Newcastle’s Customs House Time Ball

Time Ball
8 February 2000. Courtesy Bob Donnelly

 

Presentation Newcastle Time Ball at November Hunter Living Histories Meeting – Associate Prof Nancy Cushing (University of Newcastle)

Bob Donnelly kindly loaned the following sources to Special Collections to share with the wider community. As an Engineer he worked on the reinstatement of the time Ball at Newcastle’s former Customs House in 1988. A restoration project to celebrate the Australian Bicentennial and the 50th Anniversary of the company of Master Mariners in Australia.

This is a photograph of the Time Ball being reinstated at Newcastle’s former Customs House in 1988. Courtesy Newcastle Herald.

 

This is a photograph of the Time Ball being reinstated at Newcastle’s former Customs House in 1988. Courtesy Newcastle Herald.
These plan was created for the Newcastle Customs House Time Ball refurbishment and automation project to celebrate the Australian Bicentennial and the 50th Anniversary of the company if Master Mariners in Australia.1988. Courtesy Robert Donnelly.
Time Ball, Newcastle Customs House 24 October 2021. Courtesy Mark Metrikas.

8 February 2000. Courtesy Bob Donnelly
8 February 2000. Courtesy Bob Donnelly
8 February 2000. Courtesy Bob Donnelly
8 February 2000. Courtesy Bob Donnelly
View from Time Ball. Courtesy Bob Donnelly 1988
View from Time Ball. Courtesy Bob Donnelly 1988
8 February 2000. Courtesy Bob Donnelly
8 February 2000. Courtesy Bob Donnelly
View from Time Ball. Courtesy Bob Donnelly 1988

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Notice to Mariners No.288 of Newcastle — Visual Time Signal Discontinued (Nov 3, 1941)

Timeline

1870 Oct – Site for Customs House announced

1874 July -Tenders accepted

1875 March – work started

1876 June – carpenter killed from fall from roof

1877 – opened no record of date

1878 Sept – more than 12 months since opening, clock not installed

1941 Nov 3 – Notice to Mariners No.288 of 1941 Newcastle — Visual Time Signal Discontinued.

 

Many thanks to Bob Donnelly for sharing his archive and Mark Rigby for providing ‘Looking Back’ article and Timeline above.

Compiled by: Dr Ann Hardy December 2021


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