Passion and patronage: the Afro-Australian astronomy of Robert Throburn Ayton Innes

Abstract

Robert Innes was a Scot with a passion for mathematical astronomy who emigrated to Sydney in 1890, at the age of 28. There he was inspired by Australia's foremost astronomer, John Tebbutt, and quickly developed a taste for observational astronomy, and particularly the search for new double stars. Innes soon became known for his success in this field, and with Tebbutt's patronage managed to obtain a clerical post at the Royal Observatory, Cape of Good Hope. There he continued his double star work, and with strong support from Sir David Gill was appointed founding director of the Transvaal Observatory in 1903. An interesting case of a successful 'amateur-turned-professional', by the time he died in 1931 Innes had received an honorary D.Sc. from Leiden University and established an international reputation in positional astronomy.