Townsville Astronomical Trigonometrical Station

Townsville Astronomical Trigonometrical Station
Townsville Astronomical Trigonometrical Station
	Location of Townsville Astronomical Trigonometrical Station in Queensland Townsville Astronomical Trigonometrical Station (Australia)
Location	Stanton Hill, North Ward, City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia
Coordinates	19°15′19″S146°48′47″E / 19.2553°S 146.8131°E Coordinates: 19°15′19″S146°48′47″E / 19.2553°S 146.8131°E
Design period	1870s - 1890s (late 19th century)
Built	1891
Architect	Robert Hoggan
Queensland Heritage Register
	Official name: Townsville Astronomical Trigonometrical Station, Townsville Observatory
Type	state heritage (built)
Designated	21 October 1992
Reference no.	600926
Significant period	1891 (fabric)

Last updated March 15, 2019

Townsville Astronomical Trigonometrical Station is a heritage-listed triangulation station at Stanton Hill, North Ward, City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Robert Hoggan and built in 1891. It is also known as Townsville Observatory. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.^[1]

A triangulation station, also known as a triangulation pillar, trigonometrical station, trigonometrical point, trig station, trig beacon, or trig point, and sometimes informally as a trig, is a fixed surveying station, used in geodetic surveying and other surveying projects in its vicinity. The nomenclature varies regionally: they are generally known as trigonometrical or triangulation stations in North America, trig points in the United Kingdom, trig pillars in Ireland, trig stations or points in Australia and New Zealand, and trig beacons in South Africa; triangulation pillar is the more formal term for the concrete columns found in the UK.

North Ward is a popular coastal suburb in Townsville, Queensland, Australia.The suburb is one of the oldest in the city but has undergone significant development over many decades. It is very popular with tourists and investors. It is home to some of the cities top attractions including "The Strand", The Waterpark, The Rockpool, and the Tobruk Memorial Baths.

The City of Townsville is an Australian local government area (LGA) located in North Queensland, Australia. It encompasses the city of Townsville, together with the surrounding rural areas, to the south are the communities of Alligator Creek, Woodstock and Reid River, and to the north are Northern Beaches and Paluma, and also included is Magnetic Island. It currently has a population of 186,757 residents, and is the 28th-largest LGA in Australia.

History

In 1891 an astronomical observatory and trigonometrical (trig) station were constructed at the top of Stanton Hill in Townsville, to the design of government surveyor and astronomer Robert Hoggan. The observatory no longer survives, but the concrete trig station remains.^[1]

In the late 19th century, trig stations were erected in most of the principal towns of Queensland, as part of the first attempt to map Queensland on a large scale using common data. Despite the passage of years this data remains important because of its comparative value for modern surveyors. Most of the Queensland trig stations were timber posts, only remnants of which survive, erected to support a theodolite which measured vertical and horizontal lines. At Townsville and Thursday Island, concrete pillars rather than timber posts were erected, and these have survived largely because of their more substantial construction.^[1]

Theodolite surveying instrument that measures azimuth and elevation between points

A theodolite is a precision optical instrument for measuring angles between designated visible points in the horizontal and vertical planes. The traditional use has been for land surveying, but they are also used extensively for building and infrastructure construction, and some specialized applications such as meteorology and rocket launching.

Although surveyors no longer need to use the Townsville trig station, it is still in a serviceable condition.^[1]

Description

The Townsville Astronomical Trigonometrical Station is situated on the northern boundary of a home units complex which occupies the summit of Stanton Hill.^[1]

It is constructed of concrete and is cone shaped. The pillar stands 1.5 metres high by 0.3 metres in diameter with three holes in the top, which supported the theodolite.^[1]

A paved area and gardens surround the trig station.^[1]

Heritage listing

Townsville Astronomical Trigonometrical Station was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992 having satisfied the following criteria.^[1]

The place is important in demonstrating the evolution or pattern of Queensland's history.

The Townsville Astronomical Trigonometrical Station, erected in 1891, is significant for its historical role in land surveying in Queensland, and typologically, as one of only two concrete astronomical trig stations constructed in Queensland in the 19th century.^[1]

The place demonstrates rare, uncommon or endangered aspects of Queensland's cultural heritage.

The Townsville Astronomical Trigonometrical Station, erected in 1891, is significant for its historical role in land surveying in Queensland, and typologically, as one of only two concrete astronomical trig stations constructed in Queensland in the 19th century. As one of only two surviving Queensland 19th century trig stations, the other being at Thursday Island, the place has rarity value.^[1]

The place is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a particular class of cultural places.

The Townsville Astronomical Trigonometrical Station, erected in 1891, is significant for its historical role in land surveying in Queensland, and typologically, as one of only two concrete astronomical trig stations constructed in Queensland in the 19th century.^[1]

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References

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Townsville Astronomical Trigonometrical Station (entry 600926)". Queensland Heritage Register . Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 1 August 2014.

Attribution

This Wikipedia article was originally based on "The Queensland heritage register" published by the State of Queensland under CC-BY 3.0 AU licence (accessed on 7 July 2014, archived on 8 October 2014). The geo-coordinates were originally computed from the "Queensland heritage register boundaries" published by the State of Queensland under CC-BY 3.0 AU licence (accessed on 5 September 2014, archived on 15 October 2014).

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[qhr-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Townsville Astronomical Trigonometrical Station (entry 600926)". Queensland Heritage Register . Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 1 August 2014.