- Australia's largest private telescope, a $1.3 million PlaneWave CDK700, opens at Swan Reach Observatory in South Australia
- Located near the River Murray International Dark Sky Reserve, one of the world's darkest locations with darkness measures up to 21.9 (maximum 22)
- Project spearheaded by philanthropist John George OAM and funded through community enterprise, featuring a purpose-built facility with rollaway roof
- Observatory includes state-of-the-art 28-inch / 70 cm telescope weighing over 500kg, designed for educational and scientific research purposes
- Facility will be managed by a not-for-profit board and available to educational institutions and tour groups via booking system
Swan Reach is now a Gateway To The Galaxy
MEDIA RELEASE Immediate: Thursday 13 November 2025
Australia’s BIGGEST private telescope & observatory is opening at Swan Reach, spurred on by International Dark Sky accreditation
Observing Australia’s Darkest Sky will put an education and tourism focus on tiny SA town Swan Reach, as a community owned $1.3 Million telescope & observatory is opened today.
The Swan Reach Observatory official opening marks a major milestone for astronomy in South Australia. The observatory houses a state-of-the-art PlaneWave CDK700 research telescope, offering powerful insight to the universe, close to the heart of the River Murray International Dark Sky Reserve.
The $1.3 Million telescope and observatory facility will be unveiled by SA’s Federal Minister for Trade & Tourism, Hon. Don Farrell, at 12 Noon today.
Swan Reach, usual population 300 (except in holidays), is the closest town to one of the official darkest locations in the World, the River Murray International Dark Sky Reserve and it is now home to the biggest non-government, privately owned high-tech eye on the sky between Sydney and Perth.
The US built 28-inch / 70cm aperture PlaneWave CDK700 Observatory Standard Telescope and its mounting system had a delivered cost of around $500,000 AUD. Its arrival was a result of local community enterprise and action. Waiting for it was a purpose-built facility 3 km on the Adelaide side of the Murray River, a modified farm-style building featuring an SA-designed mechanical ‘rollaway roof’ to quickly reveal one of the darkest sky viewing sites in Australia – indeed the world. The fitting of the telescope required a massive 3-metre-deep cement foundation to ensure stable images.
As the organiser and key donor of the project, John George OAM, an Adelaide business identity and philanthropist, who has a home near the town said: “We are proud to declare that our telescope is the biggest eye on the night sky between Sydney and Perth and it will be open for educational and enthusiast organisations as a commitment to regional development.” (Always a self-starter in life and business, John is also Chair of the Swan Reach Progress Association).
This telescope and mountings alone weigh over 500Kg, as well as complex IT equipment that will link it to education organisations - and even a big-screen at the local Swan Reach Pub! Organiser John took advice from SA’s top scientists and astronomers – and chose the PlaneWave, from a company that manufactures observatory-class instruments for professional astronomers, universities, and schools. Coming from the US, it took over a year to be built and delivered.
“This telescope is the Ferrari or Porsche of the telescope world – right here now - after 2 years of planning, and this observatory proves what we can do as a small community. It will bring joy and education to many and wealth to the village of Swan Reach in South Australia. This is just the beginning, and I am proud to be involved”.
The facility will be overseen by a not-for-profit structure with a Board of science and community leaders. Due to its technical requirements, it will be accessible to educational and special scientific or tour groups by arrangement and an online booking system.
The building has a meeting area with 98" TV screen, separate control room, kitchen area, two bathrooms, ample sealed parking for cars and buses, and is minutes from Ferry access to Swan Reach township and accommodation.
Tech Facts: The PlaneWave Instruments CDK700 (0.7 metre) optical telescope is a professional standard observatory class telescope that is fully automated with an innovative direct-drive alt/az mount technology and in particular its Nasmyth Focus system means that user eyepieces remain at a constant wheelchair-accessible height, greatly simplifying access to the telescope for public observatories via a rotating tertiary mirror allowing a switch from one Nasmyth port to the other for digital photographic equipment or other IT connected instruments.
How the Swan Reach observatory plan began: With the 2019 accreditation of the adjacent ‘Swan Reach Conservation Park’ as the first formally recognised International Dark Sky Reserve at ‘gold star standard’ in Australia, John and a team of experts began working with the Mid Murray Council that had established a committee to expand awareness and opportunities on this rare accreditation.
However, recognising that a proposed Council plan for an observatory was not yet funded and would take years to achieve, John George put his own money into a project to accelerate the activity and to establish a dedicated facility on land he owns just minutes from Swan Reach.
How dark: A ‘core site’ for the Reserve is the Swan Reach Conservation Park – an area of 2,000 hectares of untouched and protected Mallee bushland. It is one of the darkest locations in the world –and consistently measures an exceptional level of darkness, commonly about 21.8 (theoretical maximum darkness is 22) and in some areas achieving the remarkable darkness measure of 21.9. The core site has a 30km buffer zone of parks, private farmland, small townships and natural bush.
What makes it even more remarkable as an international tourism attraction is its proximity to a capital city, under 2 hours’ scenic drive from SA’s capital city Adelaide.
Educational opportunity – from primary schools to universities world-wide
The purpose-built Observatory will be a focal point for education, with a science lecture area for teachers and students who will connect with global ‘Citizens Science’ efforts, where amateur and professional astronomers using similar CDK telescopes collect data to publish discoveries online.
Years ago, John George, a local community ‘mover and shaker’ became obsessed with the night skies at his favourite regional town, and he made a commitment to “do something special” for his family’s little piece of the Outback sky. “For over 30 years I’ve always been astonished by the wondrous open skies above our house at Swan Reach, where our family has enjoyed being a part of this community”.
Caption Image 1: Time-exposure in the observatory by Andrew Cool, Member Astronomical Society of Australia; & Trustee of the Swan Reach Observatory Board. Caption Image 2: Taken on the CDK700 Telescope. Trifid Nebula Image, created from 40 x 30 second exposures taken in October.
* Both images are available in high resolution and can be downloaded via a DropBox or Google link, contact Mike O’Reilly
Contacts for Interviews
John George OAM: 0414 824 232, [email protected]
Media assistance, Mike O’Reilly, 0414 882 505 ([email protected])
Telescope Data: https://planewave.com/products/cdk700/
A good technical review of the CDK700 telescope is here: https://youtu.be/B_Louir2r10?t=418
Contact details:
John George OAM: 0414 824 232, [email protected]
Media assistance, Mike O’Reilly, 0414 882 505 ([email protected])
