The people involved

National Museum staff and volunteers, and experts from other institutions, contributed their skills to the conservation of Macdonnell’s telescope. These are some of the members of the Museum conservation team who played key roles.

  Zoom Engineering contractor Col Ogilvie re-manufactured telescope parts, particularly the turned pieces, using design drawings produced by Hermann Wehner. He cleaned and refurbished existing parts to restore them to working condition, and assisted with the telescope’s reassembly.   Zoom Engineering contractor Ian Stewart manufactured other major telescope parts that were missing or broken. He also made and fitted some of the telescope’s smaller, more unusual parts, and was a critical team member during the final assembly of the instrument.   Zoom Museum volunteer and astronomical engineer Hermann Wehner provided expert advice on telescope design and function. He identified missing and broken elements, developed design drawings to enable their re-manufacture, and guided assembly of the instrument.   Zoom Curator Kirsten Wehner investigated the telescope’s history, sourced historical images and existing plans, and advised on how the object’s significance should guide its conservation.   Zoom Conservator David Hallam helped guide the conservation team and saw the project through from start to finish. He patinated the newly manufactured brass parts to give them an aged finish.   Zoom Conservator Ainslie Greiner was project coordinator during the second phase of the project, working with Col Ogilvie, Ian Stewart and Hermann Wehner to repair and re-manufacture parts, and reassemble the telescope.   Zoom Conservator and project coordinator David Thurrowgood provided initial conservation advice about the telescope before it was purchased by the Museum. He worked with Ursula Sattler during the first phase of the project, assessing the condition of telescope parts and identifying original finishes.   Zoom Conservator Ursula Sattler worked on the telescope during the first phase of the project. She documented and assessed the status of each part of the disassembled telescope, and helped identify original paint finishes.   Zoom Conservator Peter Bucke reconditioned the telescope’s clockwork drive mechanism, an important component that allows the telescope to track an object in the sky.