Preface to the Second Edition
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It is now just over twenty-five years since the first edition of the First Fifty Years was published by the Auckland Astronomical Society, Inc and since then more information has come to light about the early history. Much of this has been the result of a huge effort by Mrs. Jackie St. George who, in the late 1980's managed to locate and preserve much of the earlier written documents of the Society. The writers of the first edition in 1972 did not have available to them the actual minute books and correspondence files that now trace the Society's records back to 1927. Clearly, much has happened in the 25 years following the initial publication and this new edition is not attempting to describe those events.
It has been possible to provide some additional background material to the events described by the contributors to the original publication and to correct dates and places where these were imperfectly remembered.
We are very grateful to Barbara Gibson Smith for retyping the original manuscript and to Jackie St. George for her foresight and diligence in uncovering records long since thought lost.
Grant Christie
Those interviewed in the compilation of this documentary story of the Auckland Astronomical Society are:
Professor P W Burbidge: Emeritus Professor of Physics, The University of Auckland, founder of the Auckland Astronomical Society and President from 1922 to 1939. He died in 1984.
R A McIntosh: President of the Society 1940-1948, 1952-54 and 1956-57. Leading authority in meteor research in New Zealand in the thirties and forties. First Director of the Auckland Planetarium. He died in 1977.
S C Mayer: Secretary of the Society, 1937-38.
J L Stitchbury: Secretary of the Society, 1947-50.
Dr C A Corban: President of the Society, 1954-56. Keen worker in the field of sunspot and meteor observation. He died in 1974.
E J N Greager: Secretary of the Society, 1951-56, and President of the Society, 1957-1958.
John Orr: Former Director of the Observatory and editor of the Journal. Leader in Astronomical photography in Auckland. Present Director of Auckland Planetarium.
H O Williams: Leader in telescope and instrument making in Auckland and Curator of Instruments for the Society (1969-77).
T Rounthwaite: Secretary/Treasurer of the Society (1938-43) and later Curator of Instruments.
K D Adams: President of the Society (1959-62) and previously assistant to the Director of the Carter Observatory, Wellington.
D C Fisher: Secretary of the Society (1966-68), a Director of the Auckland Observatory and co-ordinator of Group nights and Junior Activities.
L A C Warner: President of the Society (1958-59). Originator of Pupil-Parent classes, and pioneer in astronomical teaching in New Zealand. He died in 1986.
A S Partridge: President of the Society (1962-71). A Director of the Auckland Observatory and co-ordinator of Public Nights at the Auckland Observatory. He died in 1979.
S N Smith: Secretary of the Society (1968-70).
W S G Walker: President of the Society (1971-72). A Director of the Auckland Observatory and a leader in photometry and variable star work in New Zealand.
Of those who were interviewed for the original publication, Ken Adams, Trevor Rounthwaite, Harry Williams and Stan Walker are still fit and well in 1998
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