Mount Stromlo
Mount Stromlo is a mountain with an elevation of that is situated in the Australian Capital Territory, Australia. The mountain is most notable as the location of the Mount Stromlo Observatory. The mountain forms part of the catchment area of the Cotter River which in turn is the primary water supply for part of ACT.
Geology
The rock on Mount Stromlo consists of ignimbrite from the Laidlaw Volcanics. This erupted in the upper Silurian period over the top of the Deakin Volcanics rhyodacite which is visible on the surface on the lower slopes in the east and southeast sides. The northern lower slopes are covered with a calcareous shale which is included in the Laidlaw Volcanics as it was deposited at the same time. This is cut off on the northwest side by the Winslade Fault, which heads north east to and. A spur fault heads off east from the Winslade Fault to under the Scrivener Dam. On the northwest and north side of these faults are middle Silurian period rhyodacite volcanic deposits from the Walker Volcanics. The northern side was uplifted compared with the southern side.The name Stromlo is taken from the poems of Ossian.
Landform
Stoney Creek and its tributaries drain the north side of the mountain, The east side drains into the Molonglo River. The south side supplies Blugar Creek that runs into the Murrumbidgee River.The summit of the mountain where the telescopes are located is elongated in a north–south direction, with a spur running to the southwest where the water treatment plant is situated.
Observatory history
The first telescope installed at Mount Stromlo was the Oddie telescope which was installed on 8 September 1911. The building housing this telescope was the first construction funded by the Commonwealth Government in Canberra. In January 1913 the first telephone was connected to the Queanbeyan telephone exchange.Mount Stromlo was devastated by the Canberra bushfires of 2003. The fire, fuelled by the pine plantation that covered the mountain, destroyed or badly damaged much of the observatory and water treatment plant.
Road access is via the Cotter Road on the south side, and Uriarra Road on the east and north. The summit is reached by a road joining Cotter Road just outside.