Georg NeumayerPrint Page 
The plaque, provided by the Victoria 150th Anniversary Board and located on the Separation Monument, commemorates Georg Balthasar von Neumayer, pioneer scientist who served as meteorologist at the Observatory near this site.
Neumayer`s observations and experiences convinced him that Australia provided valuable opportunities for scientific research, and in 1854 he returned to Germany determined to enlist support for organized work in his chosen subjects.
Backed by the scientist and geographer, Baron Friedrich Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt, Neumayer enlisted the interest and support of King Maximilian in his plan to set up a physical observatory in Melbourne to study terrestrial magnetic and related phenomena. When the government of Victoria would not allow him to set up a site in the Botanic Gardens but suggested Royal Park, he opted for Flagstaff Gardens using the existing signal stations.
His most spectacular achievement, however, was the completion of a thorough magnetic survey of Victoria, carried out almost single-handed in 1858-64.
Location
| Address: | 309-311 William Street, Flagstaff Gardens, West Melbourne, 3003 |
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| State: | VIC |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -37.810702 Long: 144.95369 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Plaque |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | People |
| Sub-Theme: | Science |
| Link: | http://adbonline.anu.edu.au/adbonli… |
Dedication
| Approx. Monument Dedication Date: | 1984-1985 |
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Victoria 150
Growing Together 1984 - 5
Georg Balthasar von Neumayer
(1826 - 1909), born in Germany,
Victorian Government meteorologist in 1857-1864, in charge of an observatory on Flagstaff Hill.
He fostered the development of science in Victoria, and, almost single-handed, made a thorough magnetic survey of the colony, travelling 11,000 miles on foot or by packhorse.
