John Brittain

Office Bearers of the Ballarat School of Mines Science and Field Naturalists Club, 1915. Federation University Historical Collection (Cat. No. 7749)

Background

Born at Pyle, Glamorganshire, Wales in 1860, John Brittain arrived in Australia in 1870 with his parents. He studied science at the Ballarat School of Mines, and by 1901 became a lecturer in popular in science and was writing regular articles for the local Ballarat newspapers. He was appointed lecturer in Astronomy at the Ballarat School of Mines in 1907.

The President suggested the appointment of Mr J. Britain as lecturer in Astronomy. The suggestion was supported by letters from Prof. Smith and Mr D. Walker. Resolved that the matter be left in the hands of the President.

Brittain was a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society of Great Britain, and also the Société Astronomique de France. In 1913, when the Ballarat Observatory was handed from the Ballarat School of Mines to the Ballarat East Town Council, Brittain became superintendent, a role he continued until his death in 1943.

Brittain served for 17 years with the 3rd battalion and 7th A.I.R. He was an active member of the Methodist Local Preachers' Association, and a member of the Ballarat Field Naturalists Club.

John Brittain studied photography at the Ballarat School of Mines around 1904. and 1911.

See Also

Astronomy

Ballarat Observatory

Ballarat School of Mines

Ballarat Science and Field Naturalists Club

Cecil A. Brittain

John Brittain (2)

Photography

References

---

--H. Scarpe 12:41, 25 August 2011 (EST); --C.K.Gervasoni 17:45, 23 January 2014 (EST); --Rachelle Vanderlinden 16:02, 28 May 2015 (AEST)