on June 25. He was 96.