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An Open Letter from the Director

27 January 2003

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

By now, most of you will have heard that that the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics (RSAA) at the ANU has undergone a tragic and challenging week as a result of the bush fires of 18 January 2003 that have destroyed most of our facilities on Mount Stromlo. Due to disruptions in our communications and the enormity of work to be done, I have been unable to contact you personally to describe the extent of the destruction or the speed with which the rebuilding process has begun. Please forgive the delay.

The bush fire of 18 January 2003 is perhaps the single worst to ravage Australia in 100 years. The people of Canberra have suffered mightily, with 4 lives and over 500 homes lost. Many of our staff and students were among those who lost homes, making this fire particularly difficult to bear. We are, however, exceedingly grateful that no Stromlo personnel were injured --- particularly amazing given the speed with which the fire storm swept over the adjoining forest to the mountain itself.

On Mount Stromlo, only the Visitor's Centre, and the Woolley and Duffield buildings, which housed our academic staff and its computing resources, were spared. Eight houses on the mountain, and all five telescopes (including the 74" and the 50") were destroyed beyond repair. The 1924 heritage building, accommodating our administration staff, the design office, and the library, was completely gutted, as was the extensive Stromlo workshop where NIFS, the soon-to-be-delivered spectrograph for Gemini North, was entering final testing. Yet, as I said to staff on Monday last, Stromlo has retained its best and most important assets completely intact: our people, our spirit, and our identity. With these strengths, the process of rebuilding has already begun. We are bent, but very far from broken.

Our scientific facilities and staff at Siding Spring are hundreds of kilometers distant, and remain unaffected by the Canberra area fires. Nearly all scientific data have survived, as have Gemini instrument plans. Office space and computing terminals have been identified on ANU's main campus and allow those who are able to return to work. We met daily as a team throughout last week, even while many staff continued to defend their homes --- some of which remained without electrical power --- against the ongoing threat of fire. Our computer servers have been retrieved from the mountain, and are back on-line; both email and telephone communication have been restored. Students and academic staff have begun to return to their science on the main campus, where work on the Gemini South Adaptive Optics Imager is also proceeding.

Mount Stromlo has been secured, the devastation assessed, and the site is being made safe for our return. Staff were accompanied to Stromlo to view the damage first hand and retrieve important items from their offices. Electricityhas been restored on the mountain via emergency generators, and water is being made available. Unstable structures are being reinforced and fenced, and debris removed. Broken glass in the Duffield and Woolley buildings has been replaced and the buildings are soon to be cleaned. Temporary workshop facilities have been identified on campus and with our industrial partners; these will be used until our own workshops are rebuilt on the mountain. Mount Stromlo staff celebrated Australia Day together with some Siding Spring colleagues over this long weekend. Once electronic communications can be restored to the mountain sometime next week, we will return home.

We are grateful and humbled by the magnitude of the support we are receiving. The Australian National University, its staff and its Vice Chancellor have repeatedly demonstrated their unflinching dedication to RSAA and Mount Stromlo; the results of our ANU colleagues' rapid response is nothing short of miraculous. The Australian people have indicated their affinity for Stromlo through moving expressions of concern and generous donations. The Prime Minister and the Minister of Science have toured the mountain to survey the devastation. Our scientific colleagues and industrial partners here and abroad have reacted swiftly to offer assistance.

Your individual letters, phone calls, and offers of generosity during the past days have been greatly appreciated by all of us on Mount Stromlo. Please allow me to express our thanks on behalf of all staff. You can learn more about the fire on Mount Stromlo and our on-going recovery and rebuilding process by visiting the following web sites

• http://www.anu.edu.au/fires
• http://www.mso.anu.edu.au

or by calling the general enquiry number on (+61 2) 6125 0230. I urge you to stay in touch as we build a stronger and even more resilient Mount Stromlo.

Sincerely,

Penny D. Sackett
Director
Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics and
Mount Stromlo and Siding Spring Observatories