Pietro Baracchi

Who was Pietro Baracchi?

Pietro Paolo Giovanni Ernesto Baracchi was an Italian-born astronomer, active in Australia and Government Astronomer of Victoria 1900-15.

Baracchi was born in Florence and took a degree in civil engineering. In 1876 he sailed for New Zealand, but soon moved on to Australia. He gained work as an assistant at the Melbourne Observatory and was selected to be transferred to Darwin. After completing his task there to measure longitudes, he returned to Melbourne and became acting government astronomer on 30 June 1895 on Robert L. J. Ellery's retirement.

Baracchi was awarded the Order of Knight Commander of the Crown of Italy, 1897 and was president of the Royal Society of Victoria 1908–1909. He established the Mount Stromlo Observatory in 1910.