Astronomical Memoirs is an autobiography of John Tebbutt F.R.A.S by his son John Tebbutt. John Tebbutt was a gentleman amateur astronomer in the best tradition of 19th Century Europe. A farmer by occupation, John built his own “Southern Hemisphere Greenwich Observatory” on the peninsula at Windsor, N.S.W., and for nearly 60 years continued a remarkable career, outstripping all professional astronomers in Australia.
 
John’s story is an inspiration. ‘Astronomical Memoirs’ unfolds the life work of a man who was obsessive in his pursuit of knowledge of his universe. As well as discovering two significant comets, he published a total of 371 scientific papers (up to 1907) in both prestigious international journals and in the proceedings of the fledging scientific societies of this colony.
Graham White 1986