Frank Bateson

Who was Frank Bateson?

Frank Bateson OBE was a New Zealand astronomer who specialized in the study of variable stars.

Frank Maine Bateson was born in Wellington on 31 October 1909 and studied in Australia and New Zealand. His interest in astronomy developed during his school years in Sydney, Australia when he read Robert Stawell Ball's Great Astronomers. In 1927, at the age of 18, he founded the Variable Star Section of the Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand. He remained as Director of the VSS until 2004.

Under his lead, the VSS observed variable stars and collated reports on stars from both professional and amateur observers throughout the world and was known worldwide for its work in the field of variable stars. He was associated with the VSS until his death. He and his wife, Doris, formed a non-profit organization called Astronomical Research Ltd. which administers the over 1,000,000 observations which have been delivered to the VSS by amateur and professional astronomers worldwide since the onset of the program.

He served in World War II with New Zealand's Home Naval Service, then after the war moved to Rarotonga, Cook Islands where he worked until 1960. In 1957 he was elected to the Parliament of the Cook Islands, the first person of European heritage to be so elected. He spent much of his career working in the business field while pursuing his astronomical interests as a hobby.