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Issue 16: Summer 2022

Welcome to the Summer edition of The News

Read on as we bring you all the updates from Inyarrimanha Ilgari Bundara, the CSIRO Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory.

The first of which, as you might have already noticed, is our beautiful new dual name. The Wajarri words within our new dual name mean 'Sharing sky and stars', and we're incredibly grateful for the opportunity to play a role in sharing more about Wajarri culture and Country on the world stage via the observatory. 

On 5 November we were gifted this traditional name by the Wajarri community as part of the new Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA) that has expanded the observatory to cover Boolardy Station's footprint.

The new ILUA also enables SKA-Low telescope construction on site – which launched just a few weeks ago on 5 December! The SKA Observatory announced the start of on-site construction with a ceremony in the Murchison and a stakeholder event in Perth. This milestone is decades in the making, congratulations must go to all involved, and especially to those who were part of the events.

Finally, in this edition we also welcome new members to the Site Entity team and farewell our project manager Jane.

Details on all this and more in my blog below.

Until next time, Bec

Bec's blog

Australian SKA Office update

Ben Scandrett shares the Hon Minister Husic's reaction to a special gift and thanks everyone involved in the finalisation of the new ILUA for the observatory site.

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SKA-Low update

Ant Schinckel tells us all about the milestone construction commencement ceremony held earlier in December, including the special gift he received of a Wajarri digging stick.

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Welcome Rachel and Nic, farewell Jane

In this edition we welcome to the Site Entity team Rachel Rayner as our communications advisor and Nic Svenson as our new governance coordinator. We also farewell our senior project manager Jane Adam and welcome an extended member of the team, the verified cutie pie baby Malik.

What's up? The night sky January-March 2023

Rob Hollow shares what you might see if you look up from the Murchison at night over the following months, including a parade of planets and the Orion nebula where new stars are forming.

We acknowledge the Wajarri Yamaji as Traditional Owners and native title holders of Inyarrimanha Ilgari Bundara, the CSIRO Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory site.