- Western Australia’s Gravity Discovery Centre and Observatory has been given a $300,000 grant from the state government.
- The funds will be received over the coming three years.
Only in WA will you find an observatory with amazing abseiling, world-class wildflowers and state of the art stargazing. Yet, with the state government’s funding boost, the Gravity Discovery Centre and Observatory has some exciting new developments ahead.
The observatory, located at Gingin an hour north of Perth, will use the funding to expand the centre’s engagement activities. The range of activities on offer already provides interactive education on science, space, astronomy, and Aboriginal culture.
With these new funds, more students and public visitors will able to learn about and experience the wonders of our night sky. The centre aims to have 1000 more visitors per year.
The not-for-profit centre intends to expand staff and facilities. They will host up to three additional school education and holiday programs each year.
The funds come as a part of the West Australian government’s STEM Program. The program aims to increase engagement and education in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
WA Innovation Minister Dave Kelly hopes the centre will be able to “…reach and inspire more young West Australians to follow the exciting career pathways STEM offers.”
“For more than two decades, Gingin’s Gravity Discovery Centre and Observatory has been educating young West Australians about the latest discoveries in science and technology, and how they relate to our day-to-day lives.”
Minister Kelly
This year the Quantum TechX (QTX) space business accelerator program will be hosted by the centre. The program is free and exclusive to Western Australian companies. With applications closing next week, QTX encourages all technology startups to apply. Refer to the link below for more information on the QTX program.
https://www.quantumtx.com.au/qtx-wa-2021
Whether you go for the abseiling or the stargazing, Gravity Discovery Centre and Observatory is certainly a place to add to the bucket list. With the new funding boost, we expect an astronomical future for the WA Observatory.
