William Ernest Cooke
Encyclopedia
William Ernest Cooke generally referred to as "W. Ernest Cooke" or informally "Ernest Cooke", was an Australian astronomer
, credited with a number of important scientific breakthroughs and improved methodologies in astronomical observations
and star cataloguing
. He was the first government astronomer in Western Australia and established the Perth Observatory as one of the best equipped and productive establishments of its type in Australia.
Cooke was born in Adelaide
, the son of Ebenezer Cooke
, public servant and politician from South Australia
. He was educated at The Collegiate School of St Peter
in Adelaide (1875–79) and the University of Adelaide
(B.A.
, 1883; M.A.
, 1889).
Cooke was gifted academically: in 1879 he was first placed in St Peter's First Class of matriculants, with passes in Greek and Chemistry. He signed the student roll at the University of Adelaide in March the same year, while he was still 15. After a glowing reference from his headmaster, he took a Civil Service cadetship under Sir Charles Todd at the Adelaide Observatory in December 1878. He was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1883 and a Master of Arts in 1889.
Cooke married Jessie Elizabeth Greayer in Adelaide in 1887 and they had six children—five before arriving in Western Australia: Violet Ogden (1888), Lionel Ernest (1889), Rosalie (1891, died in infancy), Frank Basil (1892), and Erica Carrington (1894). The sixth child , Maxwell Greayer was born in Perth
in 1898.
In about 1882 he was appointed as senior assistant, second class at the Adelaide Observatory.
In the mid-1890s, Todd was advising the Premier of Western Australia
Sir John Forrest
who wanted to build a high quality Perth Observatory
in Western Australia. In December 1894 he wrote to Forrest advising that the £3,000 which had been set aside in the budgets for construction was sufficient and would be adequate for the purchase of instruments also. A site was chosen and endorsed by Todd during a one week visit to Perth in July 1895. With regards to an astronomer, Todd wrote:
The foundation stone was laid by Forrest on 29 September 1896 and the Observatory was completed at a cost of ₤6,622, more than double the estimate, on 3 March 1897. Cooke meanwhile was sent on a tour of continental cities to study observatory design and to purchase instruments. He visited Paris, Nice
, Strasbourg
and Brussels
, as well as visiting Her Majesty's Astronomer at the Cape of Good Hope
. He arrived in Perth on 7 November 1896 but it would be two years before the first of the two main instruments would be commissioned. In the interim, he established a first-class meteorological station in the Observatory grounds, with observations continuing to be made there until 1967. Cooke toured the state extensively, visiting as far north as Wyndham
and inland along the Murchison River
. He established several new meteorological stations along the way, training local observers and equipping the stations. Weather data was transmitted from the country stations twice a day to the General Post Office in Perth by telegraph. He established a number of voluntary observation posts who transmitted weather data on a monthly basis. Using the observations, he produced the first daily weather maps and daily forecasts, for Perth, the Goldfields and the state. By about 1900, a general weather report, a special rainfall report, an isobar map and a forecast were produced each morning and posted for viewing in Perth and Fremantle.
Cooke opened the Observatory every Tuesday evening to allow public viewings of the equipment.
Cooke developed an interest in the development of low pressure zones which often dominated the weather cycles, and the possibility of tracking these depressions. He studied weather records from the Cape of Good Hope
, Natal
and Mauritius
with the hope of associating weather events there with later events in Australia. He analysed and mapped the passage of cyclone
s from the North-West into the interior, publishing cyclone forecasts for the first time. In 1908 the meteorology service was taken over by the Commonwealth, enabling him to concentrate on astronomical projects.
He established the first official time service on his arrival in Perth. Using a chronometer
and a borrowed theodolite
, he determined an accurate solar time each night, clear skies permitting, and a time signal was telegraphed to the GPO at noon each day. In 1897 a small transit telescope replaced the theodolite and in about 1898 two standard German precision clocks were installed to track sidereal time
and solar mean time
. Several methods of broadcasting the time were used:
A six-pound canon was purchased by the Observatory in November 1902 and used as a time gun.
The Observatories two main telescopes arrived in 1898-99 but were not fully commissioned until October 1901. In March 1901 Cooke went to Adelaide to carry out observations simultaneously with observers in Perth, to accurately determine longitude.
In about 1901, the International Astrographic Congress asked the observatory to collaborate in the international star cataloguing and charting project, the 'International Photo-Durchmusterung' or 'Cape Photographic Durchmusterung' (CPD)
. The invitation was accepted and the Observatory was allotted the 32°-40° South latitudes. It was painstaking work, done over many years, and involved the taking of hundreds of photographic plates, each of two square degrees with some containing twenty thousand stars of magnitude eleven or brighter, and thousands of associated calculations. The project was his major astronomical work and contribution. An astrographic work A Catalogue of 420 Standard Stars was published by the Perth Observatory in 1907. With the catalogue, Cooke produced a critique of the international programme, referring to lack of coordination, refinements that he had made in observation methods and suggested procedures to be used at other sites around the world. As a result, he received wide acclaim from international peers. The Astronomer Royal
wrote to the Government astronomer at Adelaide, to follow implicitly the head of the Perth Observatory and copy their methods ... their catalogues are excellent, and they seem to be able to maintain maximum efficiency with the minimum of energy.
He proposed a plan for coordinated international observations and the preparation of three star catalogues, and that astronomers be requested to confine their major catalogue work to stars in their own meridian. The catalogues proposed were:
Cooke attended the International Astrographic Conference in Paris in 1909 where he presented his ideas and which were accepted by the congress. He was made one of the 18 members of the Permanent Committee of the Congress.
At the request of the Government of South Australia
, he travelled to Adelaide between mid-February and June 1911 where he assisted in determining the border between Victoria and South Australia. He then went to the Friendly Islands
to observe an eclipse
.
In 1912 Cooke departed Western Australia and took a position as government astronomer in New South Wales and Professor of Astronomy at the University of Sydney
. He had been given promises of a new observatory and equipment at Wahroonga
, but political machinations and economic priorities associated with the First World War meant the project was abandoned and the Sydney Observatory
remained as the principal New South Wales facility. The government pushed for its closure in 1926 but was narrowly defeated after a bitter opposition campaign, however Cooke became the political scapegoat and was forced into early retirement in the same year.
Cooke returned to Adelaide in 1936 and died there in 1947.
During his time in Western Australia he was also the government meteorologist until 1908 and the founding chairman of the Civil Service Association in 1902.
Satellite 3894 Williamcooke
and Mount Cooke
in the Darling Scarp
near Jarrahdale
are named in his honour.
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
, credited with a number of important scientific breakthroughs and improved methodologies in astronomical observations
Astrometry
Astrometry is the branch of astronomy that involves precise measurements of the positions and movements of stars and other celestial bodies. The information obtained by astrometric measurements provides information on the kinematics and physical origin of our Solar System and our Galaxy, the Milky...
and star cataloguing
Star catalogue
A star catalogue, or star catalog, is an astronomical catalogue that lists stars. In astronomy, many stars are referred to simply by catalogue numbers. There are a great many different star catalogues which have been produced for different purposes over the years, and this article covers only some...
. He was the first government astronomer in Western Australia and established the Perth Observatory as one of the best equipped and productive establishments of its type in Australia.
Cooke was born in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, the son of Ebenezer Cooke
Ebenezer Cooke (politician)
Ebenezer Cooke was a South Australian accountant, Member of Parliament and Commissioner of Audit.He was born in London, England where his eldest brother, the Rev...
, public servant and politician from South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
. He was educated at The Collegiate School of St Peter
St Peter's College, Adelaide
St Peter's College, , is an independent boy's school in the South Australian capital of Adelaide...
in Adelaide (1875–79) and the University of Adelaide
University of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide is a public university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third oldest university in Australia...
(B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
, 1883; M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
, 1889).
Cooke was gifted academically: in 1879 he was first placed in St Peter's First Class of matriculants, with passes in Greek and Chemistry. He signed the student roll at the University of Adelaide in March the same year, while he was still 15. After a glowing reference from his headmaster, he took a Civil Service cadetship under Sir Charles Todd at the Adelaide Observatory in December 1878. He was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1883 and a Master of Arts in 1889.
Cooke married Jessie Elizabeth Greayer in Adelaide in 1887 and they had six children—five before arriving in Western Australia: Violet Ogden (1888), Lionel Ernest (1889), Rosalie (1891, died in infancy), Frank Basil (1892), and Erica Carrington (1894). The sixth child , Maxwell Greayer was born in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
in 1898.
Career
In the mid-1890s, Todd was advising the Premier of Western Australia
Premier of Western Australia
The Premier of Western Australia is the head of the executive government in the Australian State of Western Australia. The Premier has similar functions in Western Australia to those performed by the Prime Minister of Australia at the national level, subject to the different Constitutions...
Sir John Forrest
John Forrest
Sir John Forrest GCMG was an Australian explorer, the first Premier of Western Australia and a cabinet minister in Australia's first federal parliament....
who wanted to build a high quality Perth Observatory
Perth Observatory
The Perth Observatory is the name of two astronomical observatories located in Western Australia.-First Perth Observatory:The original Perth Observatory was constructed in 1896 and was officially opened in 1900 by John Forrest, the first premier of Western Australia. The observatory was located at...
in Western Australia. In December 1894 he wrote to Forrest advising that the £3,000 which had been set aside in the budgets for construction was sufficient and would be adequate for the purchase of instruments also. A site was chosen and endorsed by Todd during a one week visit to Perth in July 1895. With regards to an astronomer, Todd wrote:
The appointment of an astronomer of course requires very careful consideration and I am glad to call your attention to Mr W.E. Cooke, M.A., my first Assistant who would, I have reason to know, accept the office if offered it.
Mr Cooke has been employed in the observatory here, under my direction, for about 13 years, and has full experience in all Astronomical and Meteorological work. He is a most proficient Mathematician and had a distinguished career at Adelaide University.
He is about 32 or 33 years of age, and therefore in the full vigour of young manhood — he is very zealous in his work, very steady, and high principled, and is married.
From my intimate knowledge of him, and his special attainments I can write with confidence to commend him as the very man you want. You certainly could not do better if you went to England and very probably would not get so good a man.
The foundation stone was laid by Forrest on 29 September 1896 and the Observatory was completed at a cost of ₤6,622, more than double the estimate, on 3 March 1897. Cooke meanwhile was sent on a tour of continental cities to study observatory design and to purchase instruments. He visited Paris, Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
, Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
and Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, as well as visiting Her Majesty's Astronomer at the Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
. He arrived in Perth on 7 November 1896 but it would be two years before the first of the two main instruments would be commissioned. In the interim, he established a first-class meteorological station in the Observatory grounds, with observations continuing to be made there until 1967. Cooke toured the state extensively, visiting as far north as Wyndham
Wyndham, Western Australia
Wyndham is the oldest and northernmost town in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, located on the Great Northern Highway, northeast of Perth. It was established in 1885 as a result of a gold rush at Halls Creek, and it is now a port and service centre for the east Kimberley with a...
and inland along the Murchison River
Murchison River
Murchison River may refer to the following:* Murchison River * Murchison River * Murchison River * Murchison River...
. He established several new meteorological stations along the way, training local observers and equipping the stations. Weather data was transmitted from the country stations twice a day to the General Post Office in Perth by telegraph. He established a number of voluntary observation posts who transmitted weather data on a monthly basis. Using the observations, he produced the first daily weather maps and daily forecasts, for Perth, the Goldfields and the state. By about 1900, a general weather report, a special rainfall report, an isobar map and a forecast were produced each morning and posted for viewing in Perth and Fremantle.
Cooke developed an interest in the development of low pressure zones which often dominated the weather cycles, and the possibility of tracking these depressions. He studied weather records from the Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
, Natal
Natal, South Africa
Natal is a region in South Africa. It stretches between the Indian Ocean in the south and east, the Drakensberg in the west, and the Lebombo Mountains in the north. The main cities are Pietermaritzburg and Durban...
and Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
with the hope of associating weather events there with later events in Australia. He analysed and mapped the passage of cyclone
Cyclone
In meteorology, a cyclone is an area of closed, circular fluid motion rotating in the same direction as the Earth. This is usually characterized by inward spiraling winds that rotate anticlockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere of the Earth. Most large-scale...
s from the North-West into the interior, publishing cyclone forecasts for the first time. In 1908 the meteorology service was taken over by the Commonwealth, enabling him to concentrate on astronomical projects.
He established the first official time service on his arrival in Perth. Using a chronometer
Chronometer
Chronometer may refer to:* Chronometer watch, a watch tested and certified to meet certain precision standards* Hydrochronometer, a water clock* Marine chronometer, a timekeeper used for celestial navigation...
and a borrowed theodolite
Theodolite
A theodolite is a precision instrument for measuring angles in the horizontal and vertical planes. Theodolites are mainly used for surveying applications, and have been adapted for specialized purposes in fields like metrology and rocket launch technology...
, he determined an accurate solar time each night, clear skies permitting, and a time signal was telegraphed to the GPO at noon each day. In 1897 a small transit telescope replaced the theodolite and in about 1898 two standard German precision clocks were installed to track sidereal time
Sidereal time
Sidereal time is a time-keeping system astronomers use to keep track of the direction to point their telescopes to view a given star in the night sky...
and solar mean time
Solar time
Solar time is a reckoning of the passage of time based on the Sun's position in the sky. The fundamental unit of solar time is the day. Two types of solar time are apparent solar time and mean solar time .-Introduction:...
. Several methods of broadcasting the time were used:
- A time ballTime ballA time ball is a large painted wooden or metal ball that drops at a predetermined time, principally to enable sailors to check their marine chronometers from their boats offshore...
was dropped at 1 p.m. daily at the Round HouseRound HouseThe Round House is the oldest building still standing in Western Australia. It is located at Arthur Head in Fremantle, and recent heritage assessments and appraisals of the precinct of the Round House incorporate Arthur Head....
at Fremantle - A time ball was dropped daily at the premises of opticians, 'Frost and Stopham' in Hay Street, PerthHay Street, PerthHay Street is a major road through the CBD of Perth, Western Australia. The street was named after Robert William Hay, the Permanent Under Secretary for Colonies. Sections of the road were called Howick Street and Twiss Street until 1897...
- A public clock controlled by the Observatory mean solar clock was installed at the Observatory front gates
- A parent clock controlled by the mean solar clock was installed at Perth Railway StationPerth railway stationPerth Station including Perth Underground is the largest railway station in Perth, Western Australia, and functions as an interchange between the Transperth Trains Armadale / Thornlie, Fremantle, Joondalup, Mandurah and Midland railway lines, as well as the Transwa Australind.-History:The Victorian...
, and time signals were telegraphed across the railway network - Time signals from two clocks at the main telegraph room at the Perth General Post Office were telegraphed to every telegraph station in the state
- A time gun was fired at 1 p.m. at Perth and Fremantle
A six-pound canon was purchased by the Observatory in November 1902 and used as a time gun.
The Observatories two main telescopes arrived in 1898-99 but were not fully commissioned until October 1901. In March 1901 Cooke went to Adelaide to carry out observations simultaneously with observers in Perth, to accurately determine longitude.
In about 1901, the International Astrographic Congress asked the observatory to collaborate in the international star cataloguing and charting project, the 'International Photo-Durchmusterung' or 'Cape Photographic Durchmusterung' (CPD)
Durchmusterung
In astronomy, Durchmusterung or Bonner Durchmusterung , is the usual name for three comprehensive astrometric star catalogues of the whole sky, processed by the Bonn Observatory from 1859 to 1903....
. The invitation was accepted and the Observatory was allotted the 32°-40° South latitudes. It was painstaking work, done over many years, and involved the taking of hundreds of photographic plates, each of two square degrees with some containing twenty thousand stars of magnitude eleven or brighter, and thousands of associated calculations. The project was his major astronomical work and contribution. An astrographic work A Catalogue of 420 Standard Stars was published by the Perth Observatory in 1907. With the catalogue, Cooke produced a critique of the international programme, referring to lack of coordination, refinements that he had made in observation methods and suggested procedures to be used at other sites around the world. As a result, he received wide acclaim from international peers. The Astronomer Royal
Astronomer Royal
Astronomer Royal is a senior post in the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. There are two officers, the senior being the Astronomer Royal dating from 22 June 1675; the second is the Astronomer Royal for Scotland dating from 1834....
wrote to the Government astronomer at Adelaide, to follow implicitly the head of the Perth Observatory and copy their methods ... their catalogues are excellent, and they seem to be able to maintain maximum efficiency with the minimum of energy.
He proposed a plan for coordinated international observations and the preparation of three star catalogues, and that astronomers be requested to confine their major catalogue work to stars in their own meridian. The catalogues proposed were:
- A. Bright Stars: This does not form part of the proposed scheme, but of course the regular observation of the principal stars must be continued.
- B. Fundamental stars for the general scheme: As a matter of detail I suggest that these be selected of about sixth magnitude and in every region of the sky.
- C. Main Catalogue: Comprising say three stars to every square degree, and of course, including the whole of B. This would make a total of over 120,000 stars.
Cooke attended the International Astrographic Conference in Paris in 1909 where he presented his ideas and which were accepted by the congress. He was made one of the 18 members of the Permanent Committee of the Congress.
At the request of the Government of South Australia
Government of South Australia
The form of the Government of South Australia is prescribed in its constitution, which dates from 1856, although it has been amended many times since then...
, he travelled to Adelaide between mid-February and June 1911 where he assisted in determining the border between Victoria and South Australia. He then went to the Friendly Islands
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
to observe an eclipse
Eclipse
An eclipse is an astronomical event that occurs when an astronomical object is temporarily obscured, either by passing into the shadow of another body or by having another body pass between it and the viewer...
.
In 1912 Cooke departed Western Australia and took a position as government astronomer in New South Wales and Professor of Astronomy at the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
. He had been given promises of a new observatory and equipment at Wahroonga
Wahroonga, New South Wales
Wahroonga is a suburb on the Upper North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Wahroonga is located 22 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Ku-ring-gai Council and Hornsby Shire....
, but political machinations and economic priorities associated with the First World War meant the project was abandoned and the Sydney Observatory
Sydney Observatory
Sydney Observatory is located on a hill now known as 'Observatory Hill' in an area in the centre of Sydney. The site evolved from a fort built on 'Windmill Hill' in the early 19th century to an astronomical observatory during the nineteenth century...
remained as the principal New South Wales facility. The government pushed for its closure in 1926 but was narrowly defeated after a bitter opposition campaign, however Cooke became the political scapegoat and was forced into early retirement in the same year.
Cooke returned to Adelaide in 1936 and died there in 1947.
During his time in Western Australia he was also the government meteorologist until 1908 and the founding chairman of the Civil Service Association in 1902.
Achievements
- His star cataloguing system was accepted at an international astronomical conference in Paris in 1909.
- He developed a method of plotting the transit of tropical cycloneTropical cycloneA tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones strengthen when water evaporated from the ocean is released as the saturated air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor...
s, and issuing weather warnings for shipping and pearling industries - He invented a type of heliochronometerSundialA sundial is a device that measures time by the position of the Sun. In common designs such as the horizontal sundial, the sun casts a shadow from its style onto a surface marked with lines indicating the hours of the day. The style is the time-telling edge of the gnomon, often a thin rod or a...
which could be used to determine local time and true north accurately. The device was known as a sunclock (picture). In 1924 the device won a gold medal at the British Empire ExhibitionBritish Empire ExhibitionThe British Empire Exhibition was a colonial exhibition held at Wembley, Middlesex in 1924 and 1925.-History:It was opened by King George V on St George's Day, 23 April 1924. The British Empire contained 58 countries at that time, and only Gambia and Gibraltar did not take part...
. - He recognised that by using radio signals form other parts of the world would enable the accurate measurement of longitude. He worked with his son Basil, a pioneer amateur radio operator, who received time signals from LyonLyonLyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
s, France. - Cooke is said to have patented over one hundred inventions
Satellite 3894 Williamcooke
3894 Williamcooke
3894 Williamcooke is a main-belt asteroid discovered on August 14, 1980 by P. Jekabsons and M. P. Candy at the Perth Observatory and named in honour of Australian astronomer William Ernest Cooke.- External links :*...
and Mount Cooke
Mount Cooke (Western Australia)
Mount Cooke, near Jarrahdale, Western Australia is the highest point on the Darling Scarp at 582 metres. It was named after William Ernest Cooke, Western Australia's first Government Astronomer, from 1896-1911....
in the Darling Scarp
Darling Scarp
The Darling Scarp, also referred to as the Darling Range or Darling Ranges, is a low escarpment running north-south to the east of the Swan Coastal Plain and Perth, Western Australia...
near Jarrahdale
Jarrahdale, Western Australia
Jarrahdale is a small historic town located 50 km south-east of Perth, Western Australia in the Darling Range. Jarrahdale is a descriptive name, derived from its situation in some of Western Australia's best Jarrah forest...
are named in his honour.