On seeing the void left behind by the 2003 bush-fires that destroyed the observatories on Mount-Stromlo, Barry Armstead has capitalised on this idea and built his own observatory to view and photograph the stars.
"It is a shame to see such versatile and valuable materials destined for landfill, when something practical or creative can be made out of them."
Enlisting the help and generosity of family, friends, neighbors and local business, Barry had the observatory up and running in 12 months.
"It is heartwarming to say the least, to experience the generous investments of material, time and genuine interest of Canberra residents and business in such ways."
Since completion, Barry has been photographing our neighboring planets and deep space objects such as massive star-forming clouds of bright and colorful gas and even other galaxies outside our own.
"If you are good at building things and have some imagination, materials to make it happen are not as far away as you might think!"
Barry’s photographs of the heavens are available to view on his website,
