Preserving Amberley’s scientific past

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from The Press

By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter

Amberley's role in studying the Earth’s magnetic field is set to remembered.

The Amberley Domain was home to a geophysics observatory from 1913 until 1978, playing its part in studying electrical storms and aurora.

Jo Hassall, who chairs the Hurunui District Council’s south ward committee, said the community planned to erect a park bench, picnic table and a display board in the domain to tell the story.

‘‘It is going to be quite exciting,’’ she said.

‘‘The building is long gone and there is nothing to say there was once a geophysics observatory in the domain.

‘‘If we don’t preserve these sites, they are lost forever.’’

She said the process started after a letter was received from an astronomer in Rolleston, alerting the ward committee to the domain’s illustrious past.

A working bee is being planned to clear the area and remove some dead trees, while the Amberley Reserve Advisory Group is going to apply for funding to support the project.

Hassall said it will add value to the site, as there is nowhere for parents to sit while children are playing on the tennis and netball courts at the domain.

‘‘It will be a lovely area when it is finished and there is a beautiful view out to Mt Grey.’’

The observatory was originally established in the Christchurch Botanic Gardens in the 19th century, but was moved to Amberley in 1913, according to a Christchurch City Council report.

‘‘The introduction of the electric tram system affected some of the observatory’s instrumentation making it difficult to obtain accurate records,’’ the report says.

‘‘In 1913 a new magnetograph was acquired and located offsite in the Amberley Domain, North Canterbury.’’

Observations continued at the Christchurch site, alongside the Amberley observatory which was tucked into an embankment.

An article on the teara.govt.nz website says the observatory was moved to Eyrewell, near Oxford, in 1978 due to the growth of Amberley.

The observatories have operated alongside other New Zealand magnetic observatories at Apia in Samoa and Scott Base in Antarctica, with the data shared as part of a global network.

The GNS Science geomagnetics team continues to measure and monitor the magnetic field from the Eyrewell observatory.

■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.