Magnet House

Magnet House. . , The Strange Nature of Planetary Magnetism, terrestrial magnetism (def): the magnetic properties of the earth as a whole, "Of more practical importance, however, is the knowledge of the distribution of the earth's magnetism, and the laws which govern its variation: for it is this knowledge that enables magneticians to construct those magnetic charts which are of so great a service to navigation and to land surveying especially in new countries" , Pietro Barracchi, Melbourne's Second Government Astronomer, Most of the building here were made for the study of the stars. This tiny building however, is a reminder that within this cluster of observatories scientists also worked to better understand the unseen forces within and around the Earth. The Magnet House was purpose-built in 1877 to house instruments for recording and studying the elusive 'mysterious agent' that fascinated so many 19th century scientists - the invisible field of the Earth's magnetic force., Understanding changes in the Earth's magnetic field had a practical, even economic purpose in the 19th century. Magnetism effects the behaviour of compasses, central to the navigation of ships on their long routes to this remote city. In this place where most things came by ship, navigational accuracy was critical. There was a sense that this particular Observatory, so close to the South Pole, could offer up some new clues to planetary magnetism's strange nature., But magnetism has ways of eluding study. For instance, readings of the Earth magnetic field are distorted by the presence of iron. And nails are customarily made of iron. To compensate, this building has its own invisible strange nature. Each of the nails holding this structure together was formed from copper, in an attempt to keep magnetic readings accurate., Ironically, after every care taken in the construction of this building, the city to St Kilda tram line was laid right outside its door: more iron and more electricity than could previously have been imagined., Thus the continuing study of magnetism was forced to locate to new magnetic observatory built at Toolangi, north-east of Melbourne, where scientific enquiry into the strange nature of planetary magnetism continues to this day., "Still more remote seems to be the probability of discovering the origin of the earth's magnetism, and the cause of its variations and peturbations" , Pietro Baracchi, Melbourne's Second Government Astronomer, 1898