It’s a sobering thought that many of the world’s greatest discoveries and inventions have come about through war or the threat of war. The development of radio-direction and ranging – or ‘radar’ – is an example, becoming a universal electronic warfare tool during WWII. But even at the end of the war, the concept of radar had barely been around for a decade, yet the chance to turn radar antennas towards peace-time discoveries was already on the cards in Australia – a move that would put us at the forefront of the emerging science of radio-astronomy.
Humble beginnings
Sydney was considered a prime target for attack during WWII, a fact that led to the tall sandstone cliffs
