Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1906-2009 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
Name of creator
Administrative history
The Cape Astronomical Association was established in 1912 shortly after the 1910 apparition of Halley’s Comet, with S S Hough, HM Astronomer at the Cape as President. The Johannesburg Astronomical Association was established in 1918 with R T A Innes, Union Astronomer as President. Following an invitation from the Cape Association it was decided in 1922 to merge the two Associations to form the Astronomical Society of South Africa. The name was changed to the Astronomical Association of Southern Africa (ASSA) in 1956.
ASSA’s Constitution was first adopted in 1922 and has been replaced and amended on a number of occasions. The declared objectives of ASSA in the current Constitution are:
• The encouragement and stimulation of the study of astronomy in Southern Africa;
• The association of observers and their organisation in the work of astronomical observation and research; and
• The dissemination of such current astronomical information as may be helpful to observers and others interested in astronomy.
The activities of ASSA are managed by an elected Council, and its astronomical work is conducted by sections. ASSA has autonomous centres functioning in various provincial centres. The structure of both the sections and centres has changed over time, and this may account for discrepancies in names and structures in the inventory as the current structure has been used as the primary classification.
Prominent activities of ASSA have included the issuing of periodical and some occasional publications. The Journal of the Astronomical Society of South Africa was published from 1923, and was superseded in 1940 by the Monthly Notes of the Astronomical Society of Southern Africa (MNASSA). From 1946, an annual Handbook was issued as a practical guide to the night skies and this was redesigned and renamed, and published as the Sky Guide Africa South from 2004.
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Scope and content
The sourcing, assembling and deposit of the collection was facilitated by Mr Chris de Coning, Director of the Historical Section of ASSA, over a period of time commencing in 2002. Mr De Coning actively solicited the private collections of prominent individuals who were active in ASSA. These collections, identified by the names of their creators, have been kept as separate series within the ASSA Collection. Given that ASSA is a voluntary organization run by elected office-bearers who change annually, and which has autonomous provincial centres and dispersed sections, the structure of which has changed over time, Mr De Coning needed to actively seek out records from various sources. While the core records, such as the minutes of the ASSA Council, are complete, there are gaps in respect of other activities. The contextual information compiled by Mr De Coning in collecting and assembling the records is being kept in the administrative file for the ASSA Collection. As ASSA continues to operate, it is envisaged that material will be added to the collection. This may be listed within the existing series or alternatively be listed as additional series.
Copies of ASSA’s remaining stock of the periodicals, Monthly Notes of the Astronomical Society of Southern Africa (MNASSA) and the annual Handbook, received with the collection, have been transferred to the main library. A few copies of MNASSA are however to be found in F2.2 of this list.
The following is a brief indication of the contents of the ASSA collection:
Series A: Constitution (2 folders)
The series contains copies of various versions of the ASSA Constitution and Bye-Laws, as well as correspondence regarding amendments.
Series B: Council (8 folders or items)
The series contains records of the functioning of the ASSA Council, including minutes and agendas of ordinary and annual general meetings, annual reports and correspondence.
Series C: Membership (8 folders or items)
The series comprises registers of membership and membership lists.
Series D: Finance (7 folders or items)
The series comprises financial analysis books, annual financial statements, and correspondence on substantive financial matters and grants.
Series E: Property and administration (1 folder)
There is a single folder relating to ASSA property and administration.
Series F: Publications, symposia and website (19 folders or items)
The series comprises correspondence about, and some issues of, periodicals and occasional publications issued by ASSA; a few other publications; correspondence about symposia and the website of ASSA; and correspondence about non-ASSA publications.
Series G: Awards, projects and activities (8 folders)
The series comprises correspondence about ASSA endeavours to promote interest in and reward contributions to astronomy.
Series H: Sections (17 folders or items)
The series comprises correspondence and reports on the activities of sections, records of observations, errata and corrections, and a hardcopy of the ASSA History of Astronomy website.
Series J: Centres (23 folders or items)
The series comprises correspondence, minutes and reports of the autonomous ASSA centres. In some cases, there are copies of centre newsletters and membership lists.
Series K: Astronomical data and information (8 folders or items)
The series comprises correspondence and publications. Notably, it includes “Bennett’s Catalogue”, the handwritten notes, plots and sightings of Jack Bennett.
Series L to Q: Private collections (39 folders or items)
These series contain the private collections of prominent individuals who were active in ASSA. The collections include source material and articles on astronomical history and phenomena, records of observations and records created officially in the course of ASSA work.