The Weatherman from Greenwich Charles Todd
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Charles Todd wasCharles Todd was the Weather man from Charles Todd was the Weather man from Greenwich. An ambitious and eager young man, he Greenwich. An ambitious and eager young man, he came to Adelaide in 1855. He gained international came to Adelaide in 1855. He gained international The Weathermanfame for his from work on the InternationalGreenwich Telegraph, fame for his work on the International Telegraph, but he was also the first Government Astronomer THE WEATHERMANbut he was also the first Government Astronomer THE WEATHERMAN and Meteorologist in the colony and his pioneering and Meteorologist in the colony and his pioneering work remains important today. WEATHERMAN THE FROMwork remains important today. WEATHERMAN THE FROM This highly readable social history book tells the GREENWICHThis highly readable social history book tells the GREENWICH story of his early life from his birth in 1826 until story of his early life from his birth in 1826 until his career was well-established at the beginning of his career was well-established at the beginning of the 1860s. It is the story of a young man growing Charles Toddthe 1860s. - It1826 is the story to of a young1910 man growing Charles Todd - 1826 to 1910 up at a time of great and dramatic change when up at a time of great and dramatic change when the Industrial Revolution was running at breakneck the Industrial Revolution was running at breakneck speed. Steam power transformed manufacturing, speed. Steam power transformed manufacturing, railways transformed the movement of people and railways transformed the movement of people and the telegraph transformed the movement of ideas. the telegraph transformed the movement of ideas. Social demands of ordinary people were beginning Social demands of ordinary people were beginning to transform society. Charles Todd’s early life to transform society. Charles Todd’s early life was greatly affected by these developments, both was greatly affected by these developments, both FROM FROM directly and indirectly and they prepared him for This is theMeteorologist, story of an directlyTelegrapher, ambitious and indirectly and Electrician, theyyoung prepared him forman who Meteorologist, Telegrapher, Electrician, his life in Adelaide. Postmaster-General,his Astronomer, life in Adelaide. Postmaster-General, Astronomer, South Australian South Australian But the book is not just about Charles Todd. It’s also cameGREENWICH to Adelaide in 1855.But the book is not just about Charles Todd. It’s also GREENWICH Charles Todd gained widespreadabout the people he knew fame and the forlives they his led. work on about the people he knew and the lives they led. We see what daily life was like in Adelaide when he We see what daily life was like in Adelaide when he the international telegrapharrived andand how it hadwas developed knighted in its first twenty by Queen The highly readable socialarrived and howhistory it had developed brings in its first twentyalive the years. There had been problems in the first years, years. There had been problems in the first years, but by 1855, Adelaide and the colony generally were times he lived in and showsbut by 1855, Adelaidewhat andlife the colonywas generally like. were Victoria. He was also the well-settledfirst andGovernment expanding rapidly. It was a Astronomerlively well-settled and expanding rapidly. It was a lively and welcoming town. and welcoming town. and Meteorologist in South Australia. His pioneering Charles Todd was born in London in 1826. Society work in these fields remains important today. was changing at a greatTony pace. Rogers Railways transformed Tony Rogers But more than that, he was a competent electrician. the movement of peopleJudy andFerrante goods, the telegraph Judy Ferrante He became Postmaster-General. He was a scientist, a transformed the movementAustralian Meteorological of ideas. Association Steam power Australian Meteorological Association philosopher and a devoted husband and father. ISBN 978-0-646-97738-6 transformed manufacturing. Social demands of ISBN 978-0-646-97738-6 ordinary people transformed society. The world of his youth 9 780646 977386 > 9 780646 977386 > This book looks at his early life. Dramatic changes It was an exciting time to be growing up and were happening in English society when he was born. Charles took advantage of the opportunities that These all influenced him and prepared him for his were offered to him. famous future. It was exciting too when he arrived in Adelaide. The Weatherman There had been problems in the early years, but they The world he came to had been overcome and the colony was well-settled from Charles Todd arrived in South Australia in 1855 when and expanding rapidly. He was welcomed as part of he was 29 years old. It was a young society and a new that expansion. Greenwich world for him. The earlier settlers had come from Britain too and were already forging a different community. He He was South Australia’s first Astronomical and Charles Todd - 1826 to 1910 Meteorological Observer and he was also contracted had to learn their attitudes and their ways. He found it Meteorologist, Telegrapher, Electrician, an exciting challenge. to install the first Electric Telegraph in the colony. Postmaster-General, Astronomer, South Australian So what’s the book about? It’s about daily life, in South Australia and in England, Tony Rogers as much as it’s about Charles himself. It gives a portrait Australian Meteorological Association Judy Ferrante of him, but it also gives the background to that portrait. Level 4 - 431 King William Street It tells us about the issues that interested people and Adelaide 5000 how they were coping with change. And because it is Australian Australian Meteorological Association Association about people and daily life, it tells us a lot more as well. Not just about the weather but day-to-day life as well Looking back at the lives of people, we learn a lot about many aspects of social activity. So this book is Politics Astronomy not just about Charles Todd and the weather. It’s about A new colony is under the control of the Colonial In the nineteenth century ships needed to know the the Industrial Revolution, people, politics, religion, Office in London, but orders from them take months exact time in order to navigate safely. It was as important astronomy and lots of other things as well. to arrive. Meanwhile day-to-day-life goes on and local then as radar and global positioning are today. Studying decisions are made, some good, some bad. the stars was the one way that the correct time could The Industrial Revolution be determined. That was why the Royal Observatory, When Charles Todd was born, the Industrial Religion Greenwich, Charles Todd’s workplace and possibly the Revolution was bringing about change at a breathtaking Some histories suggest that in the nineteenth most prestigious observatory in the world, came under pace. Steam power had begun transforming industry century everyone was religious and went to church. the control of the Admiralty. And that was why Charles in the previous century. The expiry of James Watt’s This wasn’t true. A national survey in 1851 found that Todd was appointed the Government Astronomer in patents in 1800 then led to further developments and 42% of British citizens didn’t attend church. Among South Australia. steam engines became more powerful, more compact those that did, the Deists thought that the bible was and portable. By the time Charles was ten years old, twaddle. Unitarians believed that the idea of a godly The Electric Telegraph railways were changing concepts of distance with their trinity was simply wrong. It wasn’t necessary to The first patent for an electric telegraph had speed and efficiency. Within another year or two the be a Christian in order to be a Quaker. There were been issued in 1837 to William Cooke and Charles electric telegraph was transforming the sharing of ideas. Unitarians, Quakers, Agnostics and Atheists among Wheatstone. The development of the technology can Ordinary people were demanding rights and were no the first settlers in South Australia and a determination be traced back over many years. It’s a fascinating story. longer willing to be the vassals of the rich. that there would not be an established church as there Even the false claims of Samuel Morse are intriguing. was in England. One of Charles Todd’s tasks was to install an electric People telegraph from Adelaide to Port Adelaide. He had been People came to South Australia in the early days Sex closely involved with the technology in England and he seeking new opportunities. Henry Hussey, or Harry as In the early colony, most lived moral lives but knew William Cooke. his family called him, arrived as a young teenager, in attitudes were fairly relaxed and local newspapers 1839, and later wrote about his life. His lively account is reported the latest scandals in great detail. It was South Australia Was Different told here too. He brings alive those times and this tells certainly not a repressed society. The age of consent South Australia was different from the other us much about the world that Charles Todd came to. was ten, prostitution was legal and brothels were Australian colonies. It was the only one to be authorised It wasn’t an entirely male-dominated world either. common. Some claimed using their services was only by an Act of Parliament and it was the only one in Matilda Evans wrote a hugely successful series of a minor sin as it satisfied a man’s natural urges. which there were not a lot more men than women. novels about life in the colony. Catherine Helen Spence Officially there weren’t any convicts either, but that did as well and she became a newspaper commentator was a bit debatable.