Dominion Observatory

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Dominion Observatory, Observatory in Botanic Gardens, Wellington, New Zealand.

The Dominion Observatory stands as an Edwardian Baroque structure with an octagonal tower and classical proportions on Salamanca Road in Kelburn district.

Built in 1907, this observatory determined New Zealand's standard time through astronomical observations and became the country's first seismological research site in 1916.

The building forms part of a scientific complex including the Carter Observatory and Thomas King Observatory, representing early 20th-century astronomical research.

Visitors can reach the observatory through walking tracks in the Botanic Gardens or by taking the cable car from Lambton Quay.

The structure was built over a military magazine of Garden Battery, with its underground concrete bunker now housing seismological equipment.

Location: Wellington Region

Location: Wellington City

Inception: 1907

Architectural style: Edwardian architecture

GPS coordinates: -41.28410,174.76800

Latest update: March 7, 2025 03:30

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