Contents
Thomas Brisbane
Establishing observatories and supporting the mapping of southern stars.
Southern star catalogue · Makerstoun observatory
- Born
- 23 July 1773
- Birthplace
- Largs
- Died
- 27 January 1860
More people
Thomas Brisbane
Thomas Brisbane was a British soldier, astronomer and governor of New South Wales whose colonial administration expanded settlement and imposed martial law against the Wiradjuri people.
Early life
Education
Grew up near Largs in Scotland, studied at Edinburgh and learned mathematics and astronomy at an academy in London.
Career
- 1789
Army service
Entered the British Army.
- 1821–1825
New South Wales
Served as governor and established an observatory at Parramatta.
- 1824
Martial law
Declared martial law against the Wiradjuri during resistance to colonial expansion.
Contributions
Southern star catalogue
Observations made under his patronage contributed to a catalogue of 7,385 stars.
Makerstoun observatory
Established another observatory after returning to Scotland.
Beyond research
Family
Married Anna Maria Hay Makdougall in 1819; their four children died before him.
Sources & photo credit
Biography and career ↗Biographical references ↗Original photograph. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
Photo: Artistic portrait; E. E. Friedrich T. Schenck (1811-1885). Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.