Crohamhurst Observatory, Research observatory in Crohamhurst, Queensland.
Crohamhurst Observatory is a heritage-listed weather observatory built in 1935 on Inigo Owen Jones's property at 131 Crohamhurst Road, Crohamhurst, Queensland. Jones used it for solar and planetary observations and weather measurements for long-range forecasting, and as headquarters of his forecasting service.
Inigo Owen Jones built the observatory in 1935 on his property Crohamhurst, near Peachester, as the base for his long-range weather forecasting service and for solar and planetary observations. Jones had trained under Clement Wragge at the Queensland Meteorological Bureau and issued seasonal forecasts from 1923 until his death in 1954. The building was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 13 November 2008.
The name Crohamhurst comes from Lord Goschen's Surrey estate, given by the Jones family to their Peachester property. Inigo Jones issued long-range seasonal forecasts from here and from Brisbane from 1923 until his death in 1954, meeting farmers' demand that the Bureau of Meteorology left unmet. The observatory also served as headquarters of his forecasting service.
The observatory stands on private property at 131 Crohamhurst Road and is not open to visitors; it is a heritage-listed site rather than a public museum. Its interest lies in its association with Inigo Jones, who issued long-range forecasts from Crohamhurst and Brisbane from 1923 until his death in 1954.
The site is registered as the only known long-range weather forecasting observatory built in Queensland during the 1930s. This distinction makes it a rare example of specialized meteorological research infrastructure from that era.
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