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On Thursday 13 Nov Australia's BIGGEST private Space Telescope will be unveiled at the new Swan Reach Observatory in SA

Swan Reach Progress Association from Mike O'Reilly

Key Facts:

• Australia's largest private space telescope to be unveiled at Swan Reach Observatory on 13 November 2025, costing AUD $1.3 million
• Located in one of the world's darkest locations, the River Murray International Dark Sky Reserve, measuring up to 21.9 on the darkness scale (max 22)
• The US-built PlaneWave CDK700 telescope cost AUD $500,000, features a 70cm aperture, and weighs over 500kg
• Project spearheaded by local philanthropist John George OAM and the Swan Reach Progress Association, taking two years to complete
• Facility includes meeting areas, wheelchair accessibility, and will be available to educational and scientific groups via online booking system

MEDIA ALERT:  ADVANCE NOTICE           EMBARGO 7am, 13th November

 

On Thursday 13 November 2025... Australia’s BIGGEST private Space Telescope will be unveiled at the new Swan Reach Observatory

 

Editors: Vision content delivery mid afternoon by Shane Booth, https://bluecapmedia.com/ with prior night scenes + event cover + short interviews by a Journo.

Note: This is a new ‘ready now’ Telescope & Observatory, not associated with recent media for a proposed development in the region.

 

What: Spurred on by International Dark Sky accreditation for the region, the Swan Reach Progress Association decided to create a national focus on education & tourism for their tiny River Murray town, to deliver a world class observatory. It took over two years to achieve.

 

When: 12 Noon on Thursday 13^th November. A $1.3 Million telescope and observatory facility is being unveiled by SA’s Federal Minister for Trade & Tourism, Hon. Don Farrell.

 

Where: Go via Angaston, then take Stott Highway / Angaston to Swan Reach Road. Just before Swan Reach, turn left in to Murraylands Rd and in 500 metres follow prominent direction signs.

 

Observing Australia’s Darkest Sky is now a reality at Swan Reach in SA

Swan Reach, usual population 300 (except in holidays), is the closest town to one of the official darkest locations in the World, the River Murray International Dark Sky Reserve and it is now home to the biggest privately owned high-tech eye on the sky between Sydney and Perth.

 

This US built PlaneWave CDK700 Observatory Standard Telescope had a delivered cost of around $500,000 AUD and its arrival has been entirely the result of local community enterprise and action.

 

As the organiser and key donor of the project, John George OAM, an Adelaide business identity and philanthropist, who has a home near the town said: “We are proud to declare that our telescope is the biggest eye on the night sky between Sydney and Perth and it will be open for educational and enthusiast organisations as a commitment to regional development.”  (Always a self-starter in life and business, John is also Chair of the Swan Reach Progress Association)

 

This 3-metre-tall telescope with a 28-inch / 70cm aperture and mountings, alone weighs over 500Kg, as well as associated IT equipment that will link it to education organisations - and even the local hotel!  Organiser John George took advice from SA’s top scientists and astronomers and chose the PlaneWave CDK700, by a company that manufactures observatory-class instruments for professional astronomers, universities, and schools. From the US, it took over a year to be built and delivered.

 

“This telescope is the Ferrari or Porsche of the telescope world – right here now - after 2 years of planning, and this observatory proves what we can do as a small community. It will bring joy and education to many and new wealth to the village of Swan Reach in SA. This is just the beginning, and I am proud to be involved,” said John.

 

The facility will be overseen by a not-for-profit structure with a Board of science and community leaders. Due to its technical requirements, it will be accessible to educational and special scientific or tour groups by arrangement and an online booking system. The building has a meeting area with 98" TV screen, separate control room, kitchen area, two bathrooms, ample sealed parking for cars and buses, and is minutes from Ferry access to Swan Reach township and accommodation.

 

Tech Facts: The PlaneWave Instruments CDK700 (0.7 metre) optical telescope is a professional standard observatory class telescope that is fully automated with an innovative direct-drive alt/az mount technology and in particular its Nasmyth Focus system means that user eyepieces remain at a constant wheelchair-accessible height, greatly simplifying access to the telescope for public observatories via a rotating tertiary mirror allowing a switch from one Nasmyth port to the other for digital photographic equipment or other IT connected instruments.

 

How the Swan Reach observatory plan began: With the 2019 accreditation of the ‘Swan Reach Conservation Park’ as the first formally recognised International Dark Sky Reserve at ‘gold star standard’ in Australia, John and a team of experts began working with the Mid Murray Council that had established a committee to expand awareness and opportunities on this rare accreditation.

 

However, recognising that a proposed Council plan for an observatory was not yet funded and would take years to achieve, John George put his own money into the project to accelerate the activity and to establish a facility on land he owns close to the River Murray town of Swan Reach.

 

How dark:  A ‘core site’ for the Reserve is the Swan Reach Conservation Park – an area of 2,000 hectares of untouched and protected Mallee bushland. It is one of the darkest locations in the world and consistently measures an exceptional level of darkness, commonly about 21.8 (theoretical maximum darkness is 22) and in some areas achieving the remarkable darkness measure of 21.9. The core site has a 30km buffer zone of parks, private farmland, small townships and natural bush.

What makes it even more remarkable as an international tourism attraction is its proximity to a capital city, just 90 minutes’ easy drive from SA’s capital city Adelaide.

 

(Info on ‘Dark Skies’: Chris Tugwell, Founder, River Murray International Dark Sky Reserve, 0414 926 539)

 

  

Caption Image 1: Time-exposure in the observatory by Andrew Cool, Member Astronomical Society of Australia; Member of Technical Committee, Australasian Dark Sky Alliance.

Caption Image 2: Taken on the CDK700 Telescope. Trifid Nebula Image, created from 40 x 30 second exposures taken in October 2025.

* Both images are available in high resolution and can be downloaded via a DropBox link, contact Mike O’Reilly

 

Contacts for Interview or Background Information – prior to Launch Event

 

John George OAM:  0414 824 232,  [email protected]

 

Media Assistance, Mike O’Reilly, 0414 882 505 [email protected]

 

Telescope Data: https://planewave.com/products/cdk700/

A good technical review of the CDK700 telescope is here: https://youtu.be/B_Louir2r10?t=418

Contact details:

For Interview or Background information:

John George OAM:  0414 824 232,  [email protected]

Media Assistance, Mike O’Reilly, 0414 882 505 [email protected]