Collaroy Plateau makes history as the birthplace of radio astronomy

Most locals wouldn’t be aware, but there is something extra special about Plateau Park at Collaroy Plateau – its significance is etched in history after a team of scientists observed radio waves coming from the sun and this was the beginning of radio astronomy worldwide. 

At this site, radio astronomers explored the universe in a new way and developed the technology which ultimately led to the development of Wi-Fi in Australia amongst many other scientific achievements.

What does this mean exactly? Well given that you’re probably reading this article on a computer or mobile device and it’s only made possible because you’re most likely connected to Wi-Fi, their discovery was a big deal and changed our lives forever.

So how did it unfold? It was at sunrise on 3 October 1945, Dr Joseph Pawsey with Ruby Payne-Scott and Lindsay McCready from CSIR (now known as CSIRO) conducted the first successful Australian radio observations from the sun using a RAAF WWII radar unit at Plateau Park.

Pointing a radar towards the sun at both sunrise and sunset, the group measured enhanced levels of electromagnetic radiation coming directly from the sun.

They discovered that radio waves could be detected from objects in space meaning they had accessed what was previously an invisible universe and therefore transformed astronomy forever.

Following the success of the detection of solar radio waves from Collaroy Plateau, Joseph Pawsey went on to lead the CSIRO's Radio Astronomy group till his death in 1962 and is survived by his son Hastings from Frenchs Forest who continues to share his tales of success.

This Saturday, on the 75th anniversary of that observation in 1945, Council celebrates this milestone with the construction of a commemorative shelter – an interpretation of the sun’s role in the science of radio waves at the original site. The shelter is a bespoke design made from a number of materials including steel, timber and has customised paint finishes.

Joe Pawsey and his colleagues' observations were motivated by curiosity and driven by science, as is usually the case in astronomy. As a result, we better understand the nature of the sun, other stars and the universe. His work has also led to many other technologies such as Wi-Fi and medical imaging techniques which we are forever grateful for.