Mount Pleasant Radio Observatory
The Mount Pleasant Radio Observatory has been a cornerstone of Tasmanian science and astronomy for more than 20 years, with its iconic 26-metre diameter radio dish. Operated by the University of Tasmania, the observatory not only plays a key role in international research but also houses a fascinating astronomy museum dedicated to Grote Reber, the pioneering father of radio astronomy. Reber was the first to build a large antenna specifically to map the radio sky, leading to groundbreaking discoveries of radio sources and the Milky Way’s emissions.
The museum brings Reber’s legacy to life with displays of his original telescopes, radio equipment, and even his restored radio shack from Bothwell. Interactive exhibits illustrate the radio frequency spectrum and showcase how the universe appears through radio waves compared with optical data from the Hubble Space Telescope. A highlight for visitors is the Virtual Reality Theatre, created in partnership with Swinburne University of Technology, offering immersive and educational experiences in three dimensions.
The observatory is home to both the 26-metre and 14-metre antennas. The larger dish operates across a wide frequency range, making it a vital part of the Australian Long Baseline Array (LBA) VLBI network. The smaller 14-metre telescope, built in 1981, continues its long-standing mission of monitoring the Vela Pulsar, one of the brightest pulsars in the sky. Beyond astronomy, the facility has also supported satellite tracking projects, working with international aerospace organisations on launches and data collection.