Story: Timekeeping

Colonial Time Service Observatory

Colonial Time Service Observatory

With the establishment of a standard New Zealand time, an observatory was built in the Wellington Botanic Garden in 1869. It set an exact official time by measuring the transit of stars. The building, on the edge of the Bolton Street cemetery, was demolished in 1906 to allow Prime Minister Richard Seddon to be buried there.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: 1/2-044047; F

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page:

Jock Phillips, 'Timekeeping - New Zealand mean time', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/6695/colonial-time-service-observatory (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Jock Phillips, published 12 Jun 2006