30/06/2026
That's a wrap, folks! 🌌
Today is my last day as Tour Administrator at the Perth Observatory.
It's been an incredible journey. I've been lucky enough to make lifelong friends, experience some truly amazing moments, and be part of something very special. While it's time for me to move on, before I sign off, I simply want to say thank you.
Thank you to our incredible volunteers, and thank you to everyone of you who has followed, liked, shared, commented and supported the Observatory over the past decade.
Our volunteers are the heart of this place.
Whether you're operating a telescope onsite or at an outreach event, greeting visitors with a smile, making countless cups of hot chocolate, taking community groups on Guided Day Tours, inspiring school students during incursions and School Day Tours, keeping the Observatory running through maintenance, presenting talks, supporting the office, training new volunteers, cataloguing our history and library, running Star Adoptions, courses and workshops, or helping in one of the many other ways you do, you create unforgettable experiences for thousands of people every year.
The results speak for themselves. This financial year alone, we ran 319 events and welcomed 23,086 visitors, the highest attendance in our history, despite there being no Astrofest in 2025. That's something every volunteer should be incredibly proud of.
Looking after the Observatory's social media has also been one of the highlights of my job. When I took over the pages in May 2015, we had around 2,200 followers. Today, across Facebook, X, Instagram and LinkedIn, our community has grown to more than 75,000 people.
Together we've shared eclipses, meteor showers, comets, auroras, rocket launches, breathtaking astrophotography and countless discoveries from across the Universe. We've answered thousands of "What was that bright light in the sky?" questions, shared a few astronomy jokes along the way, and hopefully inspired the next generation of astronomers. None of that would have been possible without your incredible support.
I'd also like to thank the families and friends of our volunteers. I know many of you have received a last-minute "Can you help tonight?" phone call from me over the years. I'm fairly certain the queue of people I owe stretches all the way down Walnut Road and probably around to Welshpool East Road!
As for me, I'm looking forward to taking a well-earned break, spending more time with my family, and catching up on life outside the Observatory. Although, knowing me, I probably won't stay away for too long. I'm sure you'll see me back helping out on a few Night Sky Tours before long.
The Observatory's social media may be a little quieter for a short while until one of our wonderful volunteers takes over the pages, but I'm sure they'll soon be back sharing the wonders of the night sky with you all.
If you'd like to keep following my astronomy adventures, you can find me over at That Astronomy Guy on Facebook. I'd love to have you along as I continue sharing the latest space news, astronomy events and everything happening above our heads.
Finally, thank you for making the last ten years so memorable. It has been an absolute privilege to work alongside such an incredible group of people.
People often think the Perth Observatory is special because of its historic buildings or its telescopes. They're certainly part of the story, but that's not what makes it truly special.
It's the people.
The volunteers, the staff, the members, and every one of you who has supported us over the years. Thank you for making the last ten years the adventure of a lifetime.
Clear skies, everyone. ❤️🔭✨
