Telling the Time by the Sun: An Enlightening Afternoon

Many gardens large and small feature a sundial. Canberra is fortunate to have a number of publicly accessible sundials; several of them devised by the Adelaide based physicists Marg Folkard and John Ward of Sundials Australia.

On Friday 18 March we have an opportunity to hear Marg talk about the history and science of sundials, as well as the exacting art of creating them. She will focus in particular on two sundials – the armillary sphere in the ANBG and the analemmatic or human sundial at Mt Stromlo.

This event, organised jointly by the Friends of the ANBG and the Australian Garden History Society, was to have been held in 2020 and then in 2021 as it celebrates the 20^th anniversary of the gift of the sundial to the ANBG by the Friends.

An Enlightening Afternoon will start in the ANBG theatrette, and continue with a walk to the sundial near the rockery in the ANBG. The Flora Explorer minibus will be available for participants with limited mobility. After afternoon tea at the Gardens, we will drive in our own cars to the sundial at Mt Stromlo Observatory and tell the time by our own shadows in the late afternoon light.

Time and Venue:  Start at 1.30 pm in the ANBG Theatrette, and finish at about 5.15 pm at the Mt Stromlo Observatory. This is a self-drive event.

Cost:  Tickets $25 including afternoon tea (plus booking fee).

Bookings are essential and will open on Monday 21 February 2022 at https://www.trybooking.com/BXNDV. Places are limited so please book early.

Enquiries:  events@friendsanbg.org.au